Title 23, Title 23: Motor Vehicles

§ 421. Penalties (a) It shall be unlawful for any person: (1) to operate a motor truck subject to the provisions of this chapter upon any public highway in the State without first obtaining the license and tag, plate, or marker required under section 415 of this title or to so op…

§ 450. Definition As used in this subchapter, “vehicle or motorboat” means a motor vehicle, snowmobile, motorboat, or all-terrain vehicle. (Added 2015, No. 50, § 2.)

§ 450a. Dealer registration; eligibility (a) A person shall not be eligible to register as a dealer unless the person: (1) Has no previous record of willful violations of dealer laws or rules in this or any other jurisdiction. (2) For initial and renewal applicants, has not had a…

§ 451. Dealer’s certificate (a) Instead of registering each motor vehicle owned by him or her, a dealer may apply under oath to the Commissioner, upon forms prescribed and furnished by the Commissioner for that purpose, and accompanied by such additional information and certifica…

§ 452. Expiration Unless otherwise specifically provided or unless canceled, revoked, or suspended, dealers’ registrations and certificates shall become void one year from the first day of the month of issue. The Commissioner may renew dealer registrations for two years and may s…

§ 453. Fees and number plates (a)(1) An application for registration as a dealer in new or used cars or motor trucks shall be accompanied by a fee of $603.00 for each certificate issued in such dealer’s name. The Commissioner shall furnish free of charge with each dealer’s regist…

§ 454. Dealer’s use of vehicles or motorboats (a) A motor vehicle owned by a dealer may be operated, while so owned, under the distinguishing number assigned to him or her as provided in this subchapter, for the following purposes and uses: (1) For the purpose of testing or adjus…

§ 455. Use by others than dealer A person, other than a dealer, shall not operate a motor vehicle under the provisions of section 454 of this title unless such person carries a written authority so to do signed by the dealer whose motor vehicle such person is operating.

§ 456. Employees’ use of vehicles, motorboats restricted Employees of a dealer shall not operate, and a dealer shall not permit them to operate, vehicles or motorboats with dealer’s registration number plates or registration numbers displayed thereon, except for business purposes…

§ 457. Temporary plates At the time of the issuance of a registration certificate to a dealer as provided in this chapter, the Commissioner shall furnish the dealer with a sufficient number of number plates, temporary number plates, or temporary decals for use during the 60-day p…

§ 458. Temporary plate on sold or exchanged vehicles On the day of the sale or exchange of a motor vehicle, motorboat, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle to be registered in this State, a dealer may issue to the purchaser, for attachment to the motor vehicle, snowmobile, or all-t…

§ 459. Notice, application, and fees to Commissioner (a) Upon issuing a number plate, a temporary number plate, or a temporary decal to a purchaser, a dealer shall have 15 calendar days, or up to 30 calendar days as applicable pursuant to subsection 2015(b) of this title, to forw…

§ 460. Dealer’s use of temporary plates restricted A dealer shall not use, attach, or issue temporary number plates except as provided in sections 458, 459, and 463 of this title.

§ 461. Destruction of temporary plates Unless otherwise directed by the Commissioner, at the expiration of the period of 60 days, the purchaser shall destroy the temporary number plates. (Amended 1967, No. 356 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 1975, No. 68, § 4, eff. April 18, 1975; 1997, No. 3…

§ 462. Cancellation, revocation, or suspension of dealer’s registration (a) The Commissioner may cancel, revoke, or suspend the registration of a dealer under the provisions of this chapter or section 3204, 3305, or 3504 of this title whenever, after the dealer has been afforded …

§ 463. Sale of vehicle to go out of State A registered motor vehicle dealer is authorized to issue an in-transit registration permit for the purpose of movement over the highways of certain motor vehicles otherwise required to be registered when these vehicles are sold in this St…

§ 464. Return of number plates by dealer If a dealer comes into possession of a motor vehicle the registration of which has expired by reason of the provisions of section 321 of this title, and that has number plates attached, he or she shall immediately return such number plates…

§ 465. Loaning of plates, vehicles, or motorboats prohibited A dealer shall not lend or lease registration certificates, numbers, decals, or number plates that have been assigned to the dealer under the provisions of this chapter, nor shall the dealer lend or lease a vehicle or m…

§ 466. Records; disclosures; custodian [Effective July 1, 2025; see also 23 V.S.A. § 466 effective until July 1, 2025 set out above] (a) On a form prescribed or approved by the Commissioner, every licensed dealer shall maintain and retain for six years a record containing the fol…

§ 467. Dealer duty to report sales, return expired plates On a form prescribed by the Commissioner, a dealer shall send the reports of sale to the Commissioner upon the sale and relative to his or her sale or exchange of new or used vehicles or motorboats, and return to the Commi…

§ 468. General prohibition A dealer shall not operate a vehicle or motorboat nor permit the same to be operated under dealer’s registration numbers, except as specifically permitted in this chapter or under section 3204, 3305, or 3504 of this title. No charge shall be made for an…

§ 472. Evidence of authorization The Commissioner shall issue suitable documents of authorization of dealership that shall be displayed at the dealer’s place of business. (Added 1965, No. 204, § 8.)

§ 473. When registration is allowed, required; penalties (a) A person shall not engage in the business of selling or exchanging vehicles or motorboats, as defined in subdivision 4(8) of this title, without a dealer registration and obtaining dealer plates or motorboat registratio…

§ 475. Administrative penalties (a) The Commissioner may impose an administrative penalty of not more than $500.00 for each violation against a dealer or a transporter who violates the provisions of this subchapter. (b) Each violation is a separate and distinct offense, and, in t…

§ 476. Motor vehicle warranty fee A motor vehicle warranty fee of $8.00 is imposed on the registration of each new motor vehicle in this State, not including trailers, tractors, motorized highway building equipment, road-making appliances, snowmobiles, motorcycles, motor-driven c…

§ 491. Transporter application; eligibility; use of transporter plates (a) A transporter may apply for and the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, in the Commissioner’s discretion, may issue a certificate of registration and a general distinguishing number plate. Before a person may …

§ 492. Certificate; expiration A transporter’s registration certificate shall contain the name, place of residence, and address of the applicant; the distinguishing number assigned; and such further information as the Commissioner may determine. It shall expire on the last day of…

§ 493. Loan of plates prohibited A transporter shall not loan a number plate issued to him or her under this article. (Added 1965, No. 106, § 3, eff. Feb. 1, 1966.)

§ 494. Fees The annual fee for a transporter’s registration certificate or number plate is $148.00. (Added 1965, No. 106, § 4, eff. Feb. 1, 1966; amended 1967, No. 129, § 8; 1981, No. 87, § 17; 1989, No. 51, § 32; 2001, No. 102 (Adj. Sess.), § 19, eff. May 15, 2002; 2015, No. 159…

§ 495. Suspension of registration The Commissioner may cancel a registration certificate issued to a transporter whenever, after hearing before the Commissioner or upon conviction in any court in this State, the Commissioner finds that the transporter has violated any motor vehic…

§ 496. Written records Every transporter shall keep a written record, upon forms prescribed and furnished by the Commissioner for that purpose, of the motor vehicles upon which such transporter plate is used and the date and time during which each plate is used on a particular mo…

§ 497. Rulemaking The Commissioner may adopt rules pursuant to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25 consistent with this chapter as may be necessary to carry their provisions into effect. The rules may prescribe what shall be requisite to obtaining or retaining a dealer registration and may, by w…

§ 511. Manner of display (a) Number plates. A motor vehicle operated on any highway shall have displayed in a conspicuous place either one or two number plates as the Commissioner may require. Such number plates shall be furnished by the Commissioner and shall show the number ass…

§ 512. Trailer or semi-trailer When a trailer or semi-trailer is being drawn by a registered motor vehicle, the rear number plate assigned to such trailer or semi-trailer shall be displayed on the rear of such trailer or semi-trailer and shall be illuminated at night as provided …

§ 513. Misuse of plates Except as provided in section 321 of this title, an owner of a motor vehicle shall not attach or cause to be attached to the vehicle number plates that were not assigned by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. A person shall not operate a motor vehicle, exc…

§ 514. Replacement number plates (a) In case of the loss of a number plate, the owner of the motor vehicle to which it was assigned shall immediately notify the Commissioner of such loss, and the Commissioner shall furnish such owner with a new plate. The fee charged shall be $15…

§ 516. Sale of vehicle to go out of State by a person other than dealer The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles is authorized to issue an in-transit registration permit for the purpose of movement over the highways of certain motor vehicles otherwise required to be registered when the…

§ 517. Intrastate in-transit permit The Commissioner may issue an intrastate in-transit registration permit to authorize the movement within Vermont of a motor vehicle otherwise required to be registered, if the vehicle is sold in this State by a person other than a registered mo…

§ 518. Electronic issuance of temporary plate and temporary registration (a) Issuance of plate and registration; length. The Commissioner is authorized to electronically issue a temporary plate and temporary registration to be printed by the owner of a motor vehicle for the purpo…