Vermont’s Smuggler’s Notch is on Route 108, a stunning, narrow, and precarious pass through the Green Mountains. It’s an area that’s beloved by skiers and often frightening for drivers. Now, truckers have another reason to be extremely wary in the region. They could receive an enormous fine of $20,000 for getting stuck in the Notch, should a new bill from Vermont lawmakers ultimately pass into law.
Vermont law is very specific about vehicle passage in the area. Title 23 VSA 1006b states that “single-frame motor vehicles over 40 feet in length and tractor units with one or more attached trailers over 45 feet in total length are prohibited from operating on the Smugglers’ Notch segment.” Applicable vehicles in violation, as it stands, are liable for fines of $1,000 (for the operating company or private driver, depending on whether they were working at the time) for simply passing into the Notch. This fine is doubled if they get stuck and cause a significant traffic delay. Bill S0326 proposes not merely increasing these fines, but making each ten times as punishing: $10,000 and $20,000, respectively. Another offense within three years doubles both fines. All in all, one thing is very clear: Truckers will very much regret venturing into Smuggler’s Notch.
In March 2026, the Vermont Senate approved the bill, clearing a major obstacle in its ultimate journey to the governor’s desk. Though it sounds like a very extreme proposal, it’s just the latest in a long offensive against drivers of big, potentially dangerous vehicles on this narrow road.
The recent history of truckers on Smuggler’s Notch
Vermont’s Route 108 didn’t make our list of the most dangerous roads for semi-truck drivers, but the winding path and tight turns of Smuggler’s Notch make it a worthy contender. Couple this with the fact that a trucker stuck here could cause terrible congestion, and it’s little wonder why Vermont imposed a fine on truckers and trucking companies for forbidden travel through it. The fine was considerable even before being increased tenfold, but as things stand, it seems that it wasn’t enough of a deterrent.
As Land Line Magazine reports, 2016 marked a similarly huge increase in the fines for truckers who drove on the prohibited road: From what was $162 to up to $2000. The magazine reported that five years later, a despairing Joe Flynn, Vermont’s Secretary of Transportation, stated that since 2009, around 100 trucks had got themselves stuck in the pass. The implementation of new measures like patrols and further warning lights, it seems, hasn’t brought an end to the issue.
This is why Bill S0326 proposes such an increase. It also aims to implement the same approach to other goals, like deterring drivers from operating snowmobiles without the proper license. The fine for that, under the terms of the new bill, would jump by around 233% to $450. We don’t yet know the ultimate fate of the bill, but should it pass, it will probably contribute towards making Vermont’s roads that bit safer. Or, at any rate, much more expensive. After all, Vermont is far from one of the states with the fastest drivers in America, but road safety is about where you should and shouldn’t be driving as much as how fast you’re going.
