Vermont Moving Permits & Licenses: Guide for a Smooth Green Mountain Move

A maple-studded back road, an 11-foot covered bridge, and a spring “mud season” weight posting—those three Vermont icons explain why paperwork matters here. Trucks that clear metropolitan interstates in other states can get turned around by a 19th-century span or a fresh “24,000 lb limit” sign the week the frost lets go.¹ Add Burlington’s right-of-way rules for blocking even a single metered space,² then fold in the fact that Vermont does not issue a dedicated household-goods license at the state level,³ and you have a deceptively light but highly local regulatory landscape. Three Movers keeps all of it straight so you can focus on foliage rather than fines.

Permit & License Snapshot

Paperwork	When You Need It	Issued By	Fee Range
Traffic-control / curb or meter-bag permit	Truck or container occupies city street (e.g., Burlington, South Burlington, Rutland)	Local Public Works / Parking Div.	$5–$35 per day²
Portable-storage right-of-way permit	PODS / U-Pack on public land	Local Public Works	$10–$50
Oversize / Overweight (OS/OW) permit	Width > 8′ 6″, height > 13′ 6″, trailer > 53′, GVW > 80 k lbs	VT Dept. of Motor Vehicles Permit Unit	$35–$125⁴
Intrastate operating certificate	Not required for household goods	—	—³
U.S. DOT & MC numbers	Any time your move crosses a state or national border	FMCSA	Free to verify¹²
Campus move-in pass	UVM, Middlebury, Norwich dorm zones	University parking offices	Free–$20
Export docs (ITN, inventory, etc.)	Overseas shipment via Montréal, NY/NJ, or Boston ports	U.S. Customs	Varies

City-Level Regulations

Burlington

Meter-Bag / Right-of-Way Permit – Reserve curb space online through the OpenGov portal at least 24 hours in advance.²
Tow-Zone Posting – Private sign companies are allowed once the permit is approved; failure to post risks towing.
Downtown Loading Window – Freight zones allow only 30 minutes for commercial trucks before enforcement.

Montpelier

Commercial trucks get 30 minutes of free loading downtown; anything longer must feed the meter or relocate.⁴
Snow emergencies void street permits city-wide until plowing is complete.

Rutland & South Burlington

Require street-occupancy permits if a vehicle or container blocks a lane more than 30 minutes.
Many HOAs demand 48-hour notice for box trucks; check condo rules ahead.

Three Movers tip: File local street-use applications three business days before move-day; longer during UVM move-in week or foliage festival weekends.

Intrastate Moves—Why “No State License” Still Means Due Diligence

Vermont is one of the few states that does not license household-goods carriers for in-state work.³ Movers must still:

Register commercial vehicles with VT DMV.
Carry liability & cargo insurance that meets federal minimums.
Follow VT Consumer Protection rules on written estimates and damage claims.

Three Movers pre-screens every carrier for active insurance and clean safety records, filling the gap left by the absent state certificate.

Interstate Moves—Federal Numbers Rule

Crossing into different states lines such as New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, or Québec triggers federal oversight. Your mover must provide:

U.S. DOT Number – Proves registration.
MC Authority Number – Allows transport of household goods across state lines.
FMCSA safety rating – “Satisfactory” or “Conditional” only.¹²

We supply those IDs with your estimate so you can double-check before you sign.

Oversize & Overweight Permits on I-89, I-91 & Back Roads

Permit Required – Width > 8′ 6″, height > 13′ 6″, trailer > 53′, or GVW > 80,000 lbs.⁸ ¹¹
Validity – Ten travel days; must be in hand before entering Vermont.⁸
Mud-Season Postings – Many town roads drop to 24,000 lbs each spring; overweight permits do not override local mud bans.¹

Carriers in our network secure OS/OW paperwork in advance and route around seasonal bans or covered-bridge bottlenecks.

Portable Storage Containers

Location	Permit?	Typical Max Days
Private driveway	No (check HOA)	30 days
Burlington street	Yes – right-of-way	3–7 days
Montpelier lane	Yes if > 24 h	3 days
Rural town road	Rarely	Varies; mud-season bans apply

Containers must never block hydrants, crosswalks, or snow-removal routes; violators can be towed without notice in winter storms.

Campus Moves—UVM, Middlebury, Norwich

University of Vermont (Burlington) – Issue 45-minute unload passes; trucks over 24 ft must stage on Beaumont Ave.
Middlebury College – One-way traffic loops enforced during fall move-in; late arrivals wait in off-site lots.
Norwich University (Northfield) – Only 20-ft box trucks fit Upper Parade access; larger rigs shuttle goods via cargo vans.

Three Movers syncs carrier arrivals to each school’s assigned time slot and supplies smaller shuttle vehicles when campus height bars demand it.

Rural & Seasonal Curveballs

Covered Bridges – More than 100 remain; many restrict height to 10 ft or less and ban vehicles over 3 tons.
Mud Season (March–May) – Unpaved roads post 24–28 k-lb limits; towns can fine $1,000 per violation and force immediate off-loading.¹
Leaf-Peeping Traffic – October weekends can quadruple travel time on VT-100; schedule early-morning departures.
Snow Emergencies – Street permits void once plowing starts; Burlington, Rutland, and Montpelier all enforce overnight bans.

Cross-Border & Overseas Moves

Highgate Springs, Derby Line, and small checkpoints along Route 105 funnel Canadian traffic. For household goods heading to international borders like Europe or Asia, containers move by truck or rail to Port of Montréal, Port of NY/NJ, or Boston. Exporters need:

International Bill of Lading
AES/ITN filing for loads valued > $2,500
Passport & visa copies
Bilingual inventory
Destination-country import permit

Three Movers bundles customs brokerage and cross-border drayage so you never juggle multiple carriers.

Insurance Minimums for Legit Vermont Moves

Policy	Typical Minimum
Auto Liability	$750k–$1 M
Cargo Liability	$5k+
General Liability	$1 M aggregate
Workers’ Comp	Statutory

We provide the Certificate of Insurance naming you as holder—before a single box is touched.

Pitfalls & Pro Tips

Assuming “no state license” = no vetting – Always ask for insurance and USDOT numbers.
Forgetting mud-season limits – A sunny April day can still trigger 24 k-lb signs on dirt roads.¹
Booking a 28-ft truck for a 12-ft-high bridge – Know your route clearances.
Ignoring Burlington meter-bag lead times – Same-day requests rarely approved.²
Skipping OS/OW permits for large trailers – Vermont troopers issue on-the-spot fines and detain loads.

Move-Day Checklist

Verify mover’s USDOT & MC numbers.
Confirm insurance COI.
Secure city curb or right-of-way permit (48 h ahead).
Check town mud-season postings if March–May.
Obtain OS/OW permit if over legal dimensions.
Reserve campus pass (if applicable).
Prepare customs docs for Canada/overseas.

Why Three Movers Makes VT Relocation Easy

We translate Vermont’s deceptively simple rules into a single, done-for-you plan: curb permits filed, mud-season detours plotted, oversize clearances approved, and vetted carriers dispatched on time. That means you enjoy the maple creemee at the end of the day—while we handle the paperwork that keeps your move legal and your belongings protected.

Vermont Moving Permits & Licenses: Guide for a Smooth Green Mountain Move