Vital Records

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Our Middlesex facility is undergoing renovation. The Research Room has been relocated to a different section of the building. Although we are open, there are times when services may be limited. This notice will be updated as needed, but you may also call 802-828-3700 for additional information. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your patience.

The Vermont Vital Registry System was started in 1857. At this time, most vital events were required to be recorded at the town level by the Town Clerk. Annually, every town clerk would submit a list of vitals events that occurred in his/her town to the Vermont Secretary of State. Therefore, at the State level, only lists of events (rather than the actual recording) exist for the years 1857-1909. These are unindexed and organized by the name of the town and the year of the event.

Researchers looking for full vital records between the years 1857 and 1909 should contact the town where the event likely occurred. A list of town clerks is available at: http://vermont-elections.org/elections1/town_clerks_guide.html. Recordings for vital events before the year 1857 vary and the Vermont town clerks' office are the best source for pre-1857 vital records.

By statute, the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA) administers access and provides certified copies of vital records on behalf of the Vermont Department of Health. From 1909 through present day there is a dual recording process for Vermont vital records and full records exist at both the State and local levels.

COPIES OF VITAL RECORDS

New Records: Last Five (5) Years
Contact the Vital Records Division of the Department of Health (also includes any amendments and corrections that occurred in the last five (5) years).

Older Records: More than Five (5) Years
Contact VSARA’s Reference and Research section in Middlesex (see "Order Copies" box for forms) for vital records going back to 1909.

All Years
Contact the town clerk’s office of the town where the vital event took place. Holdings at the town level will date back to 1857, when the registry system for vital records started. Recordings of vital events that occurred prior to 1857 will vary by town.

FEES FOR CERTIFIED COPIES

Certified copies of vital records cost $10 per certification and may be requested online or by mail; the online request form is for certified copies only. All requests, whether received by the online form or by mail, are processed within five (5) to 10 business days. We do not recommend requesting certified copies from VSARA for pre-1909 vital records.

FEES FOR INFORMATIONAL COPIES

Informational copies of vital records cost $3 per name search and may be requested by mail ONLY. All requests are processed within five (5) to 10 business days. We do not recommend requesting informational copies from VSARA for pre-1909 vital records.

VISITING MIDDLESEX

Both certified copies and informational copies of vital records can be obtained by visiting the Reference and Research Room in Middlesex. For convenience purposes, we also have some microfilmed copies of town vital records that are available for researchers to use. For directions, see our Contact page.

Contact information for VITAL RECORDS:
EMAIL:
PHONE: (802) 828-3286
FAX: (802) 828-3710