Orange County Arrest Records

Arrest records in Orange County, Vermont, provide information on arrest events, such as the arrestee's personal data, charges, crime scene recordings, bond amount, and booking date.

Arrest events occur when peace officers apprehend and detain persons suspected of violating the law. Officers do not always need an arrest warrant to apprehend suspected offenders; the law allows them to arrest without a warrant if the crime occurred in their presence. That being said, officers will temporarily detain offenders in the county jail pending the outcome of their investigation.

The Orange County sheriff's department creates and stores records of arrests that occurred within the county. As the record custodian, the agency also discloses copies of the records to interested parties. Interested parties can also find arrest information in other public files and documents. For example, Orange County court records may include arrest data such as the charges, booking date, and bond amount.

Are Arrest Records Public in Orange County?

Yes, a majority of arrest records in Orange County are publicly accessible. Under Vermont's Public Records Act, the public can view or request copies of arrest records from specific government bodies. Government bodies must comply with the law by releasing records upon request from interested persons or entities. Orange County's Sheriff Department is an example of such a government body.

The agency allows in-person access to arrest records at this address:

11 Vermont Route 113
Chelsea, VT 05038
Phone: (802) 685-4875

Nevertheless, the state law prevents public access to certain records. The exempted record typically contains information whose disclosure is deemed not to be in the public interest. Examples of non-public arrest records include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Arrest records that are confidential by law.
• Arrest records that could interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation.
• Documents that may deprive a person of their right to a fair trial or adjudication.
• Arrest documents that may reveal the identity of a confidential source, including entities that provided information on a confidential basis.
• Records that may disclose the procedures and techniques for law enforcement prosecutions or investigations.
• Documents whose disclosure will endanger the lives of any individual.

Orange County Arrest Statistics

According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Data Explorer, the Orange County Sheriff's Department made 286 arrests in 2023. While there are inmate statistics reports for Orange County, the state's correctional facilities housed 1,455 inmates as of March 31st, 2025.

Find Orange County Arrest Records

The public can find information on arrests in Orange County in inmate records. These records typically contain post-arrest data, such as the arrestee's personal information, mugshot, arrest document number, the arresting agency's name, criminal charges, booking date, and bond amount.

To view inmate records, interested parties must conduct searches on specific searchable databases maintained by government entities. For example, the Vermont Department of Corrections maintains an online searchable database for current and released inmates.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons also hosts an online database for finding inmate records. The platform provides information on inmates held in federal penal institutions. To view records on the platform, inquirers must input the inmate's name or prison number in the required fields.

Orange County Arrest Records vs. Criminal Records

In Orange County, arrest and criminal records contain information on crime-related events. However, the records are different in the following aspects:

They contain different information.

Arrest records contain information created or received in relation to an arrest event. The records may include the arrestee's name, address, arrest charges, incident date and location, the arresting agency's name, booking date, and bond information. However, criminal records are a compilation of an individual's criminal history, so that they may include case summaries, indictments, and sentencing.

They are under the purview of different agencies

Law enforcement agencies are the primary custodians of arrest records, responsible for creating and keeping them. In contrast, criminal records are under the purview of the Vermont Department of Safety's Crime Information Center.

They have different impacts.

Arrest records indicate that an individual was taken into custody for a suspected crime; they do not guarantee that the arrestee was guilty of the offense. However, criminal records reveal that an arrestee was tried and found guilty by the court. Such records may harm the record subject's chances of finding employment or a house since employers and landlords often request criminal background checks.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Orange County, Vermont, arrest records remain publicly visible unless they are sealed or expunged. Persons seeking to expunge arrest records must follow the state-outlined procedure. Note that some arrest records can not be expunged or sealed.

Orange County Arrest Warrants

Orange County's arrest warrants are written orders issued by the court magistrate to arrest persons suspected of breaking the law. The magistrate may also issue arrest warrants if a defendant refuses to honor the court summons.

Arrest warrants in Orange County are considered valid if they include these details:

• The defendant's names.
• The alleged crime and description.
• A statement that the defendant must be arrested.
• The court magistrate's signature and official position.

Do Orange County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants do not expire in Orange County, Vermont. Instead, they remain active until the defendant gets arrested, appears in court, or the court nullifies them. Note that the statute of limitations has no impact on the validity of an arrest warrant.

Expunge Orange County Arrest Records

Expungement is a legal process in which the court commands concerned agencies to destroy an arrest or criminal record. In Orange County, the courts will automatically seal dismissed arrest records. To expunge sealed records, you must file a petition to expunge with a court of competent jurisdiction.

Only the following parties are eligible to expunge or seal records in Orange County:

1. Get a copy of your records from a county court or the Vermont Crime Information Center. To obtain a criminal record from the VCIC, you must make a request online or in person at this address:
   45 State Drive
   Waterbury, VT 05671-1300
   Phone: (802) 241-5320
   Email: DPS.RecordChecks@vermont.gov

   In contrast, you may obtain copies of court dockets from the court that passed the conviction.

2. Determine if you are eligible and find out which record can be expunged or sealed.
3. To expunge dismissed arrest charges, file a Petition to Expunge or Seal Criminal History with a court of competent jurisdiction. For criminal conviction records, you must fill out a Stipulation to Expunge or Seal Criminal History form and send a copy to the State Attorney's Office in Orange County at this location:
   30 Upper Village Road
   Chelsea, VT 05038
   Phone: (802) 685-3036
   Fax: (802) 685-3836

.The attorney's office will sign the form if it agrees that the conviction is eligible for sealing or expungement. Send the signed form to the court that passed the conviction.