Can You Drive After a DUI in Vermont?

The short answer: not for the first 30 days after the civil suspension takes effect. Vermont does not offer a "work permit" or occupational license that lets you drive to your job during a DUI suspension. Those first 30 days are a hard suspension — a complete driving ban with no exceptions. After that, you have options, but they require planning ahead. If you requested a civil hearing within the 7-day window, your license remains valid until that hearing is decided.

The 30-Day Hard Suspension

Regardless of whether your BAC was 0.08% or higher (90-day suspension) or you refused the chemical test (6-month suspension), the first 30 days are a total driving ban. You cannot legally operate any motor vehicle for any reason during this period.

If you requested a civil hearing on time, your license remains valid while the hearing is pending. The hard suspension begins automatically if you missed the 7-day request window, or if you requested a hearing and lost.

Driving during the hard suspension period is not a minor violation. Operating without a valid license after a DUI suspension constitutes Driving with License Suspended (DLS), a criminal offense carrying a mandatory minimum penalty of a $300 fine or 40 hours of community service for a first offense.

Day 31: The Restricted Driver's License (RDL)

After completing the 30-day hard suspension, you can apply for a Restricted Driver's License that allows you to drive non-commercial vehicles equipped with a camera-equipped ignition interlock device (IID).

The RDL is not automatic — you have to apply for it and meet several requirements:

1. Contact the DMV RDL Unit at 802-828-2061 to verify eligibility and request the application packet
2. Pay the $125 annual RDL application fee to the DMV
3. Install a certified, camera-equipped IID in every vehicle you intend to drive — the installer files Form VL-082 directly with the DMV
4. File an SR-22 financial responsibility certificate through your insurance provider, who submits it electronically to the DMV
5. Enroll in the IDRP (Impaired Driver Rehabilitation Program) and provide proof of enrollment

The RDL must be maintained for 6 months if you took the breath test, or 9 months if you refused it.

Planning Ahead During the Hard Suspension

Because the 30-day hard suspension cannot be shortened once it starts, the most effective strategy is to use that time to prepare so restricted driving can begin on Day 31:

During Days 22–30, contact the RDL Unit, schedule IID installation, arrange for SR-22 filing, and enroll in IDRP. If all of these are in place by Day 30, you can have the interlock installed and the RDL activated the moment the hard suspension ends.

Most people lose additional days or weeks beyond the hard suspension because they did not start these steps early enough. IID installation requires an appointment with a certified vendor, SR-22 filing takes a few business days to reach the DMV, and the IDRP intake assessment needs to be scheduled.

Getting Around During the 30-Day Ban

Since you cannot drive at all during the hard suspension, you need alternative transportation. In rural Vermont, where public transit is limited outside Burlington and Montpelier, this often means:

• Rides from family or friends
• Employer accommodations (remote work, shift changes, carpooling)
• Green Mountain Transit in Chittenden County and other limited-service areas
• Advance Tri-Valley Transit or rural community action transit programs
• Bicycle or walking for short distances

If your job depends on driving, talk to your employer early. The sooner you communicate the timeline — 30 days of no driving, then restricted driving with an interlock — the better your chances of keeping your position.

The Full Suspension Alternative

If you choose not to install an interlock, you must serve the entire 90-day suspension (or 6 months for a refusal) without driving at all. Even after the suspension period expires, you cannot legally drive until the DMV issues a written "Notice of Reinstatement." This requires completing IDRP, maintaining an active SR-22, paying the $96 reinstatement fee, and receiving the physical letter from the DMV.

Reinstatement is never automatic — your license remains suspended indefinitely until every condition is satisfied and the DMV processes your reinstatement.

Next Steps

The Vermont First-Offense DUI Guide includes a step-by-step RDL application walkthrough, an IID compliance guide to avoid extension penalties, and a day-by-day timeline for the first 30 days so you can coordinate installation and paperwork in advance.

See more Vermont guides →