Vermont Landowner Permission Forms

A landowner’s verbal okay can feel clear until someone asks which parcel, trail, riders, or dates it covered. Vermont riders can use a written permission form to record those details and reduce misunderstandings. There is no single statewide form that fits every private-property arrangement, so the key is to make the permission specific and keep it separate from trail access requirements.

What a Vermont landowner permission form is for

A permission form is a written record of an agreement between a landowner and an ATV or UTV rider, club, or group. It can help establish what access was granted, where it applies, and what conditions the rider agreed to follow. It is especially useful when permission involves recurring rides, multiple machines, a club route, or access across several parts of a property.

A form is not automatically required just because a rider has permission to use private land. Nor is there one universal state form that every Vermont landowner must use. The landowner and rider can document their arrangement in a signed letter or another written agreement, as long as it clearly describes the permission.

Written permission can help prevent disputes, but it does not grant access beyond what the landowner controls or has authority to allow. For example, permission to cross one parcel does not automatically cover a neighboring parcel, a town road, a public trail, or land managed by someone else. It also does not replace registration, insurance, trail-access, age, equipment, or local-road requirements that apply to the ride.

If you are trying to understand the broader rules around permission and private property, see Vermont Landowner Permission Rules. A form is most useful when it records a real agreement rather than trying to replace those rules.

When written permission is especially useful

Consider putting the agreement in writing when:

• You will ride on the property more than once.
• Several riders or machines will use the route.
• A club or organized group is arranging access.
• The property has gates, seasonal restrictions, or designated routes.
• The landowner wants specific limits on speed, hours, noise, parking, or passengers.
• Permission is temporary, such as for a particular event or season.
• You need to coordinate access with more than one landowner.

For a brief, one-time visit, a clear conversation may be enough for the landowner and rider to understand each other. Even then, a text or email confirming the route and date can help avoid confusion. For an ongoing arrangement, a signed document is usually easier to refer back to than a conversation remembered differently by each person.

Permission is not the same as a VASA trail-access decal

A landowner may give a rider permission to use private property, but that does not by itself provide access to every trail in Vermont’s organized trail network. VASA club corridors may cross private land under arrangements made with landowners and maintained by clubs. Access on those corridors has its own requirements, including the applicable Trail Access Decal. Review Vermont Requires Registration Plus a TAD and Vermont Trail Etiquette on Private Land before treating a private-property agreement as trail-system access.

The reverse is also true: having a decal does not give a rider permission to leave an authorized corridor and roam on nearby private land. Stay on the route that is open and marked, and follow any conditions tied to the landowner’s permission.

What to include in a permission form

A useful form should answer practical questions, not just say that riding is allowed. Write it so someone who was not part of the original conversation can tell what was agreed. Avoid vague wording such as “access to the property” if the landowner means only one marked corridor.

Form detail	What to record	Why it helps
People covered	Names of riders, club, or responsible organizer	Makes clear who has permission
Property	Location and parcel or boundary description, if known	Reduces confusion about which land is included
Route	Map, marked corridor, entry point, and exit point	Helps riders stay within the approved area
Machines	ATV, UTV, or other approved vehicle types	Avoids assuming every vehicle is included
Time period	Start date, end date, days, or hours	Clarifies whether permission is one-time or ongoing
Conditions	Speed, noise, gates, parking, passengers, or other limits	Records the landowner’s expectations
Contact	A way to reach the landowner or designated contact	Helps with closures, incidents, or questions
Signatures	Landowner or authorized representative and rider or organizer	Shows that both sides accepted the terms

Identify the land and the route

Describe the property as clearly as possible. A street address may not identify the exact boundaries, particularly when land is accessed from a trailhead or a nearby road. A simple map can make the agreement more practical: mark the approved route, entry point, exit point, any turnaround areas, and places riders must avoid.

Do not assume a map of a VASA corridor or a GPS track is permission to travel over every parcel it touches. Confirm that the person granting permission controls the land in question or is authorized to do so. If a route crosses multiple properties, each landowner’s permission should be addressed separately unless an authorized club or other representative has confirmed the arrangement.

The form should also say whether riders may use only the marked route or may travel elsewhere on the property. If the permission is for a crossing rather than general riding, state that plainly. The more limited the agreement, the more important it is to describe the limit.

Name the riders, machines, and permitted activity

Permission may be intended for one person, a household, a club, or a specific group. Name the people covered where practical. If a club is arranging access, identify the club and the person responsible for communicating the terms to members and guests.

State which vehicles are allowed. A landowner who agrees to ATV access may not intend to allow every type of UTV or other off-road machine. If there are restrictions on vehicle width, passenger count, towing, or group size, record them. Riders should not infer that a new machine or additional guest is covered just because another member of the group received permission.

It is also helpful to distinguish riding from related activities. The agreement might cover travel through the property but not camping, hunting, loading or unloading machines, building a trail, operating a work vehicle, or holding an event. If any of those activities are part of the plan, ask directly and record the answer.

Set dates and conditions

Permission can be limited to a particular day, a season, or an ongoing period. Include the start and end dates when possible, and clarify whether access is allowed only at certain times or on certain days. A season-long agreement should still allow the landowner to communicate temporary closures or changes.

Conditions should be specific enough to follow. Common examples include:

• Use only the marked route.
• Keep gates as found, or close them after passing through.
• Do not ride when the route is wet or posted closed.
• Park only in the agreed area.
• Keep noise down near homes or livestock.
• Do not bring additional riders without approval.
• Avoid crops, gardens, livestock areas, and equipment.
• Report damage, a blocked route, or an injury promptly.

Do not add conditions that conflict with other legal requirements or present the document as a waiver that guarantees a particular outcome. If the agreement concerns liability, indemnity, or the release of claims, both parties should consider getting advice from a qualified professional rather than relying on generic wording.

How private-land permission fits with Vermont trail access

Vermont’s ATV trail network depends on access arrangements with private landowners. A landowner may allow a club to maintain and mark a corridor, but that does not mean riders have general access to the rest of the property. Permission can be tied to a specific route, time, season, club, or set of riding conditions.

Before riding, confirm whether you are using an authorized club corridor, a route the landowner has approved directly, or a town road with separate rules. These are different kinds of access. A form from a landowner should not be treated as approval from a town, a club, or the state.

For organized trail riding, start with the club responsible for the route and check the current trail information. Finding the VASA Club That Maintains Your Local Trail can help you identify who to contact about a club corridor. If a route uses private land outside an established corridor, ask the landowner rather than assuming the club’s access agreement covers it.

Separate property permission from other requirements

A permission document addresses one question: whether the landowner has allowed the named rider or group to use the described land under the stated conditions. Riders may still need to meet other requirements. Depending on the ride, those can include machine registration, insurance, a safety certificate, a Trail Access Decal, and local restrictions.

A Vermont ATV registration is not proof that a landowner has granted access. Similarly, an out-of-state registration or a visitor decal does not create private-property permission. See Vermont Reciprocity for Out-of-State Machines for the distinction between recognizing an out-of-state registration and meeting trail-access rules.

Road riding is a separate issue. A landowner cannot, simply by signing a private-property permission form, open a town road to ATV traffic. Town access depends on the applicable designation and local rules. Riders planning to connect private land with public roads should check the route’s status instead of assuming permission continues across the road. Vermont ATV Road Rules: Towns Decide explains why road access needs to be checked separately.

Respect closures and changing conditions

A written agreement is not a reason to ride when a route is closed or unsafe. Landowners may need to close access because of wet ground, logging, farm work, hunting activity, repairs, erosion, or a change in circumstances. If the agreement includes a contact method, use it to confirm access when conditions are uncertain.

Where a route is part of a club system, check the club’s current trail information as well. A corridor may be temporarily closed even if the landowner previously granted access. Vermont Trail Closures Landowners Request explains why a landowner’s request can affect a route.

Keep gates, signs, and barriers as directed. Do not bypass a closure by making a new path around a wet section or blocked gate. A permission form usually covers the route described, not an improvised detour.

Before you sign or ride

A permission form works best when both sides understand it and keep a copy. Riders should read every condition before signing, ask about unclear boundaries, and avoid relying on assumptions about guests, dates, or machine types. Landowners should be equally clear about where access begins and ends and how they will communicate a closure.

Use this checklist before the first ride:

1. Confirm who has authority to grant access to the property.
2. Identify the exact land and approved route, using a map if needed.
3. List the riders, club, or organizer covered by the agreement.
4. Specify allowed machine types and any limits on group size or passengers.
5. Write down the dates, hours, and any seasonal restrictions.
6. Record conditions for gates, parking, speed, noise, and route closures.
7. Confirm whether the permission covers a one-time visit or recurring access.
8. Ask how the landowner will notify riders if access changes.
9. Check any separate registration, insurance, safety, decal, or town-road requirements.
10. Keep a copy of the signed agreement and share relevant conditions with every rider.

For a club or group, the organizer should make sure every participant knows the route and restrictions before setting out. A document held by one leader does little good if other riders do not know which land is covered or where to stop. Carrying a digital copy can be convenient, but riders should also know how to contact the person who arranged access.

If the landowner’s permission changes, stop using the route until the new terms are clear. Do not rely on an old form after a property sale, a changed trail alignment, or a closure notice. Confirm whether the agreement still applies and whether the person giving permission remains authorized to do so.

A clear written agreement can make private-land access easier to manage, but it is not a substitute for communication or responsible riding. Keep the permission narrow enough to match what was actually approved, follow every condition, and check other access rules before traveling beyond that property.

Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Laws, prices and regulations vary by location and change over time. Consult a qualified professional for guidance on your specific situation.