Vermont                                                                                                                    Law Enforcement Bulletin
                                                                                                                                     Relief from 49 CFR 395.3 Hours of
                                                                                                                                     Service

State of Vermont        
Department of Motor Vehicles    
Enforcement & Safety Division    
120 State Street 
Montpelier, VT 05603-0001
DMV-Enforcement@vermont.gov
    

January 13, 2026                                                                                                                                        2026-1

Declaration of Emergency Notice

Relief from Title 49 CFR 395.3 for Motor Carriers providing delivery of highway
salt to Vermont.

Pursuant to the authority vested as Designee by Vermont Governor Phil Scott, Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Andrew Collier has declared that an emergency exists caused by a shortage of road salt for the purposes of highway maintenance.

Pursuant to 49 CFR § 390.23, motor carriers providing delivery of highway salt for maintenance purposes. Businesses in Vermont are granted emergency relief from 49 CFR § 395.3 (maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles) as set forth in this Emergency Notice and guidance issued by the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

    1.  This relief for motor carriers is effective as of January 15, 2026 and will expire on January 29th, 2026 at midnight.

    2.  No motor carrier operating under the terms of this declaration shall require or allow a fatigued or ill driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle. A driver who informs a motor carrier that he/she needs an immediate rest shall be given at least ten (10) consecutive hours off duty before the driver is required to return to service.

    3.  Motor carriers that have an Out of Service Order in effect or are under a State of Vermont suspension cannot take advantage of this relief from the regulations that this declaration provides under Title 49 CFR 390.23

    4.  Nothing contained in this declaration shall be construed as an exemption from Commercial Driver’s License requirements, Controlled Substance and Alcohol Use and Testing requirements, Financial Responsibility requirements, Size and Weight requirements, or any other portion of regulations not specifically identified.

    5.  Drivers for motor carriers that operate under this Declaration of Emergency Notice must have a copy (paper or electronic) in their possession.

    6.  This Declaration of Emergency Notice will remain in effect until January 29th, 2026 at midnight.

    7.  Drivers who utilize this exemption may come back into compliance and restart their hours-of-service clock after taking 34 consecutive hours off-duty at the end of their extended hours period.

Signed:                                                                                                                          January 13, 2026

Andrew Collier, Commissioner
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
Designee of the Governor of Vermont Phil Scott