Vermont Department of Health - Vital Records Office
Vermont · Vital Records
healthvermont.gov/stats/vital-records/order-vital-recordsState Vital Records in Vermont
The Vermont Department of Health - Vital Records Office issues certified copies of death certificates for deaths that occurred in Vermont. Executors and surviving family order certified copies to close accounts, file insurance claims, and transfer titles; the office sets the fees, eligibility rules, and processing times.
Steps to take when someone dies
- •Online: Order online with credit card ($10 + $2 processing fee)
- •By mail: Mail completed form with copy of ID and check/money order plus self-addressed envelope
- •In person: Visit Town or City Clerk (fastest and cheapest for VT residents)
- •Completed, signed application
- •One current, unexpired government-issued ID (or two alternate documents from the application's list showing current address and signature)
- •Certified copy of the court order, if applying under a court order
State Vital Records in Vermont: key facts
What Vermont says8
- Administering office
Vermont Department of Health - Vital Records Office.1
- Mail orders
Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records, 280 State Drive, Waterbury, VT 05671-8370.1
- Certificate fee
$10 for the first certified copy.1
- Processing time
5-7 business days for online orders. Expedited: Shipped overnight on the day the order is fulfilled (expedited shipping only; processing time is unchanged).1
- Who may order
Spouse, child, grandchild, parent, sibling or grandparent; Legal guardian; Person petitioning to open the decedent's estate; Court-appointed executor or administrator; Legal representative of any of the above; Person named in a court order finding a certified copy is needed.1
Person with authority for final disposition, or a funeral home or crematorium for them; Social Security Administration or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; The deceased's insurance carrier, if it pays survivor or beneficiary benefits; Employee of a Vermont public agency authorized by the State Registrar.1
- Filing deadline
The death certificate must be filed within 1 day.2
- Public record
Any requester may obtain a copy of a death record with no waiting period; certified copies follow the eligibility rules.1
- Records available from
January 1, 1909.1
Governing law: 18 V.S.A. § 5201(a)
Sources2
- 1.Vermont Department of Health - Vital Records Office
- 2.Vermont death-certificate filing rule (18 V.S.A. § 5201(a); 18 V.S.A. § 5202; 18 V.S.A. § 5207; 18 V.S.A. § 5209; 18 V.S.A. § 5214; 18 V.S.A. § 5302 (natural burial ground / ecological land management definitions); 18 V.S.A. § 5319; 18 V.S.A. § 5323)
Vermont vital records offices
Vermont Department of Health - Vital Records Office
Phone
Mailing address
Website
Tools for Settling an Estate in Vermont
Free tools for settling an estate in Vermont: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
In Vermont, certified death certificates come from the Vermont Department of Health - Vital Records OfficeVermont Department of Health - Vital Records OfficeVerified Oct 15, 2026View source; the first copy costs $10Vermont Department of Health - Vital Records OfficeVerified Oct 15, 2026View source.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Vermont: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 60 days14 V.S.A. §§ 1051-1053Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 months14 V.S.A. §§ 1201-1207Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
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