Criminal penalties in Vermont

Checked in October 2026 against the Vermont Statutes Annotated, Titles 13 and 23.

These are statutory ranges for a first offence, from the least to the most the law allows. A court decides the actual sentence in each case. Not legal advice.

How Vermont sets penalties

Vermont has no named felony classes. Each offence states its own maximum, and sometimes a minimum ('imprisoned not more than 10 years nor less than two years or fined not more than $2,000, or both').
Murder in the first degree (poison, lying in wait, willful, deliberate and premeditated killing, or a killing in perpetrating a listed felony) carries a minimum term of at least 35 years and a maximum of life, or life without parole. Murder in the second degree carries a minimum of at least 20 years and a maximum of life, or life without parole (13 V.S.A. § 2303).
Where a jury finds aggravating or mitigating factors, the minimum term for first-degree murder can differ from 35 years (§ 2303(b)).
Embezzlement is graded by whether the money or property exceeds $100 (§ 2531). Grand larceny applies where the value stolen exceeds $900 (§ 2501).
Kidnapping carries up to life, but an affirmative defence that the offender voluntarily released the victim alive in a safe place before arraignment, without serious bodily injury, reduces the maximum to 30 years (§ 2405).
This table shows first-offence ranges.

Death penalty: No. The most serious punishment in the sections read is imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole, set for murder in the first or second degree (13 V.S.A. § 2303).

First-degree murder

A minimum term of at least 35 years and a maximum of life, or life without parole

Murder in the first degree (Offence)
Least
35 years (minimum term)
Most
Life imprisonment, or life without the possibility of parole
A jury may find aggravating or mitigating factors that justify a different minimum term (§ 2303(b)).
13 V.S.A. § 2303

Second-degree murder

A minimum term of at least 20 years and a maximum of life, or life without parole

Murder in the second degree (all other murder) (Offence)
Least
20 years (minimum term)
Most
Life imprisonment, or life without the possibility of parole
13 V.S.A. § 2303

Voluntary manslaughter

1 to 15 years, or a fine of up to $3,000, or both

Manslaughter (Offence)
Least
1 year
Most
15 years
Fine
Up to $3,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 2304

Robbery

Up to 10 years (assault and robbery); 1 to 15 years (armed); 1 to 20 years (causing bodily injury)

Assault and robbery (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
10 years
13 V.S.A. § 608(a)
Assault and robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon (Offence)
Least
1 year
Most
15 years
13 V.S.A. § 608(b)
Assault and robbery causing bodily injury (Offence)
Least
1 year
Most
20 years
13 V.S.A. § 608(c)

Burglary

Up to 15 years (burglary); up to 20 years (with a weapon); up to 25 years (an occupied dwelling)

Burglary: entering any building or structure knowing it is not licensed or privileged, with intent to commit a felony, petit larceny, simple assault or unlawful mischief (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
15 years
Fine
Up to $1,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 1201(c)(1)
Burglary while carrying a dangerous or deadly weapon (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
20 years
Fine
Up to $10,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 1201(c)(2)
Burglary into an occupied dwelling (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
25 years
Fine
Up to $1,000, or both
The subsection has a second, heavier branch (3)(B), which was not read in full.
13 V.S.A. § 1201(c)(3)

Arson

1 to 5 years (second degree) up to 2 to 10 years (first degree); first-degree murder if a death results

Second-degree arson: burning any other building or structure (Offence)
Least
1 year
Most
5 years
Fine
Up to $1,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 503
First-degree arson: burning a dwelling house, whether occupied, unoccupied or vacant, and its outbuildings (Offence)
Least
2 years
Most
10 years
Fine
Up to $2,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 502

A person who burns a building so that someone's life is lost is guilty of murder in the first degree (§ 501).

Aggravated assault

Up to 1 year (simple assault); up to 5 years; up to 15 years (aggravated assault with serious bodily injury or a weapon)

Simple assault (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
1 year
Fine
Up to $1,000, or both
In a fight or scuffle entered into by mutual consent the maximum is 60 days and $500.
13 V.S.A. § 1023
Aggravated assault: administering a drug, intending to prevent a law enforcement officer from doing a lawful duty, or being armed and threatening to use a deadly weapon (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
5 years
Fine
Up to $5,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 1024(c)
Aggravated assault: attempting to cause serious bodily injury, or causing it recklessly with extreme indifference, or causing bodily injury with a deadly weapon (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
15 years
Fine
Up to $10,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 1024(b)

Rape and sexual assault

At least 3 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $25,000

Sexual assault (Offence)
Least
3 years
Most
Life imprisonment
Fine
Up to $25,000, in addition
The minimum and maximum apply to violations of subsections (a), (b), (d) or (e). A violation of subsection (c) carries up to 20 years and a fine of up to $10,000.
13 V.S.A. § 3252

Kidnapping

Up to life, or a fine of up to $50,000, or both; up to 30 years if the victim was released alive and safe

Kidnapping, where the defendant voluntarily released the victim alive in a safe place before arraignment without serious bodily injury (affirmative defence) (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
30 years
Fine
Up to $50,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 2405(b)
Kidnapping (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
Life imprisonment
Fine
Up to $50,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 2405(b)

Embezzlement

Up to 1 year ($100 or less) up to 10 years (over $100)

Embezzlement of money or property of $100 or less (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
1 year
Fine
Up to $1,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 2531(b)
Embezzlement of money or property worth more than $100 (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
10 years
Fine
Up to $10,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 2531(b)

Forgery

Up to 10 years and a fine of up to $1,000, or both

Forgery and counterfeiting of papers, documents and other instruments (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
10 years
Fine
Up to $1,000, or both
13 V.S.A. § 1801

Drunk driving, first offence

A fine of up to $750, or up to 2 years in prison, or both

Driving under the influence, first offence (Offence)
Least
No minimum term set by the statute
Most
2 years
Fine
Up to $750, or both
A conviction also leads to licence suspension, which was not read in full.
23 V.S.A. § 1210(b)

Compare with: Iowa, Arizona, California, New York, Florida, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Maryland, Minnesota, Maine, South Carolina, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alabama, Alaska, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, West Virginia, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Colorado, Pennsylvania.

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