Driving Tests

Vermont Permit Documents: What to Bring (REAL ID or DPC)

informational·how to guide·Published August 18, 2026

What documents do I need for a Vermont permit or license?

The Vermont DMV asks for documents from four groups: identity and date of birth, Social Security, Vermont residency and address, and lawful status. Bring originals or certified copies; photocopies and faxes are not accepted. Lawful status proof is required only for REAL ID and an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL), so a Driver's Privilege Card (DPC) does not need it. Under 18, a parent or guardian signs your application.

Where the Vermont document rules come from

The Vermont DMV sets the document list on its identity documents page. The permit test list is on the DMV prepare for a written test page, and the card choice is on the DMV REAL ID page. The DMV pages on Social Security, Vermont residency, U.S. citizenship, the driver's privilege card and the one-credential policy, the Vermont Driver's Manual and 23 V.S.A. § 603 add the details. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Vermont DMV (dmv.vermont.gov) before you drive.

The four Vermont document groups at a glance

The four Vermont document groups at a glance
Group	What the DMV accepts	Who needs it
Identity and date of birth	A valid, unexpired passport or a birth certificate. The DMV list also includes other documents, such as a valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551).	Everyone
Social Security	Your Social Security card, or a letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA) that says you cannot get a number.	Everyone
Vermont residency and address	Documents with your name and current Vermont street address, such as a utility bill that lists the service address. The general rule is two documents.	Everyone. A minor uses a certification form and a parent document.
Lawful status in the United States	In most cases, your identity documents also prove it. Foreign nationals give a passport and visa, a green card or other acceptable proof, with at least 30 days left before it expires.	Required only for REAL ID and EDL

Rules that apply to every document

Bring originals, or copies certified by the issuing agency. Photocopies and faxes are not accepted.
If the name on your passport or birth certificate is different from the name for your credential, bring a linking document: a certified birth record, marriage certificate, adoption decree or divorce decree. Add a translation if it applies.
If you already hold a non-REAL ID license or ID card, you must give all the required documents again when you renew or replace it.
Vermont has a one-credential policy: you hold one DMV-issued identification, for example a REAL ID non-driver ID or a driver's license, but not both.

Social Security proof for a Vermont permit

Show your Social Security card, or a letter from the SSA that says you are not eligible for a Social Security number. If you do not have the card, the DMV lists a W-2, an SSA-1099 or a pay stub that shows your name and at least the last 4 digits of your number. Your name must match the SSA record, so fix any difference with the SSA before you go to the DMV. A teen who applies for a junior license enters the number on the application or gives the SSA letter.

Proof of Vermont residency: a street address on every document

Your residential address must be a street or highway address; a P.O. box may be only your mailing address. The general rule is two documents with your name and current Vermont street address, such as a utility bill that lists the service address, a property tax bill, a signed lease, homeowners or renters insurance, or a school transcript or report card. A piece of mail counts for only one of the two. For a learner's permit, the residency page asks for one listed document, but the written test page asks for two pieces of mail. Two documents, with no more than one piece of mail, meet both pages. Confirm the list with the Vermont DMV before your visit.

Residency documents for a minor

Give the Vermont Residency Certification for Minors and one parent residency document.
Add the parent or guardian's evidence of their relationship to you.
For a learner's permit, the parent or guardian provides one of the residency documents.
The minors form cannot be used once you turn 18: adults give residency documents in their own name.
A parent or guardian must also sign the application before you can take the test at age 15, 16 or 17. A practice question on the minimum age for the permit test uses this case.

What the DMV lists for the permit knowledge test

An original or certified copy of your birth certificate, or a valid passport.
A completed permit application. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must sign it.
Proof of your Vermont address. This page lists two pieces of mail, but the newer residency page counts mail for only one document.
Your Social Security number, if it applies to you.
Money for the fees. You pay for the test whether you pass or fail, and you pay again for the permit after you pass. The guide to the Vermont knowledge test fee and retake wait has the amounts.
The test is online. Passing it on or after May 1, 2025 does not issue your permit: you must also complete the permit application process. The DMV then reviews the information and runs checks, and it tells you to correct anything that does not come back clear before it sends the permit.

Which card do you need: REAL ID or DPC?

You will fly within the United States or enter a military base or a secure federal facility, and you have no valid U.S. passport or passport card

Choose a REAL ID driver's license. Since May 7, 2025, air travelers 18 and older need a REAL ID-compliant card or another TSA-acceptable ID for domestic flights and to enter certain federal facilities. You must also give proof of lawful status.

You have a valid U.S. passport or passport card, or you do not fly or visit those places

You do not need a REAL ID. You can choose a Driver's Privilege Card (DPC) instead.

You cannot give proof of lawful status or U.S. citizenship

A DPC does not require either one. It is open to any Vermont resident. The guide to the Vermont driver's privilege card explains it in full.

REAL ID license vs. Driver's Privilege Card

REAL ID license vs. Driver's Privilege Card
Point	REAL ID license	Driver's Privilege Card (DPC)
REAL ID compliant	Yes	No. The card must show the phrase "non-Real ID" and say it is not valid for federal identification or official purposes.
Proof of lawful status	Required	Not required
Proof of U.S. citizenship	Not required (only an EDL needs it)	Not required
Cost	The same as a DPC	The same as a REAL ID
Who can choose it	Applicants who meet the REAL ID document rules	Any Vermont resident

Key takeaways

Bring documents from four groups: identity and date of birth, Social Security, Vermont residency and address, and lawful status.
Bring originals or certified copies. Photocopies and faxes are not accepted.
Your residency documents must show a Vermont street address, not a P.O. box. The general rule is two documents, and a piece of mail counts for only one of them.
Proof of lawful status is required only for REAL ID and EDL. A DPC does not need it, and it costs the same as a REAL ID.
Next step: practice for the knowledge test on the free Vermont operator license permit practice test.

Vermont permit documents: common questions

Will the Vermont DMV keep my birth certificate?

No. The Vermont Driver's Manual says original documents given to the DMV are returned to you, but they may be imaged and stored in a secure database. The DMV reviews each document, and in some cases approval may not occur on the same day, and you may need another visit.

Can I use a P.O. box as my address for a Vermont permit?

Not as your residential address. It must be a street or highway address. You may use a P.O. box as your mailing address. Your residency documents must also show your name and current Vermont street address.

What do I bring if my name is different on my birth certificate?

Bring a linking document: a certified birth record, marriage certificate, adoption decree or divorce decree, with a translation if it applies. A linking document cannot prove identity alone, so you still need your passport or birth certificate.

How do I know if my Vermont license is a REAL ID?

Look at the upper-right-hand corner of the card. If your Vermont license has a circle with a star in it there, it is REAL ID compliant. A Driver's Privilege Card is not. Since May 7, 2025, air travelers 18 and older need a REAL ID-compliant card or another TSA-acceptable ID, such as a valid U.S. passport, for domestic flights.

Can my parent's utility bill prove residency if I am 17?

Yes, in the way the DMV sets out for a minor. You give the Vermont Residency Certification for Minors and one parent residency document, plus the parent or guardian's evidence of their relationship to you. This form cannot be used once you are 18.