Title 23, Title 23: Motor Vehicles

§ 324. Use of old number plates When ownership of a motor vehicle is transferred, the transferer may attach the registration number plates to another motor vehicle owned by him or her and register the same in accordance with the provisions of sections 321, 323, and 325 of this ti…

§ 325. Refund of part of old registration fee If the registration fee of the motor vehicle sought to be registered is less than the registration fee of the transferred motor vehicle, the Commissioner shall certify to the Commissioner of Finance and Management the facts pertinent …

§ 326. Refund upon loss of vehicle The Commissioner may cancel the registration of a motor vehicle when the owner of the motor vehicle proves to the Commissioner’s satisfaction that the motor vehicle has been totally destroyed by fire or, through crash or wear, has become wholly …

§ 327. Refund when plates not used Subject to the conditions set forth in subdivisions (1)–(4) of this section, the Commissioner may cancel the registration of a motor vehicle, snowmobile, or motorboat when the owner returns to the Commissioner either the number plates, if any, o…

§ 329. Refunds paid from motor vehicle fees The refunds mentioned in sections 325-327 of this title shall be paid from the fees turned into the State Treasury by the Department of Motor Vehicles. (Amended 2015, No. 47, § 10.)

§ 330. Transferring number plates (a) Upon the transfer of ownership of a vehicle, the registration number plates may be attached to another vehicle that is being leased by the registrant for a period greater than 30 days. The lessor shall become the registrant. (b) Upon the term…

§ 361. Pleasure cars [Effective upon contingency being met; see also 23 V.S.A. § 361 effective January 1, 2025 and until contingency met, set out above] (a) The annual registration fee for a pleasure car, as defined in subdivision 4(28) of this title, including a pleasure car tha…

§ 362. Specialized fuel motor vehicles and motor buses (a) The annual registration fee for any specialized fuel driven motor vehicle, as defined in subdivision 4(22) of this title, and of motor buses, as defined in section 3002 of this title, shall be one and three-quarters times…

§ 363. Converted motor vehicle When a motor vehicle of the pleasure car type is built over or converted into a motor vehicle designed for carrying merchandise or freight, such motor vehicle shall be registered at the pleasure car rate or at the truck rate as the Commissioner may,…

§ 364. Motorcycles The annual fee for registration of a motorcycle, with or without sidecar, shall be $56.00. (Amended 1981, No. 87, § 7; 1989, No. 51, § 17; 1989, No. 268 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. June 21, 1990; 2001, No. 102 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. May 15, 2002; 2005, No. 175 (A…

§ 364a. Motor-driven cycles: registration; financial responsibility (a) The annual fee for registration of a motor-driven cycle shall be $34.00. (b) Motor-driven cycle operators shall be subject to the provisions of section 801 of this title, which requires, in certain cases, tha…

§ 364b. All-surface vehicles; registration (a) The annual fee for registration of an all-surface vehicle (ASV) shall be the sum of the fees established by sections 3305 and 3504 of this title, plus $32.00. (b) Evidence of the registration shall be a registration certificate and t…

§ 365. Hearse or ambulance The annual fee for registration of a hearse or ambulance, except ambulances owned by a municipality and used for police patrol purposes, shall be based on the pleasure car rate.

§ 367. Trucks (a)(1) The annual fee for registration of tractors, truck-tractors, or motor trucks except truck cranes, truck shovels, road oilers, bituminous distributors, and farm trucks used as specified in subsection (f) of this section shall be based on the total weight of th…

§ 367a. Special purpose truck plates; penalties The misuse of a vehicle registered under the provisions of a special purpose truck plate under the provisions of section 367 of this title shall be a traffic violation as defined in section 2302 of this title and shall be punishable…

§ 367b. Use of wreckers A motor truck that is registered as a wrecker may tow a motor vehicle on the highway without the towed vehicle being required to be registered. (Added 2007, No. 20, § 3.)

§ 368. Misuse of farm registration (a) A person shall not operate or move upon a highway a motor truck registered as a farm truck: (1) with a gross weight, including load and vehicle, exceeding the weight for which it is registered under section 367 of this title; or (2) for any …

§ 369. Tractors other than farm tractors The annual fee for registration of a tractor, except farm tractors as otherwise provided in this chapter, shall be based on the actual weight of such tractor at the same rate as that provided for trucks of like weight under the provisions …

§ 370. Farm trucks, tractors, and trailers (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law relating to registration fees for motor vehicles or trailers, farm tractors and farm trailers may be operated on the highway without being subject to a registration fee. (b) Subsection (a) …

§ 371. Trailer and semi-trailer (a)(1) The one-year and two-year fees for registration of a trailer or semi-trailer, except a contractor’s trailer or farm trailer, shall be as follows: (A) $33.00 and $62.00, respectively, when such trailer or semi-trailer has a gross weight of tr…

§ 371a. Exemptions from registration (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law relating to registration fees for trailers, the following shall be exempt from registration: (1) wood splitters; and (2) pole dinkeys. (b) When any such trailer is used upon a public highway it s…

§ 372. Motor bus The annual fee for registration of a motor bus shall be based on the actual weight of such bus, plus passenger carrying capacity at 150 pounds per person, and shall be $2.40 per 100 pounds of such weight, except for motor buses registered under section 372a or 37…

§ 372a. Local transit public transportation service (a) The annual registration fee for any motor bus used in local transit or public transportation service shall be $75.00, except for those vehicles owned by a municipality for such service that are subject to the provisions of s…

§ 373. Exhibition vehicles; year of manufacture plates (a) The annual fee for the registration of a motor vehicle that is maintained for use in exhibitions, club activities, parades, and other functions of public interest and that is not used for general daily transportation of p…

§ 374. Jitney The annual fee for registration of a jitney designed to carry not more than seven persons, including the operator, shall be the same as is required for the registration of a motor vehicle of the pleasure car type. When a jitney is designed to carry more than seven p…

§ 376. State, municipal, fire department, and rescue organization motor vehicles (a) A fee shall not be charged for registration of motor vehicles owned by the State. (b) The fee for registration of a motor vehicle owned by any municipality in this State and used entirely by it o…

§ 377. Government-owned vehicles The Commissioner shall have authority to issue registration certificates and registration number plates without charge to passenger car vehicles, not otherwise required to be registered under the provisions of this title, owned by the U.S. governm…

§ 378. Veterans’ exemptions No fees, including the annual emissions fee required pursuant to 3 V.S.A. § 2822(m)(1) and the electric vehicle infrastructure fees required pursuant to section 361 of this subchapter, shall be charged to a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces who received…

§ 381. Fees turned over to State Treasurer (a) Except as otherwise provided, all fees for registering motor vehicles, licensing operators, and all other motor vehicle fees shall be collected by the Commissioner and immediately paid into the State Treasury or deposited to a bank t…

§ 382. Diesel-powered pleasure cars Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the annual registration fee for a pleasure car or tractor, truck-tractor, or motor truck up to 6,000 pounds powered by fuel as defined in section 3002 of this title shall be $89.00, and the biennial f…

§ 414. Special permits for foreign public utilities The Commissioner may issue to public utilities operating in this State, for a nominal fee, a special permit for vehicles engaged in emergency repair work in this State, provided such vehicles are registered in some other state, …

§ 415. Nondiesel fuel user’s license (a) In addition to any other provision of law relating to registration of motor trucks with a gross weight of 18,000 pounds or over and powered by gasoline or any other nondiesel fuel, or fees paid for the registration of motor trucks with a g…

§ 416. Suspension and revocation The Commissioner, for cause, may deny a permit or suspend or revoke any permit issued by him or her. Hearings on any action by the Commissioner under this section may be had pursuant to the provisions of sections 105-107 of this title.

§ 420. Motor truck defined As used in this section and sections 415 and 421 of this title, the words “motor truck” shall include any motor vehicle having a gross weight of 18,000 pounds or over, designed and used for the transportation of merchandise or freight. (Amended 2025, No…

§ 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…