Franklin County Court Records Search
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Franklin County, Vermont is served by the Vermont Superior Court, which operates four distinct divisions in St. Albans, the county seat: Civil, Criminal, Family, and Probate. These divisions collectively handle the full range of legal matters arising in the county, from felony prosecutions and civil money disputes to divorce proceedings and estate administration. Records generated by each division are maintained by that division’s clerk and are subject to Vermont’s public access rules and record request procedures.
Vermont court records can be searched and requested through several channels. Clerk offices at each division accept in-person visits and written requests. Most courthouses also have public access terminals (PATs) that allow free, in-person searches of case records by case number or party name. Online case information is available through the Vermont Judiciary Public Portal, which provides role-based access to court records for registered users. VermontCourts.us may also help locate publicly available court case information for Franklin County and other Vermont counties.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Franklin County?
The starting point for any Franklin County court records request is the specific division that handled the case. Each division has its own clerk and physical location in St. Albans. All four Franklin County divisions share a common email address — franklingrandisleunit@vtcourts.gov — and can also be reached by phone. Below is the contact information for each division:
| Division | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Division | 17 Church Street, St. Albans, VT 05478 | (802) 524-7993 |
| Criminal Division | 36 Lake Street, St. Albans, VT 05478 | (802) 524-7997 |
| Family Division | 36 Lake Street, St. Albans, VT 05478 | (802) 524-7997 |
| Probate Division | 17 Church Street, St. Albans, VT 05478 | (802) 524-4112 |
Hours for all Franklin County divisions:
Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays. All divisions are closed the last Monday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to noon for in-service training.
How to Request Records
The Vermont Judiciary’s official process for requesting court records requires completing the Request for Access to Court Records form and submitting it to the division where the case was filed. Completed forms can be:
- Delivered in person at the courthouse during business hours
- Mailed to the relevant division’s address
- Emailed to franklingrandisleunit@vtcourts.gov (follow up by phone to confirm receipt)
Copy fees:
| Copy Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Paper copies | $0.25 per page, $1.00 minimum |
| Certified copies | $5.00 per document |
| Records retrieval from off-site storage | $7.50 postage fee (paid in advance) |
Payment is accepted by check or money order made payable to Vermont Superior Court, either by mail or in person. Credit card payments can be arranged by phone after emailing the request form and indicating a preference to pay by card.
Online Access
The Vermont Judiciary Public Portal provides web-based access to court records, with general public access to Civil Division case summaries and Judicial Bureau information available without registration. Case parties and attorneys can request elevated access to their own case records through the Odyssey case management system.
Are Court Records Public in Franklin County?
Vermont’s Open Records Law, 1 V.S.A. Chapter 5, establishes the default presumption that government records — including court records — are open to public inspection. The specific exemptions are codified at 1 V.S.A. § 317, which lists categories of records the public cannot access without special authorization.
Exempt and restricted record categories include:
- Records designated as confidential by law
- Records that would violate legal privileges such as attorney-client privilege
- Records related to the investigation of a crime where disclosure could prevent a fair trial
- Records that could reasonably endanger the life or safety of any individual
- Juvenile court records, which are sealed to protect minors
- Adoption records, which are confidential under Vermont law
- Expunged criminal records, which have been removed from public view by court order
The Vermont Judiciary’s Rules for Public Access to Court Records govern precisely which portions of case files are available to the public and which are sealed or redacted. If a records request is denied, requesters may appeal by completing and filing the Notice of Appeal of Decision on Access to Court Records form with the relevant court division.
Franklin County Criminal Court Records
The Vermont Superior Court – Franklin Criminal Division at 36 Lake Street handles felony and misdemeanor criminal prosecutions in the county, as well as juvenile delinquency matters under certain circumstances. This division maintains the official record of all criminal proceedings, including charging documents, motions, court orders, plea agreements, trial transcripts, and sentencing records.
Requesting Criminal Court Records
To obtain records from the Criminal Division, complete the Request for Access to Court Records form and submit it to:
Vermont Superior Court – Franklin Criminal Division
Address: 36 Lake Street, St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 524-7997
Email: franklingrandisleunit@vtcourts.gov
Arrest Records and Law Enforcement Records
Arrest records and incident reports are maintained separately by law enforcement agencies rather than the court. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office handles civil process service, law enforcement in unincorporated areas, and maintains certain records.
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
Address: 387 Lake Street, Saint Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 524-2121
For Vermont statewide criminal history record checks, the Vermont Crime Information Center (VCIC) is the authoritative source. The VCIC maintains the state’s centralized database of criminal conviction records. Two methods are available:
- Online conviction report (VCCRIS): Available through the Vermont Conviction Report website. Requires a name and date of birth; costs $30.00 per report and returns results immediately.
- Notarized copy by mail or in-person: Required for purposes such as international adoption, licensing, immigration, child custody, or civil court proceedings. Mail requests take 5–7 business days; walk-in visits at the VCIC office in Waterbury take approximately 10 minutes. Walk-ins require two forms of valid photo identification.
Additional information on obtaining criminal record checks through the Vermont Judiciary is available on the Criminal Records Checks page.
Franklin County Civil Court Records
The Vermont Superior Court – Franklin Civil Division at 17 Church Street is the court for civil money disputes, small claims, contract actions, landlord-tenant cases, and appeals from lower tribunals. Presiding Judge Honorable Mary Morrissey and Superior Judge Honorable Navah Spero currently sit in the Franklin Civil Division, with Clerk of Court Mary Mossey managing the administrative operations.
Case Search and Record Access
The Vermont Judiciary Public Portal provides the public with access to Civil Division case summaries online. For detailed filings, orders, and certified copies, a formal records request is required using the standard court records request form.
For in-person searches, the Civil Division courthouse at 17 Church Street has a public access terminal (PAT) available during regular court hours at no charge. Printing from the PAT is subject to standard per-page copy fees.
Filing a Civil Case
New civil matters are filed directly with the Civil Division clerk. The Vermont Judiciary website provides court forms for civil filings, including small claims complaints. Vermont’s small claims limit allows individuals to resolve disputes without an attorney in a simplified process handled by the Civil Division.
Civil Division Contact
Vermont Superior Court – Franklin Civil Division
Address: 17 Church Street, St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 524-7993
Email: franklingrandisleunit@vtcourts.gov
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Property Records
Property-related records in Vermont are not maintained at the county level. Deeds, mortgages, plats, and other land instruments are recorded with the town clerk in the specific Vermont town where the property is located. The Vermont Land Records website provides online access to recorded land documents from many Vermont towns, and the Vermont Secretary of State’s Town Clerk directory can identify the correct local office for a given property.
Franklin County Family Court Records
The Vermont Superior Court – Franklin Family Division, also located at 36 Lake Street in St. Albans, handles all domestic relations matters in the county. This includes dissolution of marriage (divorce), legal separation, child custody and parent-child contact, child support, parentage proceedings, domestic violence relief from abuse orders, adoptions, guardianships of minors, and termination of parental rights proceedings. Court Operations Manager Samantha Trayah and Clerk of Court Mary Mossey staff the division, with Magistrates Barry Peterson and Brian Valentine handling support and parentage matters.
Divorce Records
Divorce proceedings originate in the Family Division, and their case records — including the divorce decree and related orders — are maintained by that division’s clerk. To request copies, submit the standard records request form to the Family Division at 36 Lake Street. For a Certificate of Divorce (a simplified document confirming the divorce without full case details), requesters may use the online Vermont Vital Records Request Service through the Vermont Department of Health.
Marriage Records
Marriage records in Vermont are maintained at both the local and state level. Locally, the town clerk of the municipality where the marriage was solemnized holds the original record. For certified copies of marriage records from 2022 to the present, submit the Application for a Certified Vermont Marriage or Divorce Certificate to the Vermont Department of Health Vital Records Office. For records from 2021 and earlier, use the Request for a Certified Copy of a Marriage/Civil Union or Divorce form and submit it to the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA).
Certified marriage certificate fee: $10.00 each, payable by check or money order in U.S. currency to the Vermont Secretary of State. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return by mail. Free informational (non-certified) copies of marriage records can be requested by written request emailed to vitalrecords@vermont.gov or mailed to:
Vermont Department of Health – Vital Records
Address: 280 State Drive, Waterbury, VT 05671-8370
Birth and Death Records
Birth and death certificates are issued by the Vermont Department of Health and by the town clerk where the event occurred. Certified copies require completion of the Application for a Certified Copy of Vermont Birth or Death Certificate. The fee is $10.00 per certificate, payable to the Vermont Department of Health. Certified copies are restricted to the subject of the record, their immediate family, and authorized legal representatives. Non-certified informational copies are available free of charge upon written request to the Vital Records Office at the address above or by email to vitalrecords@vermont.gov.
Access to these records is relevant in family court proceedings — birth certificates are frequently required in parentage, adoption, and custody matters, while death certificates may be needed in guardianship or estate-related family proceedings.
Franklin County Probate Court Records
The Vermont Superior Court – Franklin Probate Division at 17 Church Street handles all matters relating to decedents’ estates, the admission of wills to probate, trusts, guardianships of incapacitated adults, conservatorships, and certain emancipation proceedings. The Probate Division is a distinct division of the Superior Court and maintains its own clerk and docket.
What Probate Records Contain
Probate case files typically include petitions to open an estate, inventories of estate assets, notices to creditors, claims filed against an estate, accountings, orders of distribution, and decrees closing the estate. Guardianship and conservatorship files contain petitions, physician certifications, court-appointed visitor reports, guardian or conservator plans, and annual reports filed with the court.
How to Request Probate Records
- Complete the Request for Access to Court Records form.
- Specify the case type (probate, guardianship, etc.), the name of the decedent or protected person, and the approximate year the case was filed.
- Submit the completed form to the Franklin Probate Division by mail, in person, or by email.
- Pay applicable copy fees upon receipt of copies.
Vermont Superior Court – Franklin Probate Division
Address: 17 Church Street, St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 524-4112
Email: franklingrandisleunit@vtcourts.gov
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (closed last Monday of each month 9:00 a.m. – noon)
Copy fees mirror those of the other divisions: $0.25 per page with a $1.00 minimum, $5.00 for certified copies, and a $7.50 advance postage fee if the case record has been transferred to off-site storage. Payments are made by check or money order payable to Vermont Superior Court. The Vermont Judiciary Public Portal may also be used to search for probate case information online, subject to the access level granted to the requesting party.