Practice phone rules and other distractions: 24 questions based on the Vermont Driver's Manual, 11 of them on Vermont's own rules.
Four points
First convictions in a work zone or school zone carry four points and repeat convictions carry five.
Source: 23 V.S.A. § 1099, 23 V.S.A. § 1099(c)(2); 23 V.S.A. § 2502, 23 V.S.A. § 2502(a)(3)(G), (4)(C)
No, the ban applies even when stopped in traffic
Handheld use is banned on public highways even when the vehicle is temporarily stationary.
Source: Vermont Driver's Manual (VN-007, 2025 edition), Ch. 7, Cell Phones, PDF p. 56; 23 V.S.A. § 1095b, 23 V.S.A. § 1095b(b)(1)
Two points
Outside a marked work zone or school zone the conviction adds two points.
Source: 23 V.S.A. § 1099, 23 V.S.A. § 1099(c)(3); 23 V.S.A. § 2502, 23 V.S.A. § 2502(a)(1)(MM)
No device use at all, not even hands-free
Drivers under 18 may not use any portable electronic device while driving.
Source: Vermont Driver's Manual (VN-007, 2025 edition), Ch. 4, Junior Driver's Licenses, PDF p. 16; 23 V.S.A. § 1095a, 23 V.S.A. § 1095a(a)-(b)
$100 to $200
A first violation outside the special zones carries a $100 to $200 fine.
Source: Vermont Driver's Manual (VN-007, 2025 edition), Ch. 7, Cell Phones, PDF p. 56; 23 V.S.A. § 1099, 23 V.S.A. § 1099(c)(1)
In a carrier
A pet should be in a carrier, not in the driver's lap or free to move around.
Source: Vermont Driver's Manual (VN-007, 2025 edition), Ch. 7, Distracted Driving, PDF p. 56
It is prohibited in a moving vehicle
A moving vehicle may not carry a screen showing a moving entertainment picture visible to the driver.
No, doing so is against the law
Reading and manually sending texts is prohibited while driving, including when stopped in traffic.
Source: Vermont Driver's Manual (VN-007, 2025 edition), Ch. 7, Cell Phones, PDF p. 56; 23 V.S.A. § 1099, 23 V.S.A. § 1099(b)
Contacting police or emergency services in an emergency
The ban makes an exception for communicating with law enforcement or emergency services in an emergency.
Hands-free use
The ban does not cover hands-free use of a device.
We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the Vermont Driver's Manual (Vermont Driver's Manual (form VN-007), cover 'Vermont Driver's Manual 2025', form footer 'VN-007 07/2024 MTC'; 76 PDF pages, the printed page number is the PDF page minus one (PDF file metadata: created and modified 2024-11-18); linked as 'Driver's Manual' on the DMV page Driver Education (https://dmv.vermont.gov/driver-education), read 2026-11-10. Page numbers cited are PDF pages. Chapters 3 (identity documents), 10 (commercial licenses) and 11 (disabilities) were not used; of Chapter 9 (vehicle ownership) only the Insurance section (PDF pp. 68-69) was used. Rules the manual does not state, or states differently from current law, come from Vermont Statutes Annotated read on legislature.vermont.gov on 2026-11-10 (23 V.S.A. chapters 9, 11, 13 and 25 as published for the 2025-2026 session, and 7 V.S.A. section 656 as amended by 2025 Act 45). The law wins over the manual. Handbook statements that differ from current law or go beyond it, and how they were handled: (1) under-21 alcohol (PDF pp. 8 and 53): the manual cites 7 V.S.A. 656 with a $300 penalty and a 90-day suspension for a minor caught with alcohol, and a civil 0.02 rule; 23 V.S.A. 1216 (the old 0.02 section) was repealed on 2025-07-01 and the 0.02 rule now sits in 7 V.S.A. 656(b)(1)(E), where a first offense by a minor with alcohol is $300 and a 30-day suspension after failing diversion and a 0.02 driver gets a 90-day suspension; questions use the statute. (2) phones (PDF p. 56): the manual says 2 points for a first and 5 for a repeat conviction in a work zone; 23 V.S.A. 1095b, 1099 and 2502 give 4 points for a first and 5 for a repeat in a marked work zone or school zone and 2 points elsewhere, and 1095b bans holding any portable device while hands-free use is allowed; questions use the statute. (3) move over (PDF p. 52): the manual says to slow to 20 mph below the limit when a lane change is impossible; 23 V.S.A. 1050(b) says a reasonable, safe and prudent speed; the 20 mph figure is not tested. (4) parking sight distance (PDF p. 30): the manual says 150 feet, 23 V.S.A. 1101(b) says 200 feet; not tested. (5) objects hanging from the mirror (PDF p. 62): the manual says nothing may hang there, 23 V.S.A. 1125 bans hanging items only when they materially obstruct the view; not tested. (6) idling (PDF p. 69): the manual suggests limiting warm-ups to 30 seconds, 23 V.S.A. 1110 allows five minutes in any 60; the question uses the statute. (7) crash report (PDF p. 59): the manual says damage 'over $3,000', 23 V.S.A. 1129 says $3,000 or more; the question avoids the boundary. (8) seat belts (PDF p. 63): the manual says the law requires all occupants to be restrained; for adults 23 V.S.A. 1259(e) allows a ticket only with another stop reason; the question asks only about the requirement. (9) junior license months four to six (PDF p. 22): the manual says siblings and parents, 23 V.S.A. 614(c) says family members; questions use 'family members'. (10) the interstate maximum of 65 mph (PDF p. 29) was not found in the statute (23 V.S.A. 1081(b) sets 50 mph unless the Traffic Committee posts another limit under 1003); the question says 'according to the manual'. (11) the manual says school bus lights turn from yellow to red (PDF p. 40) and gives no stopping distance; 23 V.S.A. 1075 requires an immediate stop, so no distance is tested. Fees (PDF p. 24, 'accurate as of July 1, 2024'), the manual's idling and green-driving tips, and stopping distances for trucks were not tested. edition) and from official sources on road signs. Every answer links to its source, so you can check it and read more.
DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. This practice test is not connected to the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (Agency of Transportation), and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.