Senate Institutions reviews bill to give sentenced inmates Vermont driver credentials before release

Damian Leonard of the Office of Legislative Council presented language to the Senate Institutions Committee on Jan. 30, 2026, proposing that Vermont’s Department of Motor Vehicles expand an existing correctional reentry program so eligible sentenced inmates can receive replacement driver’s licenses or learner permits at no charge before release.

Leonard told the committee he originally drafted three sections and linked the change to House bill H549. "I drafted some initial language, for DMV's proposal to expand this to not just non driver IDs, but to operator's licenses and owner's permits," he said, and acknowledged an earlier draft inadvertently included detainees (pretrial), which prompted a revision.

Nancy Prescott, director of operations at DMV, described the current program and its operational mechanics. "We have an MOU active right now and have for the last 5 years with the Department of Corrections," she said, and explained how the agencies exchange secured files. "Per MOU, DMV has 7 days to turn around that work. We get it on Friday afternoon. We typically are done Monday or Tuesday," Prescott said, adding that credentials are printed out of state and delivered to Waterbury DOC for caseworker distribution before release.

Under the revised draft summarized to the committee, an individual sentenced to a period of imprisonment of six months or more who holds an unexpired Vermont operator’s license or one that expired not more than three years prior would be eligible to apply for and be provided a replacement license at no charge, provided they supply required documentation and a mailing address before release. Leonard emphasized the bill, as revised, limits eligibility to sentenced individuals and does not allow post-release free replacement requests.

Subdivision 3 would require reentry planning staff to ask eligible people whether they want an operator’s license and to provide information on required documentation and any associated costs. Committee members pressed on who would obtain documents (for example, birth certificates) and how proof of residency would be verified. Prescott said residency affidavits filled out by a family member and their proof of residence are one option when a person will not have mail delivered in their own name immediately after release.

The draft treats replacement learner permits similarly but limits eligibility to permit holders whose permits expired no more than two years prior (compared with three years for licenses). Prescott noted that whether an issued credential will qualify as a federal "Real ID" depends on whether the DOC can provide the federally required documentation; DMV will aim to issue the strongest valid credential possible.

Committee members also asked about program scale and staffing. Prescott said the process is already in place for non-driver IDs and would be a similar operational lift for caseworkers if licenses or permits were provided instead. She told the committee DMV produced about 500 non-driver IDs between January and December 2025.

Leonard closed by saying the statutory language had been tightened to reflect DMV’s original proposal, limiting the pre-release credential program to individuals who are sentenced; House bill H549, which the committee’s members may follow, contains related but broader language about detainees. The committee did not take a formal vote at the hearing; members indicated they would consider the clarified language and any technical modifications in follow-up work.

The committee hearing provides a technical review of implementation questions — documentation, MOU updates, mailing logistics and reentry planning — that will inform whether the committee advances the bill language.