Every year, Vermonters line up, log in, or mail off a renewal fee to the state just to keep driving the same car they already own. The “privilege” of operating your own property now functions like a subscription service — except unlike Netflix, if you miss a payment, you can get fined or criminally charged.
It’s time to scrap the subscription model and replace it with something sane: a lifetime vehicle registration and a lifetime driver’s license. Pay a reasonable one-time fee, prove you’re qualified, and be done with it. No more annual paperwork, no more penalties for forgetting, and no more bureaucratic rent collection disguised as public safety.
A Fair Deal for the Driver
Here’s the simple math.
Register your vehicle once, pay a one-time $100 fee, and you’re set. The state gets compensated for record-keeping, plate issuance, and system maintenance. After that, the only time the DMV hears from that vehicle again is when ownership changes hands or the car goes to the scrapyard.
That’s it. No annual renewal. No second, third, or tenth “processing fee.”
If you sell it, the title transfers. If you junk it, the record closes. End of transaction.
The idea isn’t radical — it’s logical. A car registration isn’t a subscription; it’s a record of ownership. The administrative cost of maintaining that record doesn’t magically reappear every 12 months. The only reason it’s recurring is because the system was designed that way decades ago and the state got used to the revenue stream.
Follow the Money
In Vermont, the DMV collects over $100 million a year in vehicle registration and licensing fees. The department’s own budget runs around $45 million — less than half of what it brings in. The rest gets funneled into the state’s Transportation Fund, which supports road and bridge maintenance.
That’s fine — roads need upkeep. But the annual renewal ritual isn’t about fixing potholes; it’s about keeping the cash flowing steadily. We’re paying for bureaucratic convenience, not better highways. A one-time registration model would force the state to budget honestly — to separate administrative costs from infrastructure funding, and to stop pretending that Vermonters need to “renew” their ownership rights every year.
If the loss of renewal fees means the DMV shrinks a little? That’s not a tragedy. That’s government trimming back to its actual purpose.
A Smarter License System
The same logic applies to driver’s licenses. Once you’ve proven you can operate a vehicle safely, why should you have to re-license every four or eight years?
In most cases, you don’t suddenly forget how to drive between birthdays.
A lifetime license would make sense. Pay $100, take your road test, and you’re done unless:
- You lose your license through suspension or revocation.
- You choose to update your photo or information (a small $15–$20 reissue fee).
- You reach 70, at which point a driver would start some form of regular medical recertifications.
That model already works elsewhere.
Arizona uses one of the longest license validity periods in the United States: a driver’s license issued before age 65 remains valid until the driver turns 65. After that, renewal is required only every five years with a simple vision test. The system trusts competent adults to drive — until there’s a clear reason not to.
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How Could This Be Carried Out?
Simple: put it online, or into a handful of kiosks across the state. A streamlined digital system could handle nearly everything — initial registration, ownership transfers, license applications, and updates — without anyone standing in line or mailing paperwork. You register your vehicle once, or get your lifetime license, through a secure web portal or kiosk. Need to change your address or replace a lost card? Log in, pay a small fee, print the new document, done.
A few kiosks in town offices or post offices could cover the rest. Each would be connected to the DMV database, print plates or licenses on the spot, and automatically log transactions. For most Vermonters, the entire DMV experience would take minutes — not hours or days. It would save citizens time, save the state money, and finally drag the system into the twenty-first century.
Ownership, Not Rentership
The bigger issue isn’t just bureaucratic inefficiency; it’s philosophical. Every year, the state reminds you that your car and your license aren’t quite yours — you’re “renting” your right to use them. Miss a payment, and suddenly you’re treated like a criminal.
This is the same mentality creeping into every corner of modern life: subscription software, pay-to-play services, and government fees that never end. It’s a system that monetizes compliance instead of rewarding responsibility.
Owning a car, or earning a driver’s license, should be permanent acts of competence and ownership — not annual invoices from the state.
A Real Reform Worth Trying
Vermont could lead the way by piloting a lifetime registration and licensing program:
- $100 one-time vehicle registration, valid until sale or scrap.
- $100 lifetime driver’s license.
- Optional photo or data updates for a small fee.
- Mandatory medical check-ins every few years after 70.
It’s fair, modern, and drastically simpler. It saves citizens time and money, and it forces the state to rethink its dependency on perpetual fees.
It’s not radical. It’s rational — and long overdue.
Dave Soulia | FYIVT
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