Introduction
Vermont offers driving credentials to eligible immigrants, including a pathway for applicants without lawful immigration status. Which credential you can get, and which documents you need, depends on your circumstances.
Many newcomers get stuck at the same point: they gather documents before knowing which credential they are applying for. That wastes appointments. Vermont's rules also differ between a REAL ID license and a Driver's Privilege Card, and some published guidance doesn't line up perfectly.
This guide covers eligibility, documents, testing, the differences between credential types, and privacy questions. Always confirm current rules with the Vermont DMV before you apply. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Key Takeaways
- Decide between a REAL ID license and a Driver's Privilege Card before gathering documents.
- Lawful status is not required for the Driver's Privilege Card.
- Bring identity, two Vermont residency documents, and Social Security or ineligibility paperwork.
- No driving credential grants immigration status, work authorization, or voting rights.
Who Can Get a Vermont Driver's License?
Standard and REAL ID licenses
Vermont issues adult licenses to eligible applicants 18 or older who pass the required exams. "Standard" is not a separate immigration category. The application offers two- or four-year licenses in either a REAL ID or non-REAL ID format.
A REAL ID license requires:
- Identity and date of birth
- Social Security information
- Vermont residence
- Lawful status
Applicants with temporary lawful status receive cards marked "limited term."
Documents the DMV expressly lists include a valid, unexpired Form I-551 Permanent Resident Card. For other statuses, the DMV uses the phrase "other acceptable proof of lawful status."
TSA's REAL ID guidance recognizes work permits (EADs) and pending asylum applications as temporary lawful-status categories, but Vermont doesn't publish a document-by-document list. Ask the DMV about your specific receipt or card.
The DMV verifies immigration documents through the federal SAVE system and requires at least 30 days remaining on your proof of status.
Driver's Privilege Card
Undocumented immigrants can qualify. Under Act 74 of 2013, effective January 1, 2014, the Driver's Privilege Card (DPC) is a Vermont license or permit that is not REAL ID compliant. It requires neither lawful status nor U.S. citizenship.
You still must meet identity, Vermont residency, and testing requirements. Getting a DPC does not create or change your immigration status.
If your situation is unusual or unresolved, talk to a qualified immigration lawyer or legal-aid organization first.
What Documents Do You Need to Get a Vermont Driver's License?
Identity and date of birth
The DMV lists these as acceptable:
- A valid, unexpired passport or birth certificate
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240, DS-1350, or FS-545)
- Qualifying Mexican, Guatemalan, or comparable consular identification
- Unexpired I-551 permanent resident card
- Naturalization certificate (N-550/N-570) or citizenship certificate (N-560/N-561)
REAL ID requires originals or issuing-agency-certified copies. Photocopies and faxes are not accepted as identity documents.
For the DPC, state law (23 V.S.A. § 603(e)) requires the Commissioner to accept a combination of two or more of the following:
- A valid foreign passport
- A qualifying consular ID
- A certified birth, marriage, adoption, or divorce record (translated if necessary)
If names differ across documents, bring certified linking records such as marriage or divorce decrees. The DMV may ask for more evidence if identity is in doubt.
Vermont residency
For a general adult application, bring two documents showing your name and current Vermont residential address. Accepted examples include:
- Utility bill with service address
- Signed lease
- Homeowners or renters insurance
- Property-tax, federal tax, or state tax documents
- Medical bill or receipt
- School transcript or enrollment confirmation
Mail may count as only one document. A P.O. box can be a mailing address but not your residential address. Applicants 18 and older must provide documents in their own name.
The DPC statute uses slightly different combinations:
- Two pieces of mail received within the previous 30 days, plus one document from a second list (vehicle title or registration, bank, insurer, school, tax, or medical records)
- Two documents from that second list
The DMV's general page and the statute don't match exactly, so ask which standard staff will apply.
Social Security documentation
The DMV accepts a Social Security card or an SSA ineligibility letter. If you lack the card, a W-2, SSA-1099, or pay stub showing at least the last four SSN digits can work.
The application lets certain non-REAL ID applicants leave the SSN blank if they present an SSA ineligibility letter and aren't registering to vote. Published guidance for REAL ID applicants without an SSN is inconsistent, so confirm with the DMV.
Preparation checklist
- Choose your credential type.
- Gather originals or certified copies and check expiration dates.
- Get translations where required, plus name-change records.
- Compare every document against the DMV's current checklist before your appointment.
How to Apply, Test, and Receive the Credential
Before you visit
Start with the DMV's new-license page, which links application form VL-021 and directs you to schedule an office appointment through myDMV. Confirm the current fee schedule there too.
The current fees (schedule dated July 9, 2026):
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| License, two years | $39 |
| License, four years | $62 |
| Learner permit, two years | $24 |
| Learner knowledge test | $39 |
| Noncommercial road test | $23 |
| Replacement | $24 |
REAL ID and non-REAL ID licenses cost the same. Test fees are separate.
Tests
- Knowledge test: online, 20 questions, 16 correct to pass.
- Vision: 20/40 is the screening standard; applicants who miss it are referred to an eye doctor.
- Road test: you supply a registered, inspected, insured vehicle in good mechanical condition. Rental cars need the rental company's permission.
- Retesting: wait at least one day after a failed knowledge test and seven days after a failed road test. You pay each attempt.
DPC applicants get no testing exemption.
Tests are offered in many languages, including Spanish, Arabic, French, Nepali, Somali, Swahili, and Ukrainian. Offices provide free telephone interpretation. The DMV doesn't provide road-test interpreters, but you may bring someone solely to interpret instructions.
Receiving your credential
You receive a paper license valid for 45 days, and the permanent card arrives by mail within 14 to 20 business days. The paper license is valid for driving but is not REAL ID. A learner permit receipt works as a temporary permit for 90 days.
Regular licenses run two or four years. Limited-term cards generally expire with your authorized stay. Non-REAL ID renewals can't be done online.
If your application is delayed or refused
- Ask exactly which requirement is missing.
- Request the reason in writing if possible.
- State law gives you a hearing right after a refusal. A written request generally must reach the DMV within 15 days of notice.
- Never submit altered or misleading documents.
If you have identity discrepancies or immigration-related risks, speak with a qualified lawyer before submitting anything more.
Help with relocation paperwork
Moving2US helps newcomers organize paperwork and appointments as part of broader U.S. relocation support, including preparing license appointments and attending them with you.
Driver's license application and knowledge-test escort come with each flat-fee suite ($2,000, $2,300, or $2,800); government fees are billed at cost. Moving2US doesn't issue licenses, represent the DMV, or give immigration-law advice.
Driver Privilege Cards, REAL ID, and Acceptable Uses
Comparing credentials
| REAL ID license | Non-REAL ID / DPC | |
|---|---|---|
| Lawful-status proof | Required | Not required |
| Driving | Yes | Yes, solely for driving |
| Federal identification | Compliant | Not valid |
| Airport ID | Accepted | Not accepted since May 7, 2025 |
| Marking | "Limited term" if temporary status | "Not for Real ID Purposes" |
Practical limits
- Employment: State licenses are List B identity documents on Form I-9. They don't prove work authorization, so you need a separate List C document.
- Voting: Vermont voter qualifications include U.S. citizenship, and a license doesn't establish eligibility.
- Travel: TSA accepts foreign passports, I-551 cards, and I-766 work permits. A temporary paper license isn't acceptable ID at the airport. Check TSA's identification page before flying.
- Other states: Confirm whether your destination state recognizes a Vermont DPC, and check your insurance before you drive there.
Choosing your path
Pick the credential based on your documents and how you plan to use it. If you have lawful status and need to board domestic flights or enter federal facilities, REAL ID makes sense. If you lack status, the DPC is for driving. Ask DMV staff credential-specific questions, and ask an immigration lawyer how any application may affect your case.
Privacy, Safety, and When to Seek Help
Historical context and current rules
VTDigger reported that between December 2012 and May 2017, the DMV ran 429 facial-recognition searches for law enforcement, including two for ICE. The governor suspended the program in May 2017, and the Attorney General found it unlawful.
That is history, not current practice. Today, 23 V.S.A. § 634 prohibits biometric identifier procedures for these credentials.
The DMV's current policy (October 5, 2026) restricts sharing personal information with federal immigration authorities, with exceptions:
- Citizenship and immigration status are carved out of the protection.
- Information may be shared for non-civil-immigration law-enforcement, public-safety, or officer-safety reasons.
- SAVE and ICE/CBP contact must not be used to determine identity or residency, though SAVE verifies immigration documents for lawful-status purposes.
Vermont law (20 V.S.A. § 4651) also bars knowingly disclosing personally identifying information to federal authorities for prohibited registration purposes. Neither policy supports a claim that the DMV never shares information with ICE.
Practical safeguards
- Use official DMV websites only.
- Protect copies of identity and immigration documents.
- Avoid unofficial intermediaries who ask for sensitive information.
- Ask what information is requested and why.
- Never use another person's documents or submit altered records.
- Report fraud, threats, or coercion to legal or law-enforcement resources.
Who to ask
- Vermont DMV: licensing procedures and checklists.
- Immigration attorney or accredited representative: immigration consequences.
- Community and legal-aid groups: language and document support.
Recheck DMV requirements before every application, renewal, or appointment, because state policy and federal rules change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can undocumented immigrants get a driver's license in Vermont?
Yes, through the Driver's Privilege Card, which doesn't require lawful status. You must still meet identity, residency, and testing rules, and the card confers no immigration status. Confirm current requirements with the DMV.
What documents do I need to get a Vermont driver's license?
Bring identity documents, two proofs of Vermont residency, and Social Security or ineligibility paperwork. REAL ID also requires lawful-status proof. Use the DMV's current checklist.
Is a Vermont driver privilege card the same as a REAL ID?
No. The DPC is not REAL ID compliant and isn't accepted as airport ID or for federal purposes. Verify federal and travel uses before relying on either card.
Do I need a Social Security number to get a Vermont driver's license?
Not always. An SSA ineligibility letter can substitute in some cases, but published guidance on REAL ID applicants is inconsistent. Confirm your situation with the DMV.
What can I use a Vermont driver privilege card for?
Driving. The DMV describes it as solely for driving, and it is marked "Not for Real ID Purposes." It doesn't serve as federal identification or work authorization.
Can I drive in other states with a Vermont driver privilege card?
Whether other states accept the card is unclear, so check the destination state's rules, the card's restrictions, and your insurance coverage before driving out of state.
