Vermont Death Records: How to Perform a Vermont Death Records Search

Vermont is one of the most detailed and comprehensive states in the US regarding keeping records, especially vital ones. 

The state formally started registering deaths in 1857, and by 1919, statewide compliance was achieved. 

Before this time, deaths were recorded by the town clerk of each town in the state.

Vermont death records contain detailed information about the record-holders, such as their names and other personal information. 

These records also provide an overview of the facts surrounding the death.

Death records in Vermont are officially maintained and disseminated by a few state agencies, and some provide online access to these records to interested, eligible members of the public.

How to Access Vermont Public Records Online

Eligible and interested individuals can access death records in Vermont through the Vermont Records Request Service’s online database. 

The VRRS provides a searchable index of all deaths recorded in the state from 1909 up to the present. 

Requesters may find Vermont death records by performing a death record search using the Service’s provided tool. 

To initiate a search, requesters must provide the decedent’s last name, year of death, and gender. The VRRS database is updated weekly.

Requesters who wish to obtain a certified copy of a Vermont death record can also submit an online request on the VRRS official website. 

Note that this option attracts charges, and the Service only processes requests after these charges have been settled. 

Requesters may request certified copies of Vermont death records by filling out and submitting the webform created for that purpose.

Online access to Vermont death records is also provided through the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration. 

Its registry contains death records that were created between 1760 and 2008. To supply these records to requesters, it collaborates with two outside providers of vital records. 

For directions on how to seek Vermont death data from various sources, go to the Vital Records section of the Archives. Keep in mind that the copies offered are uncertified and cannot be used in court.

Third-party websites are also excellent sources of death records in Vermont. 

They offer an easier and faster alternative to official sources since requesters do not need to fill out forms or wait for their requests to be processed.

Who Can Access Vermont Death Records

The requester’s relationship with the decedent often determines whether they can request and obtain certified or uncertified death records in Vermont. 

People who qualify to receive certified death records in Vermont include the decedent’s immediate family members, their legal guardians, their legal representatives, and other court-appointed parties.

People who are not included in any of the above categories may only access uncertified Vermont death records online. 

However, executors or administrators of the decedent’s estate may obtain certified death records. 

Individuals who need a certified death record to pursue a legal claim to the decedent’s estate may also obtain a certified death record. 

How to Access Vermont Death Records

The Vital Records Office of the Vermont Department of Health officially maintains and disseminates certified death records in the state. 

Vermont death records are also maintained by Town Clerks in all Vermont towns.

Requesters may access Vermont death records in person by visiting the Office of the Town Clerk closest to them. 

They may also visit the state’s Department of Health’s Vital Records Office on weekdays during normal business hours. 

Requesters visiting the Vital Records Office must submit a completed application for a certified copy of their death or birth certificate, a valid ID, and fees for the service at:

The Vermont Department of Health Vital Records Office,
108 Cherry Street,
Burlington, VT

The current COVID-19 restrictions in Vermont have caused the Department of Health to stop allowing visitors. 

Those interested in obtaining a death certificate can send an online request or request a paper copy by mail.

A certified copy of a Vermont death certificate can be ordered online through the Vital Records Request Service. 

To request a certified copy of a birth certificate or death certificate by mail, please print and complete the Application for Certified Copy of Birth or Death Certificate. 

Send it, along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope, a photocopy of a government-issued photo ID, and cash for any extra copies you need, to:

Vermont Department of Health Vital Records,
P.O. Box 70,
Burlington, VT

How Much Does a Vermont Death Record Search Cost?

There are slight differences in charges between in-person and mail-in Vermont death record requests on the one hand, and online requests on the other. 

Requesters who make their requests in person or via mail to the Vermont Department of Health must pay $10 for every certified death certificate copy requested. 

Payment can be made in the form of checks and money orders.

Online Vermont death record requests attract a charge of $12 for each certified copy requested. 

Requesters who want the record delivered faster may pay an extra $14.50 for expedited shipping.