08/06/2026
DMV Renames Enforcement and Safety Division to Vermont Highway Patrol
Return to historic name aims to clarify role and strengthen highway safety
MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced today that its Enforcement and Safety Division will officially become the Vermont Highway Patrol (VHP), effective immediately. The updated name better reflects the role of DMV enforcement officers, who receive specialized training in commercial motor vehicle safety, traffic enforcement, and crash prevention.
Commissioner Andrew Collier said the restored name “will give Vermonters a clearer understanding of the public-safety responsibilities and reflect the continued focus on traffic enforcement, crash prevention, and saving lives on Vermont’s roadways. Renaming to the Vermont Highway Patrol honors more than a century of history and better aligns its public identity with its broader highway-safety mission.”
The change reconnects with Vermont’s history: In 1919, the state placed its first Motor Vehicle Highway Patrol Inspectors on the road to address reckless driving on newly paved highways. Those early inspectors later helped form the Vermont State Police in 1947, with dedicated DMV law enforcement continuing to serve Vermonters.
The VHP conducts regular traffic enforcement statewide, addressing impaired driving, excessive speed, aggressive and distracted driving, seat-belt violations, and other dangerous behaviors. These efforts often involve collaboration with municipal police departments, sheriff’s offices, state police, and other state and federal partners.
The name change does not alter the size, scope, or responsibilities of DMV law enforcement. The Vermont State Police will continue to provide core statewide law‑enforcement services, and the Vermont Highway Patrol will remain a partner agency.
Daily operations and longstanding commercial vehicle safety responsibilities will continue. Inspectors will maintain rigorous commercial vehicle enforcement and inspection standards while strengthening highly visible traffic enforcement in high‑crash areas and other locations identified through crash data, community concerns, and coordination with local and state partners.
Commissioner Collier added: “The new name recognizes and complements the work performed every day by the Vermont State Police, municipal police departments, sheriffs’ offices, and Vermont’s other law enforcement agencies. Through continued collaboration, the Vermont Highway Patrol will help provide an additional, specialized resource dedicated to making Vermont’s highways safer for everyone.”
