Vermont Court Records Search

Vermont Court System

Vermont’s Court System is very simple and consists of only the Vermont Supreme Court, the appellate court for the state and then Superior Courts which are Vermont's trial courts.

Along with the Supreme Court and Superior Courts, this state also has a Judicial Bureau that has statewide jurisdiction. The state is split into 14 counties with trial courts in each one.

According to the Vermont Judicial Branch website: “The mission of the VermontJudiciary is to provide equal access to justice, protect individual rights, resolve legal disputes fairly and timely, and provide everyone the opportunity to have their day in court.” Additionally, the Green Mountain State feels that “The people of Vermont will have trust and confidence in the Vermont state courts because the courts are fair, impartial, accessible, responsive, consistent, free of discrimination, independent, and well-managed.” Unlike most states, Vermont does not have a District Court.

Supreme Court

Superior Court

Vermont Records That are not Open to the Public

Many Vermont public records will be openly available to the general public. However, records going back beyond 1945 will reside in the state archives. Researchers and other people interested in VT court records are urged to contact the Court Clerk for information about what they can and cannot have access to. Things like sealed, expunged, and juvenile records will not be available. The federal government also has laws prohibiting courts from including personal or sensitive information in public files. Therefore, things like home addresses, children’s names, social security numbers, and tax IDs will be redacted before the records are made public.

VT Judiciary Case Filing Information

The Vermont Judiciary’s website (vermonth.gov) makes it easy for patrons of the court to file a case. On their main menu, they have a link to all the forms necessary to file a case in this state. These forms are split into the four main divisions of the trial courts and by types of cases. This website also has an option for e-filing for filing cases. With some types of cases, e-filing is mandatory, and with others, it is optional. Additionally, the website has a whole self-help section with resources for locating a court, reviewing the court calendar, reading about civil cases, finding your local county courthouse, reading the court rules, or learning about the fees involved with filing and other court charges.

Search Vermont Public Records Online

Infotracer is the best option for searching for Vermont records. Our search tool provides access to thousands of court cases in this state, including the areas of Burlington, Montpelier, Windham, Winsor, Bennington, Addison, Chittenden County, Rutland County, and Washington County. Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act and VT Open Records Law Vermont Statute Title 1, Chapter 5.315, public records are available online for criminal records, state property records, small claims cases, civil disputes, bankruptcies, family and probate court cases, and more.

Someone can search for VT records online without needing permission or even a good reason. Searches are private, and all records are legally available except for those which have been sealed by the courts.

Enjoy free instant access to VT records when you try Infotracer. Performing a Vermont state court records search by name is the best way to lookup cases online from the state superior courts, in all divisions including civil, criminal, environmental, family, and probate.

Vermont Court Statistics

In 2012, the Vermont courts received 149,706 filings. In 2016, the number of filings decreased by 9.9% and counted 134,824 filings and had 41,134 outgoing cases

Family Court Cases

Domestic relations caseload of Vermont at year end of 2016 has decreased by 42.2% compared to the last 5 years, in 2012 the number of incoming cases have been 21,047 but are higher than in 2015.

Vermont Criminal Caseloads

The number of criminal cases in Vermont courts counts to 15,938, with 3,400 felony cases and 12,538 misdemeanors accordingly.

Superior Courts

The Vermont Superior Courts are the general jurisdiction trial courts for the state. They serve both civil and criminal cases. Each of VT 14 counties has one of these courts. These courts are split into divisions to handle cases of different types. The divisions are the Civil Division, the Criminal Division, the Environmental Division, the Family Division, and the Probate Division. Each division handles cases within their area of expertise. These courts handle civil matters of up to $5,000, all criminal cases, all domestic relations cases, all juvenile issues and traffic, and ordinance violations cases as well.