Vermont Alcohol Related Laws and Regulations

Where to Buy Alcohol
Rather than operating state stores, Vermont contracts with private retailers to sell their unique arrangement of alcohol. Convenience and grocery stores sell beer and lower alcohol wine. Bars and restaurants can serve alcohol from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. while retail stores sell alcohol from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Legal Age for Drinking/Serving Alcohol
At 16, you can work in a liquor stores; at 18, you can work as a server in a restaurant or bar; and at 21, you can consume alcohol.

Open Container Laws
If a bottle of alcohol has been previously opened, it must be transported in the trunk of a vehicle.

BAC Limits
A driver is considered ‘per se intoxication’ if they have a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent. This means that the state does not need any more evidence than their test results to prosecute the driver for DUI (driving under the influence.)

‘Zero tolerance laws’ discourage drivers under 21 years of age from drinking and driving. The driver is limited to a .02 BAC, and if they exceed this limit, they face DUI penalties.

Penalties
‘Implied consent laws’ require the driver to comply with an officer’s request to determine the driver’s level of intoxication through blood, breath, or urine testing. If the driver refuses to cooperate, they face the mandatory suspension of their driver’s license for up to one year.

Penalties are carried out by the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) depending on the driver’s number of offenses. The driver’s license is suspended due to DUI for 90 days after the first offense, 18 months for the second and is permanently repealed after the third.

It is possible for a driver’s vehicle to be permanently confiscated for DUI after the third offense. The courts can also order the driver to engage in education about alcohol abuse and go to treatment or assessment. The installation of an ignition interlock device is not mandatory in Vermont.