Driving Tests

Vermont Junior Driver's License Rules: Passengers, Work and Phones

informational·how to guide·Published August 16, 2026

Who can ride with me in the first 6 months of a Vermont junior license?

In the first three months of a Vermont junior license, you may drive alone or with a licensed parent or guardian, a driver education instructor, or a licensed person 25 or older. In months four to six, you may also carry family members. After six months, there is no passenger-count limit, but you may never carry more passengers than safety belts.

Where the Vermont junior license rules come from

The passenger and work rules are in 23 V.S.A. § 614. The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (Vermont DMV) explains them on its junior driver's license page and its graduated license laws page. The recall and phone rules come from 23 V.S.A. §§ 607a and 1095a, and the family wording also 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.

Passenger rules by stage

Passenger rules by stage
Stage	Who may ride with you	Passenger limit
First 3 months	Nobody, unless you drive with a licensed parent or guardian, a driver education instructor, or a licensed person 25 or older	With one of those adults: no limit on the number, but never more passengers than safety belts
Months 4 to 6	The same adults, and also family members	Never more passengers than safety belts
After 6 months	Anyone	No limit on the number, but never more passengers than safety belts

What does the law say about the first 3 months?

A junior operator's license is for drivers who are 16 or 17. In the first three months, you may drive only alone or with a licensed parent or guardian, a licensed or certified driver education instructor, or a licensed person at least 25 years old. The Vermont DMV adds that this adult must be unimpaired and ride in the front seat. With one of these adults in the vehicle, the number of passengers is not limited, but you may never carry more passengers than there are safety belts. The free question on the junior license passenger stages lets you practice this rule.

Who counts as family in months 4 to 6?

In the next three months, the law lets you also carry family members. The adults from the first three months stay allowed. Two Vermont DMV texts word this more narrowly: the graduated license page says "immediate family members (siblings)", and the Driver's Manual says "siblings and parents only". Because the texts differ, ask the Vermont DMV before you carry a relative other than a sibling.

Quick check before you carry a passenger

You have held the license for less than three months

Drive alone, or have a licensed parent or guardian, a driver education instructor, or a licensed person 25 or older with you. Count your passengers against the safety belts.

You are in months four to six and want to carry a friend

You need one of those adults in the vehicle. The law adds only family members at this stage.

You have held the license for more than six months

The count limit ends. You still need one safety belt for each passenger.

What changes after 6 months?

After six months on the junior license, the limit on the number of passengers ends. You still may not carry more passengers than there are safety belts. The work driving ban runs longer: one year after the license is issued. The stages also apply to some drivers from other states. If you are under 18 and transfer an out-of-state junior license, Vermont's graduated license rules apply unless you held that license for at least six months. A nonresident under 18 who drives in Vermont under 23 V.S.A. § 208 must follow the same passenger and work limits.

Can I drive for work or deliver pizza?

No. For one year after the license is issued, a junior license does not let you drive as part of a job or for direct or indirect pay. You also may not carry passengers for hire. The DMV gives an example: no pizza delivery driving until you have held the license for one year or turn 18, whichever comes first. One exception: you may drive a farm tractor on a public highway, with or without pay, between parts of the owner's farm or to a repair shop for repairs. The free question on a delivery job with a junior license tests the work rule.

What happens if you break the rules?

Passenger rules: a conviction brings a penalty of up to $50 (U.S. dollars) and a 90-day recall of your license.
Driving for an employer or carrying passengers for hire: the DMV lists a 90-day recall for each.
A single texting violation: a 30-day recall.
A recall can run past your 18th birthday, unless it was made only at your parent's or guardian's written request. While a recall is in effect, you cannot get an operator's license.
When the recall ends, you get the license back, but the Commissioner can first require you to pass a new exam.
The guide to recalls, points and alcohol rules for junior drivers covers speeding points and the under-21 alcohol rule.

Can I use my phone with a junior license?

No. Under 23 V.S.A. § 1095a, a driver under 18 may not use any portable electronic device, such as a phone or tablet, while driving, also when stopped on a public highway. The only exception is emergency contact with police or emergency services. Outside work and school zones, a first violation costs $100 to $200 and a later one within two years $250 to $500, plus two points. In a work zone with workers present or a marked school zone, the fines are $200 to $400 and $500 to $1,000, with four and then five points. The free question on a hands-free call by a 17-year-old tests this rule.

Key takeaways

First 3 months: drive alone or with a licensed parent or guardian, a driver education instructor, or a licensed person 25 or older in the vehicle.
Months 4 to 6: family members may also ride. Ask the Vermont DMV before you carry a relative other than a sibling.
At every stage, never carry more passengers than safety belts. After 6 months, that is the only passenger limit.
For one year, no driving for work or pay. On a junior license, never carry passengers for hire. Under 18, no use of any portable electronic device while you drive.
Next step: practice the rules of the road on the free Vermont operator license permit practice test.

Vermont junior license: common questions

Can I drive my friends right after I get my junior license?

No. In the first six months, a friend can ride only when a licensed parent or guardian, a driver education instructor, or a licensed person 25 or older is also in the vehicle. In months 4 to 6 you may add family members without such an adult. After six months, friends can ride with no adult, up to the number of safety belts.

Can I drive my younger brother or sister to school in my first months?

Not in the first three months, unless a licensed parent or guardian, a driver education instructor, or a licensed person 25 or older rides with you. From month 4, family members may ride. Siblings count: both DMV texts that list relatives name them. Each passenger still needs a safety belt.

How many passengers can I carry on a Vermont junior license?

Never more than there are safety belts, at every stage. With a qualifying adult in the vehicle in the first three months, there is no other count limit, and after six months there is none. The belt limit does not apply in a vehicle that was made without a federally approved safety belt system.

Can I get a ticket just for having a passenger?

No. Police can enforce the passenger rules only if they stopped you for another suspected traffic violation. If they did, and you are convicted of a passenger violation, you face a penalty of up to $50 and a 90-day recall of your license.

Can my parent take my junior license away?

Yes. The Commissioner must recall a junior operator's license when your custodial parent or guardian asks in writing. Your license can also be taken away if your parent or guardian withdraws permission for you to drive. A recall made only at a parent's request does not run past your 18th birthday.

Does the phone ban apply at a red light?

Yes. For drivers under 18, the ban covers a vehicle on a public highway that is stopped for traffic, a traffic control device or another short delay. It does not apply after you move to the side of or off the road and stop where the vehicle can safely and lawfully stay. Contact with police or emergency services in an emergency is also allowed.