Addison County, Vermont Court Records
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Addison County occupies the western edge of Vermont along the Lake Champlain shoreline, with Middlebury as the county seat. The county operates under Vermont's unified Superior Court system, which funnels every type of legal proceeding — criminal, civil, family, and probate — through a single institutional structure. These records document case histories, filed motions, judicial decisions, and final dispositions, and they form the official account of how disputes and prosecutions moved through the courts. The Clerk of Court for the Addison County Superior Court is the primary custodian of all these records.
If you're trying to find court case information in Vermont, a good starting point is VermontCourts.us, which connects researchers to the Vermont Judiciary's official case search tools, division locations, clerk contacts, and public access resources. You can also search case records through the judiciary's online Public Portal, use an in-person public access terminal at the courthouse, or submit a formal records request directly to the Clerk of Court. Going through official court channels ensures you're getting accurate, up-to-date information.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Addison County?
All four divisions of the Addison County Superior Court share one physical location — the Judge Frank Mahady Courthouse in downtown Middlebury. Whether you're researching a civil case, a criminal matter, a family proceeding, or a probate file, this is where you'll start any in-person search in the county.
Addison County Superior Court — All Divisions
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 7 Mahady Court, Middlebury, VT 05753 |
| Phone | (802) 388-7741 |
| AddisonUnit@vtcourts.gov | |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Closure | First Friday of each month, 8:00 a.m. to noon (in-service training) |
Key court personnel include:
- Presiding Judge: Honorable Alison Arms
- Superior Judge: Honorable Pamela Marsh
- Court Operations Manager: Bailey Mills
- Clerk of Court: Amanda Stites
- Probate Register: Pamela Bassett
The Vermont Judiciary runs a web-based Public Portal where members of the public can view limited case and hearing information without creating an account. If you're a party to a case, you can request elevated, role-based access by registering on the portal and verifying your identity. The portal also lets you pay court fines online from any location. Basic public searches don't require registration. Keep in mind that the portal is only accessible to users physically located in the United States or Canada due to cybersecurity requirements.
If you'd rather request records directly, the Vermont Judiciary's Records Request page walks you through the full process, including how to submit the Access to Court Records form by email, mail, or hand delivery.
Are Court Records Public in Addison County?
Vermont law starts from a presumption that government records — including court records — are open to the public. Under the Vermont Public Records Act, public agencies must make records available for inspection and copying unless a specific state or federal law says otherwise. In practice, most civil court records are accessible to anyone who requests them.
That said, several categories of records are expressly withheld from public disclosure. Vermont Statutes 1 V.S.A. 317 and the Vermont Rules for Public Access to Court Records together define what can be withheld. Restricted record types include:
- Juvenile records
- Expunged or sealed criminal records
- Adoption records
- Guardianship and conservatorship records (certain portions)
- Records related to mental health proceedings
- Ongoing criminal investigation records
- Records containing proprietary business information
- Records designated confidential by statute or court order
It's also worth knowing that Vermont's court access rules specifically prohibit public internet access to criminal, family, and probate case records. While those records remain accessible in person through the courthouse public access terminal (PAT) and through formal written requests, you can't browse them online the same way civil dockets may be searchable. If a records request is denied, you can appeal using the Notice of Appeal of Decision on Access to Court Records form, available from the clerk.
Addison County Criminal Court Records
The Addison Criminal Division of the Superior Court, located at 7 Mahady Court in Middlebury, handles all criminal prosecutions originating in Addison County — felonies, misdemeanors, and violations of state law that come before a Superior Court judge.
There are two distinct processes for accessing criminal case information, and understanding the difference between them matters:
- Access to a specific court case record: This is a request to review or obtain copies of documents within a single case file. Complete the Access to Court Records form and submit it to the Addison Criminal Division clerk by mail, email, or in person.
- Criminal record check: This is a broader search of all criminal cases connected to a particular individual. The Vermont Judiciary cannot run a statewide search for you — instead, you must submit a Criminal Record Check Request and Reply form to each county where charges may have been filed. You'll need the subject's name and date of birth; a case number is not required.
Fees for criminal records requests:
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Paper copies | $0.25 per page (minimum $1.00) |
| Certified copies | $5.00 |
| Older case records (offsite storage) | $7.50 postage fee |
| Criminal record check (per name) | $30.00 |
Pay by check or money order made payable to Vermont Superior Court. To pay by credit card over the phone, include that request in your email when submitting the form.
Court staff can process criminal record check requests within up to three business days from the date of receipt. Results can be returned by fax if you include a fax number on the form. If you'd rather search yourself, the courthouse public access terminal lets you run searches by case number or party name at no charge, with printing costs applying for any documents you produce.
For arrest and detention information, the Addison County Sheriff's Department is the county's primary law enforcement agency and maintains records of arrests and incidents within the county.
Addison County Civil Court Records
The Addison Civil Division handles disputes between private parties — contract claims, personal injury actions, property disputes, small claims matters, and other non-criminal litigation. Like the other divisions, it's located at 7 Mahady Court and shares the same contact information and hours.
To request records from a civil case, follow the same process used throughout the Vermont court system:
- Complete the Access to Court Records form, available on the Vermont Judiciary's records request page.
- Submit the completed form by hand delivery, mail, or email to AddisonUnit@vtcourts.gov.
- If you email your request, follow up with a phone call after a few days to confirm receipt — high email volume can delay processing.
- Pay applicable fees by check or money order, or ask to pay by credit card over the phone.
Copy fees for civil records follow the standard schedule: $0.25 per page (minimum $1.00), $5.00 for certified copies, and $7.50 for records that must be retrieved from offsite storage.
Property records in Addison County are maintained separately from court records. Under Vermont law, real estate documents — deeds, mortgages, liens — are recorded at the Town or City Clerk's office for the municipality where the property is located. For example, property records within the Town of Addison are searchable through that town clerk's office, which also provides a land records portal covering documents from December 1975 to the present. Older records require an in-person visit to the clerk's office.
Addison County Family Court Records
The Addison Family Division handles a broad range of domestic legal matters: divorce, legal separation, dissolution of civil unions, child custody, child support, parentage determinations, and domestic violence proceedings. Like all other divisions, it operates out of the Mahady Court courthouse and shares the same clerk contact.
Vermont law treats certain family court records with heightened confidentiality. Adoption records are not open to the general public, and records related to guardianship proceedings may also be restricted. Vermont's Rules for Public Access to Court Records further restrict internet-based access to family case information, so researchers must request records in person or through the formal written request process.
Marriage and Divorce Records
Marriage and divorce certificates are vital records maintained separately from court case files. The Vermont Department of Health holds records from 2024 to the present, while the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA) holds older records.
If you need a certified or noncertified copy of a marriage or divorce record, you have several options:
- Fastest option: Contact the relevant Town or City Clerk in Vermont directly — they can issue both certified and noncertified copies for events on file in their office.
- Online: Order through the Vermont Department of Health's Vital Records Request Service portal using a credit card. A $2 online processing fee applies in addition to the base certificate fee of $10.
- By mail: Complete the applicable request form for marriages and divorces from 2024 to present, or use Form VSARA-09 for records from 2023 and earlier. Mail with the $10 fee to the Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records Office, 280 State Drive, Waterbury, VT 05671-8370.
- By email (noncertified only): Send a written request to vitalrecords@vermont.gov specifying the type of event, the name(s) on the certificate, and the date of the event.
Birth and Death Records
Certified copies of birth and death records are restricted to eligible requesters — including the registrant (if 18 or older, for birth records), parents named on the certificate, legal guardians with court-ordered papers, immediate family members, estate representatives, and legal counsel. You'll need to provide a valid ID when requesting certified copies. Noncertified copies are available to any member of the public at no charge. The base fee for a certified copy is $10 ($12 online with the processing fee). Applications are available directly from the Vermont Department of Health's vital records ordering page.
Addison County Probate Court Records
The Addison Probate Division handles the full range of probate matters in Vermont: probating wills, administering decedents' estates, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, civil commitments, name changes, and corrections to vital records. The Probate Register for Addison County is Pamela Bassett, reachable through the shared courthouse contact at (802) 388-7741 or AddisonUnit@vtcourts.gov.
Probate records are maintained by the Clerk of Court and, where not restricted by law, are generally open to the public. Adoption records and certain guardianship records are confidential under Vermont law and are not available for public inspection. For publicly accessible probate matters — estate proceedings, will probates, and similar filings — the same Access to Court Records form used throughout the Vermont court system applies.
Steps to request Addison County probate records:
- Identify the case by the decedent's name, case number, or approximate filing date.
- Complete the Access to Court Records form from the Vermont Judiciary website.
- Submit by email to AddisonUnit@vtcourts.gov, by mail to 7 Mahady Court, Middlebury, VT 05753, or in person during courthouse hours.
- Pay the applicable copy fee: $0.25 per page for paper copies, $5.00 for certified copies, or $7.50 for records retrieved from offsite storage.
For historical probate records, the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration holds microfilm copies of record books from every Vermont probate district. VSARA's Reference Archivists can be reached by email at sos.archives@vermont.gov or by phone at (802) 828-2308. This is especially useful for genealogical research or estate matters that predate the current digital record-keeping system.
When an authenticated copy of a probate record is needed for foreign use — such as an apostille for international legal proceedings — the Vermont Secretary of State's office coordinates that process. Additional authentication fees apply through that office.