Criminal Records
The Vermont Department of Public Safety maintains the central repository of criminal history information for the state of Vermont. The office processes requests for criminal records for Vermont residents. At the county level, these services are provided by the Chittenden County Sheriff's Office, which serves as the primary law enforcement agency of Chittenden and the custodian of records of criminal activity of county residents.
How to Get Criminal Records
Requests for criminal records are processed by the Fingerprinting Section of the Chittenden County Sheriff's Office. The unit offers fingerprint-based background checks to county residents for the purpose of licensing, employment and adoption. Fingerprinting services are offered on an appointment basis. Thus, persons interested in requesting the service are required to call the Sheriff's Department at (802) 863-4341 in order to make an appointment. Appointments can be made for Mondays through Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. and may also be slated for Friday is the print technician is available.
On the scheduled date, the applicant will be required to present a Photo Drivers license (or another government-issued ID) and a passport, as well as make a cash-only payment of $25 per fingerprint card. The record will be delivered to the requester through their preferred means.
The Chittenden County Sheriff's Office is located at:
70 Ethan Allen Drive,
P.O. Box 1426
Burlington, VT 05402
South Burlington, Vermont
Phone: (802) 863-4341
Fax: (802) 863-7445
How to find Sex Offender Information
The Vermont Sex Offender Registry is managed by the Vermont Crime Information Center and features public information regarding sex offenders resident in Chittenden County and other Vermont state counties. The registry can be used to view information regarding the location of sex offenders within county limits, their compliance status, work, and school addresses as well as their online identities. Chittenden county offenders can be searched by first and/or last name, city/town and by proximity to specific locations. Interested persons may also subscribe to the Email Notification Feature of the site in order to receive frequent updates regarding changes in sex offender location and compliance status.
Where and How to Get Inmate and Jail Information
Inmate and jail-related queries pertaining to persons and facilities located within Chittenden County may be directed to the County Sheriff's Office. The Office performs a variety of duties relating to regional correctional facilities and inmates within its jurisdiction. Specific information such as inmate locations, primary charges, welfare and visitation schedules as well as court dates and supervision can be obtained using the Vermont Department of Corrections Inmate Locator. Using the locator, interested persons may search for inmates by name, booking date or inmate ID.
Court Records
Where and How to get Court Records
Vermont, Chittenden County court records are retained and managed by the Vermont Clerk of Superior Courts. The office maintains and provides access to non-confidential court records in compliance with state laws. However, requestors will be required to provide information regarding the record being requested such as the case file number, the name of the compliant or prosecutor as well as the name of the litigant and the date the record was filed. Summarily, requests for court records by completing and submitting the Court Record Request Form to:
Vermont Superior Court
175 Main Street,
Burlington, VT 05402
Phone: (802) 863-3467
Alternatively, court records may be accessed online using the Vermont Courts Online Application.
Location of Courts in Chittenden County
Listed below are the addresses and contact information of courthouses in Chittenden County:
Vermont Superior Court - Chittenden Civil Division
175 Main Street,
Burlington, VT 05402
Phone: (802) 863-3467
Vermont Superior Court - Chittenden Criminal Division
32 Cherry Street,
Suite 300,
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: (802) 651-1950
Vermont Superior Court - Chittenden Family Division
32 Cherry Street,
Suite 200,
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: (802) 651-1709
Vermont Superior Court - Chittenden Probate Division
175 Main Street,
Burlington, VT 05402
Phone: (802) 651-1518
Vital Records
Chittenden county vital records are mostly managed by the various Town Clerks of the municipality where the event took place. However, statewide birth death marriage and divorce records are also maintained and issued by the Vermont Department of Health, which serves as the central repository for Vermont vital records.
Where and How to Get Divorce Records
Records of divorces granted by the Vermont, Chittenden Superior court are primarily maintained in the Vital Statistics office of the Vermont County Department of Health. Copies of divorce and dissolution certificates of 2013 and before have been transferred to the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, while records of 2014 to date are available for a fee from the Department of Health.
To request a record from the Vermont State Archives, interested persons may use the online Vital Records Request Service of the office. Requestors will be required to pay a $12 fee via credit card and indicate a valid mailing address where the requested record will be delivered.
On the other hand, requests for more recent records can be made to the state Department of Health via mail or in person. Requests can be made by downloading and completing the Divorce/Dissolution Certificate Request Form. The completed form should be accompanied by the fee indicated on the form and submitted to:
Vermont Department of Health
Vital Records Office
P.O. Box 70
Burlington, VT 05402
Where and How to Get Marriage Records
Requests for marriage and civil union certificates can also be directed to the Vital Records Office of the VDH. The office maintains records of marriages licensed by the state of Vermont from 2014 date, while records of marriages which occurred in 2013 or later, and all civil union certificates are available from the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration.
Requests to the Vermont State Archives can be made using the online Vital Records Request Service which will require requesters to make a credit card payment of $12.
To request a record from the state Department, interested persons may complete and submit the Marriage Certificate Request Form along with the fees indicated on the application to:
Vermont Department of Health
Vital Records Office
P.O. Box 70
Burlington, VT 05402
Where and How to Get Birth and Death Records
Persons interested in obtaining birth or death records from the state Vital Statistics Office are advised to study the Supplemental Instructions of the process before proceeding to request the record.
As per state laws, requestors are only eligible to obtain a birth or death records if they are directly related to the subject of the record or authorized by a court order or final disposition. Interested and eligible persons may obtain these records by completing an Application for a Certified Copy of Vermont Birth or Death Certificate which should be accompanied by the fees and ID requirements indicated on the form and submitted in person or via mail to:
Vermont Department of Health
Vital Records Office
P.O. Box 70
Burlington, VT 05402
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
