VERMONT FIELD FILE

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can they search my cardo I have to show IDlandlord kept my depositcan I record the policewhat happens if I refuse a breathalyzer

Start with a situation

• Traffic stopsGetting pulled over, documents, searches, and what happens roadside.→
• Being stoppedOn foot, on the street, and what you owe an officer who stops you.→
• Marijuana and drugsWhat the state legalized, what it did not, and where state and federal law disagree.→
• Impaired drivingImpaired driving stops, field tests, breath and blood tests, and implied consent.→
• Court and moneyDebt, eviction, work, family and records. The side of the system with no officer in it.→
• Your homeRenting and the landlord, and when the police may come inside.→
• Carrying a firearmCarry rules, the duty to disclose, where guns are barred, and self defense.→
• Charges and penaltiesHow offenses are graded, jail ranges, fines, and repeat offense steps.→
• How you carry yourselfSilence, counsel, complying now and contesting later.→

New in Vermont

• Walkthrough·Oct 8A Relative in CrisisA brother talking about suicide with guns in the house, an emergency order, a hearing, and the six months after.
• Walkthrough·Oct 8The Cold ApartmentA furnace that will not hold heat in January, a leaky faucet, an inspector's notice, and a sudden notice to leave.
• Walkthrough·Oct 8The Overdose at the PartyA friend who will not wake up, a call for help, pills on the table, and a teenager who drank.
• Walkthrough·Oct 8The Home GrowPlants in a rented house, a roommate who grows too, a garden the street can see, and a joint at the park.

All 10 new in Vermont ↓

Someone asked

“How long does a landlord in Vermont have to return a deposit?”

Getting the Deposit Back

The landlord returns the deposit with a written statement itemizing any deductions within 14 days from the date the tenant vacated, if the tenant gave notice of that date, or from when the landlord discovered the tenant had left. A seasonal rental that is not a primary residence gets 60 days.

• 9 V.S.A. § 4461StatuteSecurity depositsOpens legislature.vermont.gov ↗

Read the whole section →

Legal information, not legal advice. Every block on this site carries the source it rests on.

Walk it through

54 situations taken one decision at a time, with what the law asks of each side written out at every step. Each opens on its own page.

Traffic stops6Being stopped2Marijuana and drugs3Impaired driving1Court and money24Your home8Carrying a firearm3Charges and penalties4How you carry yourself3

• The Stop on the HighwayBlue lights at dusk, a license left in a jacket at home, insurance on a phone, and an open can in the back seat.4 steps →
• The Phone on the CommuteA text on the highway, music at a red light, and a teenager who borrows the car.3 steps →
• The Crash on a Back RoadA dented pickup with no one around, a sore neck the next morning, and two insurers to name.3 steps →
• The Borrowed CarA brother takes the car without asking, keeps it overnight, and a friend with a suspended license asks next.3 steps →
• The Weekend ATV RideA town road, a young rider crossing it, a neighbor's woods, and the insurance card.4 steps →
• The Learner at the WheelA permit holder with an older cousin, a phone in the cupholder, the back seat belts, and a stop sign.4 steps →

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About this guide — education built from the Vermont Statutes Annotated as the General Assembly publishes them, not a law degree in a webpage. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Vermont attorney or a legal aid office. Current as of October 2026.

This guide covers common situations in real Vermont encounters. Not the whole body of law, not a replacement for a lawyer.