Orange County Court Records Search
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Orange County, Vermont is home to a unified Superior Court system that consolidates civil, criminal, family, and probate matters under a single courthouse in Chelsea. Official records generated by these proceedings — including case filings, docket entries, hearings, rulings, and final dispositions — are maintained by the Clerk of Court and the respective division registers. Whether the need involves looking up a civil judgment, confirming a criminal case outcome, researching an estate file, or obtaining a divorce decree, the process for accessing records depends on which court division handled the matter and whether the request is made in person, by mail, or electronically.
Court records in Vermont can be located through official clerk offices, public access terminals at the courthouse, and online tools maintained by the Vermont Judiciary. VermontCourts.us provides a helpful starting point for identifying case search resources, court divisions, and publicly available information across the state’s court system.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Orange County?
The Vermont Judiciary maintains an online case search tool called the Vermont Judiciary Public Portal, which provides the general public with no-account access to certain court records, case summaries, hearing calendars, and docket information. Civil Division and Judicial Bureau case summaries are searchable by party name or record number without creating an account. However, full records for criminal, family, and probate case types are only viewable through courthouse public access terminals (PATs), not through the online portal.
Three Ways to Search or Request Orange County Court Records:
- Online via the Public Portal — Access Civil Division case summaries and Judicial Bureau matters at portal.vtcourts.gov. No registration is required for public case lookups.
- In person at the courthouse — Use the public access terminal inside the Orange County Superior Court to search criminal, family, and probate records by name or case number. There is no charge to use the terminal; printing fees apply.
- By mail or email — Complete and submit the Request for Access to Court Records form to the division where the case was filed.
Orange County Superior Court — All Divisions
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 5 Court Street, Chelsea, VT 05038 |
| Phone | (802) 685-4610 |
| Fax | (802) 685-3246 |
| OrangeUnit@vtcourts.gov | |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Closure | Second Friday of each month, 8:00 a.m. to noon (in-service training) |
The courthouse is also closed on all Vermont Judiciary-observed holidays. Court staff include Presiding Judge Timothy Tomasi, Clerk of Court Anne Damone, Court Operations Manager Samantha Spinella, and Magistrates Brian Valentine and Alicia Humbert.
When submitting a records request by email, the Vermont Judiciary recommends following up with a phone call within a few days to confirm receipt, as some courts handle high volumes of correspondence and response times may vary.
Copy Fees
| Record Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Paper copies | $0.25 per page (minimum $1.00) |
| Certified copies | $5.00 per document |
| Retrieval of older off-site records | $7.50 postage fee, payable in advance |
Payments are accepted by check or money order made payable to Vermont Superior Court. Credit card payment over the phone can be arranged by noting the preference in the body of an email when submitting the request form.
Are Court Records Public in Orange County?
Vermont law generally makes government-held records available for public inspection. The Vermont Public Records Act, codified at 1 V.S.A. § 317, establishes the right of any person to inspect and copy public records maintained by state agencies, including courts. In the court context, this framework is supplemented by the Vermont Rules for Public Access to Court Records, which govern specifically how court-held records may be accessed, copied, and withheld.
Under Rule 6 of those rules, specific categories of records are exempt from public disclosure. Requesters should be aware that the following are commonly restricted:
- Records designated confidential, sealed, or expunged by statute or court order
- Juvenile case records
- Search warrant materials filed before the return is made
- Health-related records and mental health information attached to case files
- Financial documents such as tax returns submitted as part of a proceeding
- Adoption records, which are sealed as a matter of law
- Certain domestic violence and protective order case details
When a record contains both exempt and non-exempt material, the custodian is required to redact the confidential portions and release the remainder. If a public records request is denied, the requester may appeal by filing a Notice of Appeal of Decision on Access to Court Records with the court — the corresponding form is available through the Vermont Judiciary’s forms section.
Orange County Criminal Court Records
The Orange Criminal Division of the Vermont Superior Court handles felony and misdemeanor criminal proceedings for Orange County. The presiding judge is the Honorable Timothy Tomasi. The division shares address and contact information with all other Superior Court divisions at 5 Court Street, Chelsea, and is reachable at (802) 685-4610 or by email at OrangeUnit@vtcourts.gov.
Searching Criminal Case Records
The Vermont Judiciary Public Portal provides limited online access to civil matters; criminal case records require an in-person visit to the courthouse public access terminal for full record review. Alternatively, a written request using the Request for Access to Court Records form may be submitted by mail, hand delivery, or email to the criminal division.
Criminal Record Checks
A criminal record check is distinct from a request to access a single case file. A record check returns all criminal case information associated with a named individual statewide. There are two paths to obtain one:
-
Vermont Judiciary statewide search — Complete and submit the Request for Criminal Record Search form (Form 200-00331), available through the Criminal Record Checks page of the Vermont Judiciary website. Provide the subject’s full name and date of birth. Results are returned by email within approximately three business days of receipt. For records predating 1990, requests must be mailed or delivered directly to the county courthouse.
Submit completed forms to:
Vermont Judiciary Information Center
Costello Courthouse
32 Cherry Street, Ground Floor
Burlington, VT 05401 - Vermont Crime Information Center (VCIC) — The state’s VCIC online service offers criminal conviction history reports for a fee of $30.00 per request, payable online. Results are returned immediately to the requestor’s screen. This service does not include out-of-state records or confidential case dispositions.
Criminal records reflect court-adjudicated outcomes only and will not include confidential juvenile proceedings or cases sealed by order of the court.
Orange County Civil Court Records
The Orange Civil Division of the Vermont Superior Court handles breach of contract actions, tort claims, landlord-tenant disputes, small claims matters, and civil appeals. The division is located at the same courthouse address — 5 Court Street, Chelsea, VT 05038 — and operates under Clerk of Court Anne Damone.
Accessing Civil Records
Civil Division case summaries are among the record types accessible through the Vermont Judiciary Public Portal without creating an account. Searches can be conducted by entering a party’s name or case/record number. For complete case file copies, requesters must submit the Request for Access to Court Records form in one of the following ways:
- In person at the courthouse clerk’s window during business hours
- By mail to 5 Court Street, Chelsea, VT 05038
- By email to OrangeUnit@vtcourts.gov (follow up by phone to confirm receipt)
Property and Land Records
Real property records in Vermont are maintained at the town level, not at the county court. Each municipality in Orange County has its own Town Clerk who records deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and other land instruments. The Town of Orange’s land records are indexed and scanned from February 2, 1980, and available through a county-authorized third-party land records database. Viewing indexes is free; downloading or printing documents requires a subscription. For records from other towns in Orange County, visit the respective Town Clerk directly. A statewide listing of Vermont Town Clerks is available through the Vermont Secretary of State’s Town Clerk directory.
Orange County Family Court Records
The Orange Family Division handles all domestic relations matters for Orange County residents. Decisions on divorce, legal separation, civil union dissolution, parentage, child custody, child support, and orders of protection are all within this division’s jurisdiction. Magistrates Brian Valentine and Alicia Humbert handle magistrate-level matters, while Judge Timothy Tomasi presides over contested family proceedings.
The Family Division does not conduct jury trials; all determinations are made by the presiding judge or magistrate.
Types of Family Cases Handled
- Divorce and legal separation
- Civil union dissolution
- Parentage and legitimation
- Child custody and visitation
- Child support establishment and modification
- Guardianship of minors
- Domestic violence and protective orders
Requesting Family Court Records
Family court records may be requested at the courthouse or by submitting a completed Request for Access to Court Records form by mail or email. Note that some family case details — including certain protective order proceedings and records involving minors — may be restricted from public access under the Vermont Rules for Public Access to Court Records.
Family Court forms, including divorce forms for cases with and without children, are available through VTLawHelp.org.
Marriage and Divorce Vital Records
Certified copies of marriage and divorce certificates are issued by the Vermont Department of Health’s Vital Records Office, not by the court clerk. The following procedures apply:
-
Marriage records — Certified copies are available from the Town Clerk where the license was issued (for recent records), from the Vermont Department of Health (for records from 1909 to the present), or from the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA) for records from 1902 through 2021. To request by mail, complete the marriage/divorce certificate application form and send it with a copy of a valid photo ID, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a $10.00 check or money order to:
Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records Office
280 State Drive
Waterbury, VT 05671-8370 - Divorce records — Use the same application form and submission process as for marriage records. Records for divorces from 1902 through 2021 are also accessible using a VSARA form. If you only need documentation that a divorce occurred without the full decree details, a Certificate of Divorce can be ordered through the Vermont Vital Records online ordering service.
- Birth records — Certified copies cost $10.00 per copy ($12.00 if ordered through Vermont.gov’s online service, which includes a $2.00 processing fee). Submit a completed birth/death certificate application form, a copy of accepted identification, and payment to the Vermont Department of Health. Town Clerks and VSARA also hold historical birth records.
- Death records — Death certificates are available from Town Clerks (for deaths registered from January 1, 1909, to the present) and from the Vermont Department of Health. The fee is $10.00 per certified copy. Access is restricted to eligible parties including the subject’s immediate family, legal representatives, or others who can demonstrate a legitimate need.
Orange County Probate Court Records
The Orange Probate Division of the Vermont Superior Court handles matters involving the estates of deceased individuals, whether they died testate (with a will) or intestate (without one). Probate Register Jill Boone administers this division. In addition to estate proceedings, the probate division has jurisdiction over guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, civil commitments, and name changes.
What Probate Records Cover
- Formal probate of wills
- Intestate estate administration
- Small estate proceedings
- Guardianships and conservatorships for minors and incapacitated adults
- Adoptions (records are sealed by law)
- Name change petitions
- Civil commitment proceedings
How to Request Probate Records
Submit a completed Request for Access to Court Records form to the Probate Division at the address below. When making a request, include the decedent’s full legal name and the approximate date of death. If the estate case number is available, include it to expedite the search.
Orange Probate Division
Address: 5 Court Street, Chelsea, VT 05038
Phone: (802) 685-4610
Email: OrangeUnit@vtcourts.gov
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Note that the office closes the second Friday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to noon for in-service training.
Adoption records are sealed and are not available through a standard public records request. Historical probate files predating modern record retention may be held at the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, which maintains older probate court records and makes some available through subscription genealogical databases. Requesters denied access to probate records may appeal by filing the Notice of Appeal of Decision on Access to Court Records with the court. Information about the probate process and related self-help resources is available through VTLawHelp.org.