Title 23, Motor Vehicles

§ 1362. Night operation Farm tractors, motorized highway building equipment, and road-making appliances when operated upon a public highway during the period from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise shall comply with the requirements of this title relating to hea…

§ 1391. Tire and axle limits (a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a person or corporation shall not operate or cause to be operated a tractor, trailer, semi-trailer, motor truck, or any other motor vehicle without sufficient weight maintained upon the front axle of s…

§ 1391a. Penalties for overweight operation (a) Civil penalties for violations of the following statutory sections shall be in accordance with the schedule established in this section: (b)(1) For violation of each of the statutory sections listed in subsection (a) of this section…

§ 1392. Gross weight limits on highways Except as provided in section 1400 of this title, a person shall not operate or cause to be operated a motor vehicle in excess of the total weight, including vehicle, object, or contrivance and load, of: (1) 16,000 pounds upon any bridge wi…

§ 1392a. Authority of Commissioner to delegate permitting functions The Commissioner may delegate any person as his or her agent to perform the duties set forth in sections 1392, 1400 through 1404, 1406, 1415, and 1431 of this title with respect to permits. (Added 1995, No. 119 (…

§ 1393. Weight limits in cities; adoption by towns or incorporated villages of State limits; limits on class 1 town highways (a)(1) On all highways in a city, the legal load shall be as prescribed for the State Highway System in section 1392 of this title, unless otherwise restri…

§ 1394. Designation of class 1 town highways The class 1 town highways connecting the State highways through cities, villages, or municipalities shall be designated by the State Transportation Board and marked by the State Secretary of Transportation. The State Secretary of Trans…

§ 1396. Special weight limits for bridges and highways (a) When, in the opinion of the Secretary of Transportation, a highway or bridge on the State Highway System or class 1 town highway, or when, in the opinion of the legislative body of a municipality, any class 2, 3, or 4 tow…

§ 1397. Weight limit signs (a) When the weight limit on a highway or bridge has been adjusted by the Secretary of Transportation, the selectboard of a town, the trustees of an incorporated village, or the city council of a city, as to the legal load limit, then the Secretary, sel…

§ 1397a. Special limits for covered bridges The legislative body of a municipality where a covered bridge is located or, if parts of such a bridge are located in more than one municipality, the legislative bodies of the municipalities where a covered bridge is located acting join…

§ 1398. Certified statement to be filed A certified statement shall be filed with the clerk in each municipality in which a posting, as provided in sections 1397 and 1397a of this subchapter, occurs that states the location of the highway or bridge posted, the legal limit or limi…

§ 1399. Exceptions for construction and maintenance equipment; fire apparatus; and heavy-duty tow and recovery vehicles (a) As used in this section, “heavy-duty tow and recovery vehicle” means a vehicle that: (1) is transporting a disabled vehicle from the place where the vehicle…

§ 1400. Permit to operate in excess of weight and size limits; State highways (a) A person owning or operating a traction engine, tractor, trailer, motor truck, or other motor vehicle that desires to operate it over State highways or class 1 town highways in excess of the weight …

§ 1400a. Special local highway and bridge limits; reimbursement for damages; special permits (a) A person or corporation owning or operating a traction engine, tractor trailer, motor truck, or other motor vehicle that desires to operate it in excess of the weight limits provided …

§ 1400b. Filing of restrictions, publication (a) Any municipality that has enacted special weight limits that are other than State legal limits for highways or bridges within its jurisdiction shall file a complete copy of the limitations with the Department of Motor Vehicles each…

§ 1400c. Gross limits on town highways and bridges When a town bridge or highway is posted for State limits, the gross weight limits on town highways and bridges shall be the weight allowed by the State, including any additional weight allowed by permit. (Added 1993, No. 186 (Adj…

§ 1400d. Agricultural service vehicles (a) An agricultural service vehicle, as defined in subdivision 4(71) of this title, shall be exempt from the provisions of sections 1400 and 1400a and subsection 1434(c) of this subchapter if the gross weight does not exceed 60,000 pounds. (…

§ 1401. Contents of permit (a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall incorporate in the permit such descriptive matter as to the highways to be traveled over; the Commissioner’s restrictions as to width and character of the wheels of such tractor, trailer, motor truck, or othe…

§ 1402. Overweight, width, height, and length permits; fees (a) Overweight, overwidth, indivisible overlength, and overheight permits. Overweight, overwidth, indivisible overlength, and overheight permits shall be signed by the Commissioner or by the Commissioner’s agent and a co…

§ 1403. Expiration or revocation Blanket permits shall expire at the same time as the vehicle’s registration but may be revoked for cause by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles with or without hearing. (Amended 1969, No. 212 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. March 25, 1970; 1987, No. 95, § …

§ 1404. Bond required In his or her discretion, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall require the applicant to file a bond of certificate of insurance in such amount as in his or her judgment seems adequate to cover any probable damage that may be occasioned by the use and ope…

§ 1405. Actions against the bond The State, a person, or a municipal corporation injured by any careless, negligent, or unlawful act of or failure of the principal or his or her agents or servants to comply with the provisions of such permit or on account of the injury to a highw…

§ 1406. Federally owned vehicles In case of oilers, tractors, rollers, dump wagons, and other road machinery and trucks, tractors, and trailers owned and operated by the federal government, a permit may be issued by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. The furnishing of a bond in …

§ 1407. Operation of overweight vehicles A motor truck, truck tractor, tractor, trailer, or other vehicle, machine, or contrivance shall not be operated over the highways of the State of Vermont in violation of any provision of this title relative to the weight of the vehicle, ma…

§ 1408. Operating vehicle in excess of registered capacity A motor truck, tractor, trailer, or other vehicle, machine, or contrivance shall not be operated or moved upon any highway with a gross weight, including load and vehicle, greater than the total registered weight of the v…

§ 1409. Weighing of vehicles Any uniformed police officer, having reason to believe that the weight of the vehicle and load is unlawful, may stop such motor vehicles up to one hour for the purpose of determining the weight of said vehicle and load. If the operator does not wish t…

§ 1410. Removal of overloads (a)(1) When the gross weight of such vehicle and load is determined to be at least 10,000 lbs. in excess of the weight limits for such trucks on such highways, the enforcement officer may require that such portion of the load that is found to be in ex…

§ 1411. Refusal to weigh vehicle or remove overload An operator of a motor truck shall not fail or refuse to stop or submit the vehicle and load to weighing, or fail or refuse when directed by an officer upon weighing of the vehicle to stop the vehicle and otherwise comply with t…

§ 1412. Multiple weight violations No more than one overweight violation per vehicle shall be written by an enforcement officer at any single incident. (Added 1977, No. 177 (Adj. Sess.), § 11, eff. May 1, 1978.)

§ 1413. Disposition of impounded vehicles and loads (a) Rights of owner of load. The title to the load on an impounded vehicle or combination remains in the owner who may repossess the load at any time upon presentation of proof of ownership to the sheriff. If the load spoils dur…

§ 1414. Reciprocal enforcement (a) It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Commissioner make a reasonable effort to reach agreement with the New England states and New York with respect to a uniform size and weight of motor vehicles to be allowed to operate on the publi…

§ 1415. Transfer of weight permits (a) Weight permits issued pursuant to this subchapter may be transferred from one vehicle to another vehicle. If the permit fee of the motor vehicle for which a permit is sought is less than the permit fee for the transferred motor vehicle, the …

§ 1431. Height and width limits (a) Except for the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, motor vehicles and loads shall not exceed eight and one-half feet in width or 13 feet six inches in height. The term width shall mean the total width of the vehicle and load, excludin…

§ 1432. Length of vehicles (a) Operation of vehicles with or without a trailer or semitrailer. No motor vehicle without a trailer or semitrailer attached, which is longer than 46 feet overall, shall be operated upon any highway except under special permission from the Commissione…

§ 1433. Reasonable access Reasonable access, within the meaning of 19 V.S.A. § 1111, shall be permitted to those vehicles operating pursuant to the provisions of subsections 1302(c) and 1432(e) of this title between the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defen…

§ 1434. Operation in excess of weight, height, or width limits; penalties (a) General limits. The operation of a vehicle on a public highway in excess of the legal height, width, or length limits as prescribed in section 1431 or 1432 of this subchapter without first obtaining a p…

§ 1435. Enforcement plan It is the intention of the General Assembly that the Departments of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety, in conjunction with other law enforcement entities throughout the State, produce a coordinated statewide truck enforcement, safety, and training plan. Th…

§ 1436. Statewide Municipal Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Fund A Statewide Municipal Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Fund is created for the purpose of supporting commercial motor vehicle law enforcement initiatives in the State. The Fund shall be administered by the …

§ 1437. Exception for towaway trailer transporter combination (a) As used in this section: (1) “Towaway trailer transporter combination” means a combination of vehicles consisting of a trailer transporter towing unit and two trailers or semitrailers with a total weight that does …

§ 1451. Loads on passenger cars No person shall operate a passenger type motor vehicle upon any highway with any load carried thereon extending beyond the line of the fenders on the left side of such vehicle nor extending more than six inches beyond the line of the fenders on the…

§ 1452. Securing loads of wood or wood products (a) As used in this section: (1) “Load” means the total of wood or wood products being carried. (2) “Tier” means the total vertical height of all wood or wood products arranged individually or in layers, or in bundles placed one abo…

§ 1453. Baled products (a)(1) An individual shall not operate a motor vehicle loaded with baled hay or straw or other baled products with any portion of the load extending beyond the front end of the vehicle bed; with the exception that a load extension is permitted beyond the fr…

§ 1454. Securing loads (a) A person shall not operate a motor vehicle nor draw a trailer or semi-trailer on a highway unless the motor vehicle, trailer, or semi-trailer is so constructed and loaded that it will create no hazard to other users of the highway. (b) The Commissioner …

§ 1455. Carrying of permits in the permitted motor vehicle All permits issued pursuant to this subchapter shall be carried in the motor vehicle in either paper or electronic form. Use of a portable electronic device to display an electronic permit does not in itself constitute co…

§ 1492. Liability for damage defined; limitations The owner, driver, operator, or mover of any motor truck, tractor, trailer, wagon, cart, carriage, or other object or contrivance that is moved or operated on any highway in violation of any of the provisions of sections 1083, 109…