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Vermont Return to Main Vital Records Page The State of Vermont is the only state with fully open access to all vital records. The state created a statewide system starting in 1857 and developed a state index in 1919 and 1920 that goes back to the earliest records -- the index title suggests that record is 1760, but late recordings of births can be seen back to 1730. These vital records card indexes have been microfilmed and are widely available. Realize that many treat these index cards as the "record" and the state will certify it so, but these are abstract copies of the original town records. For genealogical purposes, these index cards hold the key information needed. Many town records past 1900 will have more information in them. Since 1980, the state record is a certified copy of the entire record and the original stays with the town. All records back to the earliest settlement of a town can always be viewed at the town or city clerk's office. Town clerks have been required to keep vital records since 1779.
Birth, Marriage, Civil Unions, and Death Records The original state records are held by: Vermont State Archives and Records Administration The state will provide certified and informational copies. The latter is currently a free service (they are waiving the $3 statutory fee) for very limited requests. The state maintains the alphabetical card indexes in the following periods (note: always check alternate spellings and realize that the indexes were microfilmed after decades of use so records are sometimes out of order): 1760-1870 This period is unique for two reasons. Recording in the earliest period commonly saw the family recorded all at once after the last child was born. Because of this, the index may contain birth records of people born outside the state generally in southern New England. A second item to note is that the state realized that there was little recording of deaths in the town records. To augment the deaths, clerks were given incentives to transcribe cemetery stones (in 1919 and 1920) for their town of people who died before 1871. These cemetery records are included in this index. Those the coverage of records from every town is very high, it is by no means complete. 1871-1908 This index just has the births, marriages, and deaths required by law so it should be relatively complete. This was created from the records abstracted by the town clerks and sent to the state per the act of 1919. 1909-1941 Records began using a standardized form that reports one event per sheet. Previously the town would keep ledgers. The state index is still the abstracts created by town clerks and sent into the state. 1942-1954 The index continues with the abstract cards arranged in alphabetical order. 1955-1979 The index continues with the abstract cards arranged in alphabetical order. 1980-present (except last five years) These are copies of the actual full record and are filed alphabetically by year. This was a great impediment until the computerized index was created. This set also includes civil unions that started in 2000. Last five years This section is organized the same as the previous one. The term and separate use of "Civil Union" ended on 1 Sept. 2009. The local records systems includes births, marriages, deaths, divorces, civil unions, dissolutions, reciprocal beneficiaries, fetal deaths, and abortions since 2000. These original records are controlled and housed at: Vermont Department of Health Online Index with images, 1760-1954 The Family History Library's online database includes all records in one index: Vermont Vital Records Card Index, 1760-1954 Online Index with images, 1909-2008 The State of Vermont teamed up with Ancestry to produce three database indexes with links to the actual state copy of the record (see above for the descriptions). This is a subscription required database. Vermont Birth Records, 1909-2008
The earlier microfilmed records can be viewed in person at four other locations: New England Historic Genealogical Society
Family History Library and branches
Berkshire Athenaeum
Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society
Divorce Records Divorce records are held in the county family courts. There is a statewide index from 1861 to 1968 and an alphabetically arranged summaries from 1968 to 1979 at the state archives listed above. There is an online Divorce Index from 1981 to 1984 and 1989 to 2001 at Ancestry (subscription required).
Adoption Records Vermont seals the records of adoption that include the original birth certificate with the biological parents. These records stay sealed for 99 years after the birth of the adoptee and then are open to the public after that. Who can see this sealed information is limited by law., but the newer records may be available to limited parties if part of the state adoption registry. There is no way a person can know they are adopted without being told by someone. Adoptions in the 1800s were commonly informal. Once a child reached adulthood, the father would petition the legislature for a name change and create the status as a legal heir. A list of all these and other name changes are found in Scott Andrew Bartley, "Name Changes in Vermont, 1778-1900" in Vermont Genealogy, vol. 9, no. 1, with an all-name and place index. The move to formalize adoption started in 1853 with a law giving jurisdiction to the probate courts. Some cases are processed through the Family Court since its establishment in 1990. A brief history of adoption in Vermont can be found online for members of NEHGS. Adoptions in Windsor County before 1900 will be indexed in Scott Andrew Bartley and Marjorie-J. Bartley, Windsor County Vermont Probate Index 1778-1899 (St. Albans, Vt., 2000).
Researched and created by Scott Andrew Bartley Please report any broken links, additions, or corrections to the webmaster. Page updated 3 January 2012
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