Addison County Court Records

Addison County court records are the official documentation of court cases handled by Addison County courts. These records are derived from information and legal documents generated by a court and those filed by litigants as a case moves through the county court system. The Addison County Superior Court's Clerk of Court maintains and updates most county court records.

Generally, court records are maintained for documentation purposes to provide official accounts of how judicial staff handled court cases and factors that led to key decisions about the case, like its disposition. Court records also allow for transparency in the legal system, which, in turn, fosters public trust in the system. The typical contents of Addison court records include pleadings, petitions, dispositions, motions, orders, schedules, docket entries, and transcripts.

Are Court Records Public in Addison County?

Yes. Public agencies, including courts, are obligated by the Vermont Public Records Act to make their records accessible to the public for review and copying unless a state or federal law specifies otherwise. As a result, most court records are part of Addison County public records.

Nonetheless, certain court records are specifically exempt from public disclosure. These records are confidential and only disclosable to specific eligible individuals or entities or for legal reasons. These records include but are not limited to:

• Juvenile records
• Expunged or sealed records
• Adoption and guardianship records
• Records concerning an ongoing investigation.
• Records of mental health proceedings.
• Records containing proprietary information

Addison County Court Records Search

Interested persons can search for Addison County court records through any of the following:

• Addison County Superior Court Clerk's office
• The courthouse of Addison County Superior
• Third-party websites.

Addison County Courts

There is only one type of Court in Addison County: the Addison County Superior Court. The Court has four (4) divisions: civil, criminal, family, and probate. The address and contact information of the Addison County Superior Court is:

7 Mahady Court
Middlebury, VT 05753
Phone: (802) 388-7741

Addison County Criminal and Civil Records

In Addison County, criminal cases are handled by the County Superior Court Criminal Division, while civil cases fall under the jurisdiction of the Addison Civil Division. Both divisions share the same clerk of Court, Addison's Clerk of Court.

Record seekers can request case records of criminal and civil cases handled by the Addison Criminal Division or Civil Division by completing the Access to Court Records form and submitting it to Addison's Clerk of Court. Note that certain fees are charged per request, including $0.25 per page for paper copies, $5.00 for certified copies, and $7.50 for records of older court cases. Submission can be made in person, by email, or by mail to:

7 Mahady Court
Middlebury, VT 05753
Phone: (802) 388-7741
Email: AddisonUnit@vtcourts.gov

Interested persons can also conduct a criminal record check through the Addison Criminal Division. The difference between an Addison criminal records check, and a request for a court case record is that the latter is a request to review a single case file. Meanwhile, the former is a general request for information pertaining to all criminal cases connected to a specific individual.

Note that a criminal record check conducted through the Addison Criminal Division will only reveal a subject's Addison County Criminal Records, including Addison arrest records. To request a criminal record check, requesters can complete the Criminal Record Check Request & Reply form, submit it to the Addison Criminal Division Clerk of Court (address provided above), and pay the required fees. These fees include a $30.00 search fee for each name searched, $ 0.25 for photocopies, and $5.00 for certification.

Addison County Marriage Records

Record seekers can order certified and noncertified copies of Addison County vital records, including marriage records from the Vermont Department of Health and The Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA). The former issues Addison County marriage records from 2022 to the present, while the latter issues certificates prior to 2022.

Members of the general public can order Addison County marriage certificates from the Vermont Department of Health online through the agency's Vital Records Request Service portal. Alternatively, requesters can order certified copies of a marriage certificate using the request application. Interested persons can complete the request application and mail it with the required fee of $10 per copy via a check or money order payable to the Vermont Department of Health and a self-address envelope to:

Vital Records Office
280 State Drive
Waterbury, VT 05671-8370

To request noncertified copies of an Addison marriage certificate, requesters can send a written request to the Vermont Department of Health by mail or email to vitalrecords@vermont.gov. The request should contain:

• The type of event (e.g., marriage).
• The name(s) of the bride and groom named on the certificate.
• The event date.

On the other hand, interested persons can order certified Addison County marriage certificates from the VSARA using the form VSARA-09 at a $10.00 per certification cost. An additional $10 charge is charged for the certificate to be authenticated for foreign use (e.g., Apostille). Most Town Clerk offices in Addison County also issue marriage certificates for marriages within their jurisdiction. Record seekers can visit a town clerk's office to request relevant marriage certificates.

Addison County Divorce Records

Addison County divorce records are available through the Vermont Department of Health and the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA). The Vermont Department of Health maintains divorce records from 2022 to the present, while divorce records from 2021 and earlier are accessible through the VSARA.

Record seekers can order Addison County divorce certificates online through the Vermont Department of Health Vital Records Request Service portal. The agency also accepts mail-in and email requests. To do this, requesters can complete the request application (for certified copies at $10 per certificate) or draft a written request (for free noncertified copies). Afterward, submit a completed request application or written request along with necessary fees (if applicable) and a self-addressed envelope to:

Vermont Department of Health

Vital Records
280 State Drive
Waterbury VT, 05671-8370
Email: vitalrecords@vermont.gov

Meanwhile, requesters use form VSARA-09 to order certified copies of divorce certificates from the VSARA at $10 per copy.

Addison County Birth Records

Addison County birth certificates from January 1, 1909, to the present are available for purchase through the Vermont Department of Health. Note that birth certificates are considered private records. As a result, certified copies of birth certificates are only available to eligible persons. These include, but are not limited to, the registrant, their spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandchild, grandparent, and legal guardian.

The Vermont Department of Health offers several avenues record seekers use to order Addison County birth records. Records seekers can use the agency's Vital Records Request Service portal to order birth certificates online. Alternatively, interested parties can also request birth certificates by completing the request application (for certified copies) or drafting a written request (for noncertified copies) and submitting it by mail or email to the Vermont Department of Health. Note that the completed request application must be sent along with a photocopy of the requester's acceptable ID and required fees.

Addison County Death Records

Similar to birth records, Addison County death records from January 1, 1909, to the present are obtainable from the Vermont Department of Health. Only certain eligible persons can access certified copies of death records, while the general public can obtain noncertified copies. Furthermore, requesters must submit a copy of their valid ID to request certified copies of a death certificate.

Interested persons can use the Vermont Department of Health's Vital Records Request Service portal to request death records online. Alternatively, record seekers can complete the request application (for certified copies) or draft a written request (for noncertified copies) and submit it by mail or email to the Vermont Department of Health. Eligible persons must submit the completed request application with all required items, i.e., necessary fees and their acceptable valid ID, to request certified copies of a death certificate.

Addison County Probate Court Records

In Addison County, probate cases are handled by the Addison Probate Division. Probate of wills, guardianships, estate settlements, name changes, civil commitments, and adoptions are the types of cases heard by the Probate Division.

Addison County Probate Court records are preserved by the Addison County Superior Court's Clerk of Court. Although there are some exceptions, such as adoption and guardianship records, some Addison Probate Court records may be accessible to the general public. Anyone can request case records of a probate case by completing the Access to Court Records form and submitting it in person, by mail, or by email to Addison Clerk of Court at:

7 Mahady Court
Middlebury, VT 05753
Phone: (802) 388-7741
Email: AddisonUnit@vtcourts.gov

Addison County Property Records

Addison County property records contain pertinent information about real property within the county. This includes but is not limited to a property's general description, ownership details, and attached encumbrances. Examples of property records include deeds, mortgages, liens, and plats,

Property records are also subject to the Vermont Public Records Act. As a result, these records are accessible to the general public upon request. Most property records in Addison County are recorded and preserved by the Town or City Clerk's Office of the municipality where the property is located. Hence, anyone can obtain property records by querying these offices. For instance, interested persons can access records of a property situated within the Town of Addison through the Town's Clerk's office. The clerk's office provides a land records portal that record seekers can use to search for and access county property records from December 1975 to the present online. For town property records prior to December 1975, interested persons can visit the clerk's office to conduct an in-office search at:

65 Vt Rte 17 West
Addison, VT 05491
Phone: (802) 759-2020

Addison County Court Records Online

Addison County court records are accessible to the general public online through third-party websites like vermontcourtrecords.us. This website provides expedient remote access to court records in the comfort of one's home. Users can search for court records on the website by name or case number. However, third-party websites are usually not affiliated with any government agency. As a result, the court records they provide may be incomplete or contain outdated information.