The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 23: Motor Vehicles

Chapter 005: Provisions Common to Registration and Operator's Licenses

• § 201. Applications to be under oath

  All applications, all proofs that the Commissioner may require, and all requests for personal information shall be under oath or the applications and proofs shall contain and be verified by written declarations that they are made subject to the penalties prescribed in section 202 of this title. Each question and answer and each statement made in any application, or in any proof required, shall be deemed material. When an applicant is a corporation or partnership, the individual signing the application shall be considered the individual under oath or the person subject to the penalties of section 202 of this title. (Amended 1969, No. 259 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; 1969, No. 297 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1971; 1991, No. 164 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1997, No. 55, § 5, eff. June 26, 1997; 2001, No. 69, § 1; 2007, No. 19, § 3; 2019, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 138.)

• § 202. Impersonating another in an application or aiding an applicant by false representation

  A person who does any of the following shall be fined not more than $1,000.00 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both, and shall have his or her privilege to operate suspended for 90 days:

  (1) falsely impersonates another in an application for:

  (A) an operator’s license;

  (B) a learner’s permit;

  (C) a nondriver identification card;

  (D) a motor vehicle registration or vessel validation; or

  (E) an in-transit registration permit;

  (2) obtains by false representation:

  (A) an operator’s license;

  (B) a learner’s permit;

  (C) a nondriver identification card;

  (D) a motor vehicle registration or vessel validation; or

  (E) an in-transit registration permit;

  (3) uses an assumed name or name that is not his or her own in an application for:

  (A) an operator’s license;

  (B) a learner’s permit;

  (C) a nondriver identification card;

  (D) a motor vehicle registration or vessel validation; or

  (E) an in-transit registration permit; or

  (4) knowingly aids an applicant in obtaining by false representation as to the age or identity of such applicant:

  (A) an operator’s license;

  (B) a learner’s permit;

  (C) a nondriver identification card;

  (D) a motor vehicle registration or vessel validation; or

  (E) in-transit registration permit. (Amended 1987, No. 241 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1991, No. 164 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2019, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2021, No. 20, § 229.)

• § 203. Counterfeiting, fraud, and misuse; penalty

  (a) A person shall not:

  (1) counterfeit or cause to be counterfeited or have in his or her possession any counterfeit number plate, validating sticker, marker, inspection sticker, registration certificate, in-transit registration permit, learner’s permit, nondriver identification card, insurance identification card, or operator’s license or alter or have in his or her possession any altered number plate or marker;

  (2) display or cause or permit to be displayed, or have in the person’s possession, any fictitious or fraudulently altered operator’s license, learner’s permit, nondriver identification card, inspection sticker, registration certificate, or in-transit registration permit, or display for any fraudulent purpose an expired or counterfeit insurance identification card or similar document;

  (3) lend his or her operator’s license to any other person or knowingly permit the use thereof by another;

  (4) display or represent as his or her own any operator’s license, permit, or nondriver identification card not issued to him or her;

  (5) permit any unlawful use of an operator’s license, permit, or nondriver identification card issued to him or her by the Commissioner;

  (6) obtain or attempt to obtain a registration plate, validation sticker, registration certificate, in-transit registration permit, operator’s license, learner’s permit, nondriver identification card, or duplicate copy of any of such documents by the use of fraudulently obtained, fictitious, or altered identity documents or by the use of identity documents not his or her own;

  (7) obtain or attempt to obtain a registration plate, validation sticker, registration certificate, in-transit registration permit, certificate of title, operator’s license, learner’s permit, nondriver identification card, duplicate copy of any of these documents, or obtain or attempt to obtain any other permit, license, or special privilege from the Department of Motor Vehicles through the submission of an application containing false or fictitious information;

  (8) lend his or her identity documents to aid an applicant in his or her attempt to fraudulently obtain or actually obtain a registration plate, validation sticker, registration certificate, in-transit registration permit, operator’s license, learner’s permit, nondriver identification card, or duplicate copy of such documents; or

  (9) display on his or her vehicle an inspection sticker not issued to him or her for the vehicle.

  (b)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, a violation of subsection (a) of this section shall be a traffic violation for which there shall be a penalty of not more than $1,000.00. If a person is found to have committed the violation, the person’s privilege to operate motor vehicles shall be suspended for 60 days.

  (2)(A) If a person may be charged with a violation of subdivision (a)(2) of this section or with a violation of 7 V.S.A. § 656, the person shall be charged with a violation of 7 V.S.A. § 656 and not with a violation of this section.

  (B) If a person may be charged with a violation of subdivision (a)(2) of this section or with a violation of 7 V.S.A. § 1005, the person shall be charged with a violation of 7 V.S.A. § 1005 and not with a violation of this section. (Amended 1967, No. 129, § 1; 1971, No. 228 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 1991, No. 164 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2007, No. 19, § 4; 2011, No. 164 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2019, No. 60, § 14; 2019, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2019, No. 167 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. Oct. 7, 2020; 2021, No. 20, § 230; 2023, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 22, eff. June 6, 2024.)

• § 204. Surrender of license or registration

  (a) A person whose license to operate a motor vehicle, nondriver identification card, or motor vehicle registration has been issued in error shall immediately surrender the license or registration upon demand of the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s authorized inspector or agent. The demand shall be made in person or by notice in writing sent by first-class mail to the last known address of the person.

  (b) The Commissioner or the Commissioner’s authorized inspector or agent and all enforcement officers are authorized to take possession of any certificate of title, nondriver identification card, registration, or license issued by this or any other jurisdiction that has been revoked, canceled, or suspended, or that is fictitious, stolen, or altered.

  (c) A suspension or revocation shall be deemed to be in effect upon receipt of the notice, if made in person, or three days after the deposit of the notice in the U.S. mail, if made in writing and sent by first-class mail to the last known address of the person.

  (d) If a presuspension or prerevocation hearing is available by law, the written notice of suspension or revocation shall so state. Unless otherwise specifically provided by statute, a written request for a hearing must be received at the Department of Motor Vehicles within 15 days after the date of the notice or the right to a hearing is deemed to be waived. (Amended 1983, No. 7; 1989, No. 127 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. Mar. 15, 1990; 1991, No. 164 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 1993, No. 212 (Adj. Sess.), § 6; 1995, No. 112 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 22, 1996; 1999, No. 34, § 4; 2007, No. 61, § 2; 2011, No. 46, § 2; 2023, No. 85 (Adj. Sess.), § 261, eff. July 1, 2024.)

• § 205. Notification of change of name or address

  The owner of a registered motor vehicle, snowmobile, or motorboat; a person licensed to operate a motor vehicle in this State; and a person licensed under chapter 27 or 28 of this title or 32 V.S.A. chapter 219 shall notify the Commissioner, in writing, of a change in the owner’s or person’s legal name or residence or mailing address within 30 days after the change is made. (Added 1963, No. 47; amended 1971, No. 228 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; 1985, No. 85, § 4; 2015, No. 47, § 4.)

• § 206. Surcharge

  A person convicted of violating a provision of this chapter shall be assessed a surcharge of $50.00, which shall be added to any fine or surcharge imposed by the court. The court shall collect and transfer the surcharge assessed under this section to be credited to the DUI Enforcement Fund established and managed pursuant to 32 V.S.A. chapter 7, subchapter 5. The collection procedures described in 13 V.S.A. § 5240 shall be utilized in the collection of this surcharge. (Added 1997, No. 117 (Adj. Sess.), § 21.)

• § 207. Refund of money erroneously paid

  Upon application of the Commissioner, the Commissioner of Finance and Management shall issue a warrant in favor of any person equitably entitled to a refund of money erroneously paid into the State Treasury for a license or permit to operate a motor vehicle or for the registration of a motor vehicle, trailer, semi-trailer, snowmobile, motorboat, or all-terrain vehicle. A refund shall not be allowed except as provided in this section and sections 325-327 of this title, and shall be paid from the fees remitted to the State Treasury by the Department. (Added 2015, No. 47, § 9.)

• § 208. Reciprocal recognition of nonresident registrations, licenses, and permits; foreign visitors

  As determined by the Commissioner, and consistent with section 601 of this title, a motor vehicle owned by a nonresident shall be considered as registered and a nonresident operator shall be considered as licensed or permitted in this State if the nonresident owner or operator has complied with the laws of the foreign country or state of his or her residence relative to the registration of motor vehicles and the granting of operator’s licenses or learner’s permits. However, these exemptions shall be operative only to the extent that under the laws of the foreign country or state of the owner’s or operator’s residence like exemptions and privileges are granted to owners of motor vehicles duly registered and to operators duly licensed or permitted under the laws of this State, except that if the owner or operator is a resident of a country not adjoining the United States, the exemptions shall be operative for a period of not more than one year even if the country does not grant like privileges to residents of this State. (Added 2015, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 61; amended 2019, No. 60, § 7.)