Preparing for the VT DMV Road Test

Appointment:

• Be sure your car is properly inspected (sticker in windshield) and not expired.

• Clean the vehicle inside and out

• Check to make sure you have a valid unexpired car registration

• Check to make sure you have proof of insurance.  This needs to be a smaller index card sized document.  They will not accept a declaration page or packet from the insurance company.

• Be sure license plates have unexpired stickers and that they match the registration

• Pre Fill out the application, bring along two forms of ID (permit, passport, social security card, proof of residency in VT (utility bill, phone bill, etc).

• Be ready to pay for the test and a new license.  The cost is $51 for both.  

• Arrive 15 minutes early.  These are usually group appointments.  In other words, you are not the only one with an 8am appointment.

• The road test will take about 15 minutes, but the whole DMV experience will take one to two hours depending on how busy they are.

• Remember you need someone there who is 25 or older, and has a valid license.  They verify this and check their license in the database. 

Test:

• Maintain speed limit at all times.

• Make all legal stops behind the stop line or sign. Always stop before a crosswalk. (if you need to pull forward to see, do the legal stop first ALWAYS)

• Scan well ahead to watch for traffic signals and to look for yellow lights.  ALWAYS try to stop at a yellow light.  If you drive through an intersection and it turns red, it is an automatic fail.

• Frequently check mirrors and scan around you.  MAKE IT OBVIOUS so the evaluator can see it

• For any lane change, hillstop, parallel, and 2 point right alley turn, be sure to use signal/check mirrors/and turn head (chin to shoulder) the direction you will be traveling to check for blindspot.

• Always yield to traffic when pulling into traffic, turning left at an intersection, right on red.  No yielding is either a large point loss or an automatic fail.

• Always yield to pedestrians (even if they are standing at the edges of a crosswalk).  Yield, unless you are absolutely sure they are not attempting to cross.

• When turning left or right, don't just scan for traffic, check for pedestrians on the corners.  

• When turning left at intersections do not wait in the middle of the intersection to find a gap.  Wait behind the legal stop or at least the cross walk until you are absolutely sure it is clear and you will make it through the intersection without the light turning red.

• Use signals even in the parking lot and when you are parking.

• Create 3-4 seconds of space between cars when driving.  When stopping behind cars, be sure that you can see the tires of the car in front of you on the pavement.  This gives you space to maneuver if necessary.