Vermont Court Records
How Vermont's courts are organized, where their records are kept and how to search them.
Vermont has a unified, state-run court system. A single Superior Court has units in all 14 counties, each with civil, criminal, family and probate divisions, plus a statewide environmental division.
Vermont's courts moved to a new electronic case system in recent years, and the public can now see many cases through an online portal.
Vermont's public portal launched with the state's new electronic case management system, and it shows case information for many civil, family and probate cases. Some criminal case information is available at the courthouse rather than online.
How Vermont's courts are organized
Vermont's courts have just two levels, plus a Judicial Bureau.
Vermont Supreme Court
Five justices hear all appeals from the trial courts.
Superior Court
The single trial court, with civil, criminal, family, probate and environmental divisions.
Judicial Bureau
Hears civil violations, including traffic tickets and some municipal ordinance violations.
Searching Vermont court records online
Vermont's public portal is the main online search.
- Vermont Judiciary public portalSearch case information from the Vermont Superior Court.
- Vermont JudiciaryOpinions, court locations, forms and self-help.
Getting records from the clerk's office
Contact the clerk of the Superior Court unit in the county where the case was filed. Clerks provide copies and certified copies for set fees.
Deeds are kept by each town clerk.
Each Superior Court unit has a clerk's office that handles records requests. Copies and certified copies are available for set fees, and many requests can be made by email.
- Vermont court locationsFind the Superior Court unit in each county.
What is public, and what is not
Vermont's Rules for Public Access to Court Records govern what is available. Most are public, but juvenile, adoption and mental health records are confidential.
Vermont allows expungement and sealing of many criminal records after a waiting period. Expunged records are removed from public view.
Vermont's Rules for Public Access to Court Records list records that are confidential, including juvenile, adoption, mental health and many family records. Vermont allows expungement and sealing of many criminal records after a waiting period, and some records are sealed automatically.
- Vermont Legal Aid: ExpungementFree information about clearing a criminal record in Vermont.
Older and archived records
Historical court records are held by the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration in Middlesex.
The Vermont State Archives and Records Administration holds historical court records, including early Supreme Court and county court files.
- Vermont State Archives and Records AdministrationHistorical state and court records.
Criminal history and background records
A court file tells you what happened in one case in one court. A criminal history record (often called a rap sheet) pulls together arrests, charges and outcomes reported from across the state, so it is a different product kept by a different agency.
The Vermont Crime Information Center (VCIC) keeps the state's criminal history records. Conviction records are public and can be requested online.
- VCIC conviction recordsHow to request a Vermont criminal conviction record.
- Vermont sex offender registryPublic search of registered sex offenders.
- Vermont Department of CorrectionsInformation about people in Vermont state custody.
Federal court records in Vermont
Federal cases, including federal crimes, bankruptcies, and lawsuits over federal law or between citizens of different states, are not filed in Vermont's state courts. Vermont is a single federal judicial district, and each has its own clerk's office:
Federal case files are searched through PACER, the federal judiciary's records system. PACER charges a small fee per page, but you pay nothing if your charges stay under the quarterly fee-waiver threshold, court opinions are free, and every federal courthouse has public terminals you can use at no cost. Many PACER documents have also been copied into the free RECAP Archive on CourtListener. Appeals from Vermont's federal courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Tips for a faster search
- Know which Superior Court division heard the case: civil, criminal, family, probate or environmental.
- Traffic tickets are handled by the Judicial Bureau, not the Superior Court.
- Expunged records will not appear in public searches.
- If you need a criminal conviction record, the Vermont Crime Information Center's online record check is usually faster than searching each court.
- Have the full names of the parties, the county and a rough date range ready. A case number is the fastest way in if you have one.
- Online indexes are not the official record. If a decision depends on it, get a copy (or a certified copy) from the clerk's office that holds the file.
Legal help and law libraries
Clerks and law librarians can explain how to find a record, but they cannot give legal advice. These organizations can point you in the right direction:
- Vermont Law HelpFree legal information and help finding legal aid.
- Vermont Department of LibrariesPublic library services, including legal resources.
This guide is general information about public records, not legal advice. Court websites, fees and rules change, so confirm details with the court before you rely on them. Civics-Online.org is not affiliated with any court or government agency.