Title 23, Motor Vehicles

§ 1287. Multifunction school activity bus (a) A “multifunction school activity bus” is a vehicle that is used to transport students on trips other than on a fixed route between home and school and that meets the construction and safety standards for a “multifunction school activi…

§ 1301. Emergency exits The owner of a motor bus, designed to carry more than seven passengers and having a closed body, shall not operate such bus or permit the same to be operated, unless it has an exit in the rear end or an exit at the rear on the opposite side from the front …

§ 1302. Rubber tires on trucks; number of trailers (a) Motor trucks shall be equipped with rubber tires. (b) Not more than one trailer shall be attached to one motor truck. However, two vehicles may be towed in driveaway-towaway operations, including double saddlemount, if the op…

§ 1303. Flares required A person shall not operate a motor truck, except those registered at pleasure car rates and those registered with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 10,001 pounds, with or without a trailer or semi-trailer attached, or a motor bus, upon a highway o…

§ 1304. Use If such vehicle is disabled so that it is necessary that it remain on the roadway or shoulder of the highway, the driver or other person in charge of such vehicle shall cause operating flares to be placed upon the roadway or shoulder of the highway, one approximately …

§ 1305. Mirror required All motor trucks and motor vehicles towing a trailer or semi-trailer shall be equipped with a mirror not less than five inches in diameter or with less than 25 square inches of reflective area so attached that the driver shall at all times have a reflected…

§ 1306. Rear wheel flaps No person may operate or cause to be operated any bus, truck, trailer, or semi-trailer upon any highway in this State unless the bus, truck, trailer, or semi-trailer is equipped with suitable metal protectors or substantial flexible flaps behind the rearm…

§ 1307. Brake equipment required (a) Every motor vehicle, when operated upon a highway, shall be equipped with brakes acting on all wheels adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold such vehicle, including two separate means of applying the brakes to at least two wh…

§ 1308. Performance ability of brakes (a) The service brakes upon any motor truck, truck, and tractor or combination of vehicles shall be adequate to stop such vehicle or vehicles when traveling 20 miles per hour within a distance of 30 feet when upon dry asphalt or concrete pave…

§ 1341. Trailer coaches—Safety chain In addition to a hitch, trailer coaches shall be secured to the towing vehicle, while in operation on any highway, by a safety chain. The hitch on any motor vehicle towing a trailer coach and the corresponding coupling on such coach and such s…

§ 1342. Fire extinguisher There shall be carried on each trailer coach at least one fire extinguisher of a type approved by the State Fire Marshal, in good usable condition and easily accessible. The extinguisher shall be of not less than five pounds capacity, if it is of a CO2 t…

§ 1344. Riding in trailer coaches No person may occupy a trailer coach while it is being moved upon a public highway. (Added 1969, No. 31, § 2.)

§ 1361. Lights on vehicles other than motor vehicles Every vehicle on wheels or runners, whether stationary or in motion on a public highway, shall have attached to it a light that shall be so displayed as to be clearly visible from the front and rear during the period from 30 mi…

§ 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…