Driving Tests

Vermont Hand-Held Phone Law: Fines, Points and Under-18 Rule

informational·how to guide·Published April 11, 2026

Can I hold my phone at a red light in Vermont, and what is the fine?

No. In Vermont you may not hold a phone while you drive, also when you are stopped in traffic or at a light. Drivers 18 and older may use it hands-free. Outside work and school zones, a first violation costs $100 to $200 (U.S. dollars) and 2 points, and a second within two years $250 to $500. Drivers under 18 may not use a phone at all, also hands-free.

Where the Vermont phone rules come from

Vermont sets these rules in 23 V.S.A. § 1095b (hand-held use) and 23 V.S.A. § 1095a (drivers under 18). The Vermont DMV distracted driving page repeats the main rules. The texting rule, the point schedule and the permit recall rule come from 23 V.S.A. §§ 1099, 2502, 2505 and 607a, and the advice to drivers comes from the Vermont Driver's Manual. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Vermont DMV (dmv.vermont.gov) before you drive.

Can you use your phone when the car is stopped?

Not if you are still on the road. The hand-held ban covers a vehicle that is stopped because of traffic, a traffic light or another short delay. Holding the phone in your hand counts as use. Texting has the same rule: reading or manually writing or sending a text message, instant message or e-mail on a public highway is banned, also while the vehicle is stationary.

What Vermont drivers 18 and older may do

Use the phone hands-free. The law defines this as use without either hand, through a feature of the phone, an attachment, or the vehicle.
Turn hands-free use on or off if the phone is securely mounted, or if you do it through a feature of the phone or vehicle without holding the phone.
Use a GPS or navigation system that the maker installed or that is securely mounted in the vehicle.
Call police or emergency services in an emergency, or when police order you to use the phone.
Use an ignition interlock device.
Use the phone after you park. Move the vehicle to the side of or off the public highway and halt where it can safely and lawfully stay. The motor may run or not.

What counts as a securely mounted phone?

Under the law, a securely mounted phone sits in an accessory made to support hands-free use, and that accessory must not be fixed to the windshield in violation of section 1125 of Title 23. The mount must also be used as the maker specifies, or it must keep the phone completely still in typical driving. Holding the phone in your hand is always hand-held use.

Vermont fines and points for phone use while driving

Vermont fines and points for phone use while driving
Where and when	Fine, first violation	Fine, second or later in 2 years	Points on your record
Hand-held use, outside work and school zones	$100 to $200	$250 to $500	2 points
Hand-held use in a work zone with workers present, or a school zone with warning signs	$200 to $400	$500 to $1,000	4 points for a first violation, 5 for a second or later
Texting, outside zones	$100 to $200	$250 to $500	2 points
Texting in a work or school zone	$200 to $400	$500 to $1,000	4 points for a first conviction, 5 for a second or later

One incident, one complaint, and commercial drivers

One incident gives you no more than one complaint across the hand-held, under-18 and texting sections. Drivers of commercial motor vehicles follow the Commercial Driver's License Act for hand-held phone use and texting while they drive a commercial motor vehicle, not these sections.

The under-18 rule: no phone at all

Drivers under 18 face a stricter law. They may not use any portable electronic device while they operate a moving vehicle, and on a public highway that includes a stationary vehicle. The law has no hands-free exception. The only exception in the law is a call to police or emergency services in an emergency. A vehicle that the driver has moved to the side of or off the public highway and halted where it can safely and lawfully stay does not count as "operating". The fines and points are the same as for adults. Our free practice question about a 17-year-old on a hands-free call tests this rule.

Which rule applies to you?

You are 18 or older and the phone is securely mounted

You may take a hands-free call. Do not hold the phone, and do not read or type messages.

You are 18 or older and the phone is in your hand

That is a violation, also at a red light: $100 to $200 and 2 points for a first one.

You are under 18

Do not use the phone while you drive, also hands-free and also at a stop. Park off the road first.

You are in a work zone with workers present, or a school zone with warning signs

The penalties rise to $200 to $400 and 4 points for a first violation.

What a phone violation can do to a permit or junior license

The Commissioner must recall a learner's permit or junior operator's license for 30 days after a single texting violation. A 6-point total brings a 90-day recall. A recall can run past your 18th birthday, and while it lasts you cannot get any operator's license. For more on points and recalls for young drivers, read our guide to junior operator recall, points and alcohol.

What the Vermont Driver's Manual tells you to do

The Manual says it is against the law for drivers to read or send messages while driving. It advises you to ask a passenger to place a call for you, or to stop at a safe place before you call. Our free practice question about a driver who gets a text at a red light has the same answer: pull off the road and stop where the car can safely and legally stay.

Key Takeaways

You may not hold a phone while you drive in Vermont, also when you are stopped at a light.
Drivers 18 and older may use a phone hands-free, with a securely mounted phone or a feature of the phone or car.
Drivers under 18 may not use a phone at all, also hands-free. The only exception is an emergency call.
A first hand-held violation costs $100 to $200 and 2 points. In a work or school zone it costs $200 to $400 and 4 points.
A texting violation gives a permit or junior license holder a 30-day recall.
Next step: practice the rules on the free Vermont operator license permit practice test.

Vermont phone law: common questions

Can I use Bluetooth or my car's phone system in Vermont?

If you are 18 or older, yes, when the use is hands-free. The law defines hands-free use as use without either hand, through a feature of the phone, an attachment, or the vehicle. To start or end a call, the phone must be securely mounted, or you must use a feature of the phone or car without holding the phone. Drivers under 18 may not use a phone at all, also hands-free.

Is a GPS app on my phone legal?

A GPS or navigation system is allowed when the maker installed it or when it is securely mounted in the vehicle. Do not hold the phone while you drive. If you are under 18, the only exception is an emergency call to police or emergency services, so park first.

Can I use my phone in a parking lot in Vermont?

Not in your hand while the car moves, and not at all if you are under 18. The hand-held ban covers a moving vehicle in any place open, for a time or always, to public or general circulation of vehicles, so it is not only for roads. The texting ban and the under-18 ban use the same words. Use the phone after you halt where the vehicle can safely and lawfully stay.

Is the fine the same for a teen driver?

Yes. Under 18, the fine is $100 to $200 for a first violation and $250 to $500 for a second or later one within two years. In a work zone or school zone the fine is $200 to $400 or $500 to $1,000. Points are the same too. A texting violation also brings a 30-day recall of a learner's permit or junior operator's license.

How many points are too many?

At 10 points in a two-year period, the Commissioner starts suspension proceedings. A hand-held or texting violation outside a work or school zone adds 2 points. In a zone it adds 4 points, or 5 for a second or later one. Junior operators and permit holders face a 90-day recall at 6 points.