What You Pay to Get Your Vermont License Back
Your Vermont license was suspended, you completed the required period or conditions, and now you need to reinstate.
Vermont structures reinstatement across multiple fees controlled by different offices: the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles handles the base reinstatement, the Ignition Interlock RDL Unit processes hardship applications, and the testing office collects exam fees separately. Each layer adds to the total, and the final amount depends on whether your suspension triggers the Ignition Interlock Device Restricted Drivers License pathway.
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Get Your Free QuoteVermont Base Reinstatement Fee
This is the standard fee charged by the Vermont DMV to reinstate a suspended driver license after the suspension period ends. It does not include RDL application costs, exam fees, or SR-22 filing charges.
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
The Base Fee Covers the Reinstatement, Not the Path to It
Vermont operates a multi-tier suspension system, meaning the Commissioner can layer requirements based on the violation. A DUI suspension typically requires SR-22 filing and enrollment in the Ignition Interlock Device Restricted Drivers License program before reinstatement.
The structural confusion: drivers assume the quoted reinstatement fee is the total cost, but Vermont splits the process across offices that each collect separately. The RDL Unit charges $125 for the hardship application, the testing office charges $39 for the knowledge exam and $23 for the driving exam, and your insurance carrier files the SR-22 at its own cost.
What the Ignition Interlock RDL Application Costs
The RDL application fee is $125, paid directly to the Ignition Interlock RDL Unit in Montpelier when you submit your completed application packet. This fee covers administrative processing of your hardship application and does not include the cost of installing or maintaining the ignition interlock device itself.
Before the RDL Unit will accept your application, you must pass the online knowledge test and install a camera-equipped ignition interlock device. The knowledge test costs $39, and the driving exam required after RDL approval costs $23.
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SR-22 Filing Adds Another Layer
Vermont requires SR-22 filing for DUI convictions, major moving violations requiring proof of financial responsibility, and license reinstatement after a financial-responsibility suspension. The SR-22 is a certificate your insurance carrier files with the Vermont DMV confirming you carry at least the state's minimum liability coverage: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $10,000 property damage.
Your carrier charges a filing fee to submit the SR-22 and maintain it for the required three-year period. The fee is separate from your premium, and the SR-22 requirement itself often increases your premium because it signals high-risk status to the carrier. You must maintain continuous SR-22 coverage for the full three years; if your policy lapses, the carrier notifies the DMV and your license is suspended again.
The SR-22 filing must be in place before the DMV will process your reinstatement. If you are also applying for the RDL, the SR-22 must be submitted as part of your RDL application packet. The filing fee is paid to your carrier, not the DMV or the RDL Unit, and does not appear on any state invoice.
Vermont SR-22 Filing Period
3 years
Vermont requires continuous SR-22 filing for three years after a DUI conviction, major moving violation, or financial-responsibility suspension. The period begins on the conviction or suspension date, not the filing date.
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
How the Fees Stack When You Add Them Up
Each fee is collected by a different office or vendor, and none of them are bundled.
The exam fees and RDL application fee do not apply unless the Commissioner specifically imposed the ignition interlock requirement.
What to Do Right Now
Contact the Vermont DMV or the Ignition Interlock RDL Unit to confirm which fees apply to your suspension. If you were suspended for DUI, request the RDL application packet and confirm the current fee schedule before you begin the process. If SR-22 filing is required, contact carriers that write SR-22 policies in Vermont and compare filing fees and premium impact before you commit.
Missing any one of these payments stalls the entire process. Vermont's reinstatement structure is sequential, and each office will only process your application after the previous step clears.