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Free Vermont genealogy records

Where to find free birth, death, marriage, census, probate, land and newspaper records for Vermont, and which offices hold what. Last checked Oct 2026.

Birth, death and marriage records

When statewide registration began: Town clerks had to record births, marriages and deaths from 1779. State-level registration began in 1857.

Births and marriages: the state office has only the most recent 5 years. Deaths: from 1909.
Older records: the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, and the town clerk.

Current office addresses, fees and eligibility rules are on the CDC "Where to Write for Vital Records" page for Vermont. Records that are too recent are usually restricted to close family. Older ones are often free to view as indexes or images on the free databases below.

Before statewide registration, births, marriages and deaths were recorded by town clerks, often back to the town's founding.

Census records

Federal censuses from 1790 to 1950 are free to search on several sites. The 1950 census is free from the National Archives' 1950 Census site, and NARA's census research pages explain each year.
Almost all of the 1890 federal census was destroyed after a 1921 fire, so families can "disappear" between 1880 and 1900.
Ask the state archives whether any state or territorial census schedules survive for Vermont.
Census records only exist for years after statehood or territorial organization.

Probate and land records

Probate: Probate is handled by the Probate Division of the Superior Court, in historic probate districts. Town clerks hold deeds. Older probate files are often transferred to the state archives.
Land: Vermont is a state-land state, so there are no federal land-entry files for most of it. Original grants came from the colony, state or earlier governments; look for them at the state archives or land office. Later deeds are recorded by the town clerk.

Historic newspapers

Chronicling America: Vermont newspapers is the Library of Congress's free archive of digitized historic newspapers, filtered to this state.
University of Vermont is Vermont's partner in the National Digital Newspaper Program, which digitizes the state's papers for Chronicling America.
Obituaries are the best newspaper find for genealogy. If your family's paper isn't digitized, the local public library or historical society may have it on microfilm.

Archives, libraries and societies

Vermont State Archives and Records Administration: the state's official archives, with older government records such as court, land, military and often vital records.
Vermont Historical Society: historical society or research library with manuscripts, photographs and local histories.

Tips for the local level

In Vermont the town, not the county, is the key unit for vital and land records. Write to the town clerk where the event happened.
Call or email before visiting. Many courthouses have moved older books to the state archives or a county records center.
Look for the local genealogical society and the county page of the free, volunteer-run USGenWeb Project, which often have transcriptions and cemetery lists.

Big free (and freemium) databases

FamilySearch Research Wiki: Vermont: a free, volunteer-edited guide to Vermont record types, useful for double-checking anything on this page.
FamilySearch: a free nonprofit genealogy site with indexed records and digitized microfilm. You need a free account to search.
Find a Grave: free, volunteer-built cemetery listings, often with headstone photos.
BillionGraves: free headstone photos tagged with GPS locations.
National Archives genealogy pages: guides to federal census, military, immigration and land records.
Ancestry: a large subscription site. Some indexes are free with a free account, and many public libraries offer free in-library access.

Sources

Last checked Oct 2026. Offices, fees and web addresses change. If something here is wrong, the official office is always right.

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