Addison County Court Records Search
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Addison County, Vermont occupies the western portion of the state along the shores of Lake Champlain, with Middlebury serving as the county seat. Court records in the county are generated by a unified Superior Court system, which handles every category of legal proceeding — criminal, civil, family, and probate — under one institutional roof. These records document case histories, judicial decisions, filed motions, and dispositions, and they serve as the official account of how individual disputes and prosecutions moved through the court system. The Clerk of Court for the Addison County Superior Court is the primary custodian of these records.
Finding court case information in Vermont typically begins with VermontCourts.us, which connects researchers to the Vermont Judiciary’s official case search tools, division locations, clerk contacts, and public access resources. Case records can also be searched through the judiciary’s online Public Portal, through in-person public access terminals at the courthouse, or by submitting a formal records request to the Clerk of Court directly. Using official court channels ensures the information you receive is accurate and current.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Addison County?
All four divisions of the Addison County Superior Court share a single physical location at the Judge Frank Mahady Courthouse in downtown Middlebury. This is the starting point for any in-person records 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 operates a web-based Public Portal through which members of the general public can access limited case and hearing information without registering. Those who are parties to a case can request elevated, role-based access by registering on the portal and verifying their identity. The portal also allows online payment of court fines from any location. For individuals conducting a basic public search, no registration is required. Note that the portal is only accessible to users physically located in the United States or Canada due to cybersecurity requirements.
For those who prefer to request records directly, the Vermont Judiciary’s Records Request page explains the process in detail, including instructions for submitting the Access to Court Records form by email, mail, or hand delivery.
Are Court Records Public in Addison County?
Vermont law establishes a general presumption in favor of public access to government records. Under the Vermont Public Records Act, public agencies — including courts — must make their records available for inspection and copying unless a specific state or federal law provides otherwise. In practice, this means most civil court records are accessible to any member of the public who requests them.
However, several categories of court 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 information may be withheld. The following record types are restricted:
- 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 is also worth noting that Vermont’s court access rules specifically prohibit public internet access to criminal, family, and probate case records. While these records remain accessible in person through the courthouse public access terminal (PAT) and by formal request, they are not browsable online by the general public the same way civil dockets may be. If a records request is denied, individuals may 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. This includes 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 it is important to understand the difference between them:
- Access to a specific court case record: This is a request to review or obtain copies of documents within a single case file. To initiate this, requesters 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 inquiry into all criminal cases associated with a particular individual. The Vermont Judiciary cannot provide a statewide search; requesters must submit a Criminal Record Check Request and Reply form to each county where charges may have been filed. The required information is the subject’s name and date of birth — a case number is not necessary.
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 |
Payment is accepted by check or money order made payable to Vermont Superior Court. To pay by credit card over the phone, include that request in the body of your email when submitting the form.
Court staff can process criminal record check requests in up to three business days from the date of receipt. Results can be returned by fax if a fax number is included on the form. The courthouse public access terminal allows individuals to conduct their own searches by case number or party name at no charge, with printing costs applying for any documents produced.
For information about arrests and detention, the Addison County Sheriff’s Department serves as 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, including contract claims, personal injury actions, property disputes, small claims matters, and other non-criminal litigation. Like the criminal division, the civil division is located at 7 Mahady Court and shares the same contact information and hours of operation.
To request records from a civil case, the process follows the same path as other court record requests in Vermont:
- 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 emailing, follow up with a phone call after a few days to confirm receipt, as high email volume can delay processing.
- Pay applicable fees by check or money order, or request to pay by credit card over the phone.
Fee structure for civil record copies mirrors 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 such as deeds, mortgages, and 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. In-person searches at the clerk’s office are available for older records.
Addison County Family Court Records
The Addison Family Division handles a broad range of domestic legal matters, including divorce, legal separation, dissolution of civil unions, child custody, child support, parentage determinations, and domestic violence proceedings. Like all other divisions, it is housed at the Mahady Court courthouse and shares the same clerk contact.
Vermont law treats certain family court records with heightened confidentiality. Adoption records, for instance, 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 public access to family case information, meaning 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.
To obtain certified or noncertified copies of marriage or divorce records, requesters have several options:
- Fastest option: Contact the relevant Town or City Clerk in Vermont directly, as 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, and 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. Applicants must 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 matters typically associated with probate practice in Vermont. This includes the probate of wills, administration of 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 accessible to the general public. Adoption records and certain guardianship records are confidential under Vermont law and are not available for public inspection. For publicly accessible probate matters — such as estate proceedings and will probates — 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. The VSARA’s Reference Archivists can be reached by email at sos.archives@vermont.gov or by phone at (802) 828-2308. This resource is particularly useful for genealogical research and 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 this process. Additional authentication fees apply through that office.