Vermont Driver's License Issue Date: Where to Find ISS and What It Means
On a Vermont driver's license, ISS marks the issue date, printed on the front of the card. Whenever a form asks for your license issue date, that's the field to check. Below is a walkthrough of ISS and every other date field and code on a Vermont card.
Table Of Contents
- 1. Where to find the issue date on a Vermont driver's license
- 2. Date fields on a Vermont driver's license
- 3. What does DD mean on a Vermont driver's license?
- 4. Restrictions on a Vermont driver's license
- 5. Vermont lets you choose 2 years or 4 years
- 6. Vermont REAL ID and the Enhanced Driver's License
- 7. How to renew a Vermont driver's license
- 8. How to find your original Vermont licensing date
- 9. Common mistakes when entering your Vermont license issue date
Where to find the issue date on a Vermont driver's license
Vermont DMV prints ISS on the front of every current license, showing when your specific card was issued rather than when you first got licensed. Renewals produce a new ISS date on a new card, but your license number is unaffected.
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Date fields on a Vermont driver's license
A Vermont license shows three date fields on the front:
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- ISS: the date the Vermont DMV printed your current card.
- DOB: your date of birth, used for identity purposes.
- EXP: Expiration date. Vermont is one of the few states that lets you pick either a 2-year or 4-year term at renewal, so your EXP date depends on which option you chose.
Vermont prints ISS and DOB within a glance of each other on the card, which invites mix-ups. For a form that specifically requests "driver's license issue date," ISS is the correct field, not your date of birth.
What does DD mean on a Vermont driver's license?
Document Discriminator, or DD, identifies the physical card in your wallet, not you as the license holder, and it's reassigned on every new card. Renewing always changes the DD even when your license number stays put. It's the check banks and rental companies rely on to confirm a card hasn't been tampered with.
If a form has a "document number" field that isn't your license number, DD is usually the answer.
Restrictions on a Vermont driver's license
Vermont DMV lists any driving restrictions in the field on the front of the card. If it shows None, your license has no restrictions. Vermont does not publish a single short letter-code chart for standard non-commercial restrictions; common restrictions like corrective lenses are printed in plain language, while commercial license holders use a separate, longer CDL restriction system that includes codes for automatic-transmission-only and air-brake limitations.
Driving in violation of a restriction on your Vermont license is a traffic offense.
Vermont lets you choose 2 years or 4 years
Unlike most states, Vermont does not lock every driver into the same renewal term. At renewal, you can choose a 2-year license for $39 or a 4-year license for $62, whether or not the card is REAL ID compliant. Picking the shorter term costs less up front and can suit someone who expects to move out of state soon, while the 4-year option means fewer trips to renew over time.
Vermont REAL ID and the Enhanced Driver's License
Vermont offers standard, REAL ID-compliant, and Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) options. A REAL ID Vermont license has a gold star in the upper right corner. From May 7, 2025, a REAL ID or another accepted federal document is required to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities.
Vermont's Enhanced Driver's License goes further: it works as a border-crossing document, letting a US citizen re-enter the country by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean without a passport. An EDL costs an additional $46 on top of standard license fees and is not valid for international air travel. First-time EDL applications must be made in person at a limited set of Vermont DMV offices, including Bennington, Montpelier, Newport, Rutland, South Burlington, and Springfield.
How to renew a Vermont driver's license
You can renew through the Vermont DMV and choose your term length at that time. In-person renewal is required for first-time REAL ID or EDL issuance, updated photos, and CDL transactions.
- ISS marks the issue date on a Vermont license: the date DMV issued your current card.
- ISS is distinct from both DOB and EXP: a "license issue date" field wants the ISS number.
- Renewing resets your ISS date to the new card, not your original Vermont license date.
- DD is a serial number tied to the card, not a date: skip it in any issue-date field.
How to find your original Vermont licensing date
ISS reflects only your current card's print date, not the day Vermont first licensed you. That earlier date, which insurance companies, employers, and CDL applications sometimes require, comes from your official driving record, available from the Vermont DMV online or in person, complete with full history, original issue date, and any violations or suspensions.
Common mistakes when entering your Vermont license issue date
- Whenever a form wants "license issue date" or "date issued," enter what's printed next to ISS
- Confirm the date format a form expects: MM/DD/YYYY and YYYY-MM-DD both appear depending on the form
- With a renewed license, go by the ISS date on your current card, not your original license date
- Decide between the 2-year and 4-year renewal option before you start the renewal process
- Apply for an EDL in person if you regularly cross into Canada by land and don't want to carry a passport
- Update your address with DMV promptly after moving to keep your license record current
- Don't use DOB where the issue date belongs: the two fields on the card are unrelated
- Don't record EXP as though it were the issue date: expiration is the end of a term, ISS is the start
- Don't cite an old expired license's issue date if a current card exists
- Don't confuse the DD number with a date: it identifies your specific card
- Don't try to use an EDL for international air travel: it only works for land and sea border crossings
- Don't assume ISS falls on your birthday: EXP does, not the issue date
