Vermont: how to request public records and find local records
Public Records Act, 1 V.S.A. ch. 5, subch. 3. Rules below are quoted or closely paraphrased from the linked official text. Last verified 2026-10-17.
Who usually holds what
- Government records (minutes, emails, budgets, permits): Ask the town or state office that keeps the record, under the Public Records Act.
- Deeds and land records: Town clerks keep land records, in the town where the property is located. There is no county registry.
- Birth, marriage and death records (genealogy): State Archives (older records online), Department of Health (1909 and later index), and town clerks (early local records).
- Probate (wills and estates): Probate Division of the Superior Court (current); State Archives for older records.
- Town reports: Vermont State Archives (digital municipal reports for 2003-2006 and 2014 to present).
Steps for a records request
- Identify the town or state office that keeps the record. Vermont town clerks keep land records and early vital records.
- Send a request (the agency may require writing when staff-time charges apply). Say what format you prefer.
- Note the date received and mark three business days with the deadline calculator. A missed deadline is treated as a denial.
- If you get a denial, it should name the records withheld, the statutory basis, the reasons, the people responsible, and your right to appeal to the head of the agency.
- Appeal in writing to the head of the agency; a written decision is due within five business days of receipt. Court is the next step.
What the law says (with sources)
Any person may inspect or copy a public record of a public agency; for municipal agencies, during customary business hours. (1 V.S.A. § 316(a))
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 316 · last verified 2026-10-17"Promptly" means immediately, with little or no delay, and unless otherwise provided, not more than three business days from receipt of the request. An agency that misses a deadline is deemed to have denied the request. (1 V.S.A. § 318(a))
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 318 · last verified 2026-10-17If a record is in active use or in storage, the custodian must certify that in writing and set a date and hour within one calendar week of the request when it will be available. (1 V.S.A. § 318(b)(1))
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 318 · last verified 2026-10-17In unusual circumstances (separate field offices, voluminous records, or consultation with another agency or the Attorney General), time limits may be extended by written notice that states the reasons and the expected date, for no more than ten business days from receipt. (1 V.S.A. § 318(b)(5))
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 318 · last verified 2026-10-17A denial certification must identify the records withheld, give the asserted statutory basis and a brief statement of reasons and supporting facts, name the people responsible for the denial, and notify the requester of the right to appeal to the head of the agency. (1 V.S.A. § 318(b)(2))
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 318 · last verified 2026-10-17A denial may be appealed to the head of the agency, who must decide in writing within five business days after receiving the appeal. (1 V.S.A. § 318(c))
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 318 · last verified 2026-10-17An agency may not withhold a whole record because part is exempt; it must redact the exempt part and explain. (1 V.S.A. § 318(e))
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 318 · last verified 2026-10-17Copies: the agency may charge the actual cost of the copy plus mailing or transmission costs. Staff time may also be charged when the time directly involved exceeds 30 minutes, when the agency agrees to create a record, or when it agrees to a nonstandard format (over 30 minutes). On request the agency must give an estimate, and may require written requests and prepayment for requests with staff-time charges. (1 V.S.A. § 316(b)-(c))
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 316 · last verified 2026-10-17A town's legislative body sets its copy charges after a public hearing; if it has not set a schedule, the Secretary of State's schedule applies, and the schedule must be posted in prominent locations in the town offices. (1 V.S.A. § 316(e))
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 316 · last verified 2026-10-17A person aggrieved by a denial may apply to the Superior Court, Civil Division (in the county where they live or have their place of business, where the records are, or Washington County). The court decides de novo and the agency has the burden of proof. The court shall assess reasonable attorney's fees and costs if the complainant substantially prevailed (with a narrow discretionary exception). (1 V.S.A. § 319)
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 319 · last verified 2026-10-17The Secretary of State is directed to provide municipal agencies and the public with information and advice about the Public Records Act. (1 V.S.A. § 318(g))
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 318 · last verified 2026-10-17Section 316 as read on 2026-10-17 has no fee-waiver provision. The Vermont Statutes Online copy says it is unofficial and includes the 2026 legislative session.
Source: 1 V.S.A. § 316 · last verified 2026-10-17
Record-by-record guide
Deeds and land records
Town clerks keep land records, in the town where the property is located. There is no county registry.
In Vermont, all land records are recorded and preserved at the local level, primarily in the office of the clerk of the town where the property is located.
Source: Vermont State Archives: Local Government Records · last verified 2026-10-17A clerks' association publishes a table of Vermont towns whose land records can be searched online, with start dates and the system used. See the Vermont land-records table.
Source: Vermont Municipal Clerks' & Treasurers' Association: Vermont Land Records Online · last verified 2026-10-17
Birth, marriage and death records (genealogy)
State Archives (older records online), Department of Health (1909 and later index), and town clerks (early local records).
Vermont law places no restrictions on public access to vital records (18 V.S.A. § 5002, per the State Archives). Copies of some records from 1760 to 2008 are on FamilySearch (free) and Ancestry.com (free for Vermont residents after location verification); these cannot be used for legal purposes and do not reflect corrections made after 2008.
Source: Vermont State Archives: Vital Records · last verified 2026-10-17A current searchable index of 1909-and-later birth and death records is provided by the Department of Health. Early vital records requests go to town clerks; the State Archives says it cannot respond to requests for town records.
Source: Vermont State Archives: Vital Records · last verified 2026-10-17
Probate (wills and estates)
Probate Division of the Superior Court (current); State Archives for older records.
Before 2011 Vermont had as many as twenty probate districts, each with its own court and index; no single index covers all districts. The State Archives holds microfilm of record books from every district up to 1850, plus original records from some courts for later years.
Source: Vermont State Archives: Probate Court Records · last verified 2026-10-17Adoption records for adoptees under 99 years old, records of relinquishment of parental rights, and some mental health records within probate files are exempt from public inspection.
Source: Vermont State Archives: Probate Court Records · last verified 2026-10-17
Town reports
Vermont State Archives (digital municipal reports for 2003-2006 and 2014 to present).
The State Archives page lists municipal reports for 2003-2006 and 2014 to present as digital. For earlier years, check town offices, libraries and local historical societies (not yet verified here).
Source: Vermont State Archives: Local Government Records (municipal reports) · last verified 2026-10-17
Not covered yet
Cemetery records, school records, police and court-docket records, fee schedules for individual towns, and town-by-town contact details are not covered. Ask the town clerk. Details will be added only after they are checked against an official page.