DUI and DWI Programs in Vermont

What DUI program does Vermont require, and who runs it?

Vermont requires the Impaired Driver Rehabilitation Program (IDRP) for anyone convicted of DUI who wants an unrestricted license back. The Vermont Department of Health oversees IDRP, and IDRP providers authorized by the Department deliver the steps.

Under 23 V.S.A. 1209a, substance use disorder treatment with a Vermont clinician may also be required in addition to the program. IDRP and clinical treatment are separate things. IDRP is the license-related program a conviction triggers, while treatment is ongoing care for a substance use disorder from a clinician.

Treatment programs in Vermont are certified under the Department of Health’s treatment certification rule. The Department also sets IDRP’s steps and any differences between a first and a repeat offense. This page does not list hour counts, so ask an IDRP provider or the Department which track applies to you.

A clinician’s assessment usually decides whether care beyond the program is needed and at what level, from weekly outpatient counseling to residential treatment. Expect questions about drinking and drug history, earlier treatment and mental health, and ask your provider who carries out the assessment and what it costs.

How does a DUI assessment decide what treatment you need in Vermont?

A substance use assessment by a clinician is usually what decides whether treatment is needed beyond the program, and at what level. Assessments in DUI cases generally look at alcohol and drug use history, past treatment, mental health and current risks. The result points toward one of the levels of care below. Ask your IDRP provider who conducts the assessment in your case and what that step costs.

Vermont providers reporting these services appear on the outpatient, intensive outpatient and residential pages. Alcohol-focused care is gathered under alcohol rehab in Vermont, and medication for opioid use disorder under opioid rehab.

A Vermont judge can also order treatment as part of a case. The Vermont Judiciary runs treatment dockets and specialty dockets across the state for people with substance use and mental health conditions, and programs that take court referrals are listed on the court-ordered rehab page.

Can you complete Vermont’s DUI program online?

Online completion of IDRP should not be assumed, because the Vermont Department of Health decides how the program is delivered and the court or licensing authority has the final say on what counts. Before paying for any online course, get written word from the Department or your IDRP provider that it will be accepted.

Treatment that follows an assessment works differently. Vermont Medicaid pays for clinically appropriate telemedicine, including substance use disorder treatment, and some audio-only phone services. Programs offering virtual sessions appear on the telehealth rehab page.

How do you pay for a DUI program or court-ordered treatment in Vermont?

IDRP fees and treatment costs are paid separately. Ask your IDRP provider or the Department of Health for the current fee for each program step in writing, because this page does not quote a fee.

Treatment that an assessment calls for can be paid through private insurance or Vermont Medicaid. Vermont expanded Medicaid in January 2014, and the Department of Vermont Health Access runs the program and pays for substance use services directly. Programs that accept Medicaid show it in their listings. Other options include sliding scale fees and state-funded programs supported through the Department of Health.

Spanish-language services, interpreters and other languages appear in a listing only when the provider reports them. Look at the language details on each program and ask about interpreter access when you first call.

What happens after the program, and how do you get your license back?

Finishing IDRP, plus any treatment that applies to you, is the requirement for an unrestricted Vermont license. Reinstatement and other conditions a court or the motor vehicle authority may set, such as an ignition interlock, are handled outside the program. Ask that office what it needs and how proof of completion reaches it. Completing the program is a license step and says nothing about how a criminal case will end.

What to have ready when you call

Court paperwork, any license notice, earlier assessment results and your deadline are useful to have on hand for intake staff. Ask how the program reports completion, who receives the report and how long that takes.

Finding a program and getting help now

Vermont’s listed DUI programs sit between 410 and 860 feet above sea level, and nearly nine in ten lie within 25 miles of a waterfall such as Sumner Falls or Moretown Falls. Lebanon Municipal Airport is most often the nearest airport, a median of 24 miles away, and some programs are within reach of Lebanon and Hanover across the New Hampshire line.

VT Helplink takes calls or texts at 802-565-5465 or 833-565-5465, 24 hours a day, free and confidential. The national treatment referral line also answers around the clock, and 988 is there for a mental health or suicidal crisis. Other Vermont options are on the Vermont treatment page.