How to Find Vermont Birth Records
How to Find United States Births 
Vermont Vermont Births
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This page is Under Construction. |
In Vermont, towns were created starting about 1760. Births were and still are recorded by town clerks, beginning when the town was formed. Statewide registration of births began in 1857 and was generally complied with by 1919. The towns have copies of these state birth registration records.
Next Step: When did the birth occur? |
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Birth records were kept by each town clerk. Early town clerks put birth records in town records and in land records. After about 1850, birth information was only put in town records. Town clerks were usually good at recording birth information. The towns continue to keep birth records today. These are described further in Vermont Town Records.
Following the Revolutionary War until about 1870, records were not always recorded. In 1870, the State Board of Health was established and record keeping in towns improved.
Vermont towns are like western townships, so several populated places are in a town's borders. The name of the town is used in official records rather than the name of the populated place.
If you do not find birth information in the town where your ancestor was born, you may need to look at substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place or try the records in a neighboring town.
You can also search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.
| Records that give birth information: | ||
Births 1760 to 1857
For births that occurred in this time period try the following databases:
| Vermont Births Databases - Includes Index and Digital Images | |||
| Try: | 1760-2003 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-2003: name index and images of births, marriages and deaths. | |
| Try: | 1760-1954 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; a name index and index card images to town birth, marriage and death records. | |
| Try: | 1732-2005 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town records, 1732-2005: birth, marriage and death records from town clerk offices, Browse Only | |
| Try: | 1850-2005 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, town records, 1850-2005: limited counties, Vermont vital records from various counties and towns, Browse Only | |
| Try: | 1765-1908 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Birth and Christenings, 1765-1908: name index to birth, baptism and christening records from the state of Vermont. | |
| Try: | 1720-1908 - At Ancestry.com |
Free with Ancestry Library edition; Vermont, Vital Records, 1720 to 1908. Available at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center OR use your own Ancestry subscription. | |
| Can't find your ancestor in the online index? | Tips for searching online indexes | ||
| No birth record for your ancestor? | Other records with birth information | ||
1857 to the Present
| Vermont Births Databases - Includes Index and Digital Images | |||
| Try: | 1760-2003 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-2003: name index and images of births, marriages and deaths. | |
| Try: | 1760-1954 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; a name index and index card images to town birth, marriage and death records. | |
| Try: | 1732-2005 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town records, 1732-2005: birth, marriage and death records from town clerk offices, Browse Only | |
| Try: | 1850-2005 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, town records, 1850-2005: limited counties, Vermont vital records from various counties and towns, Browse Only | |
| Try: | 1765-1908 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Birth and Christenings, 1765-1908: name index to birth, baptism and christening records from the state of Vermont. | |
| Try: | 1720-1908 - At Ancestry.com |
Free with Ancestry Library edition; Vermont, Vital Records, 1720 to 1908. Available at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center OR use your own Ancestry subscription. | |
| Can't find your ancestor in the online index? | Tips for searching online indexes | ||
| No birth record for your ancestor? | Other records with birth information | ||
Obtain the Certificate
With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:
| To Order Birth Certificates | |||
| From VT State Archives and Records Administration or Vermont Department of Health | From the clerk of the town where the birth occurred | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| Department of Health-Only births within the last 5 years | The State records are not as complete, particularly pre-1909 | may be faster | |
There are No Restrictions for obtaining Vermont vital records.
If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.
Restrictions for Obtaining Birth Records
Restrictions for persons born within the last 100 years:
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate for those born within the last 100 years from the government agency, you must be:
- The person on the certificate and age 18 or older
- The parents, guardian, or grandparents of person on the certificate
- The wife or husband of the person on the certificate
- The children and grandchildren of the person on the certificate and age 18 or older
- Anyone who has legal interest in the certificate
- NOTE: A copy of the birth record cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above until 100 years have passed from the date of the birth.
- For additional information, see the State Vital Records Office.
Birth records more than 100 years old:
- Available to any person over 18 years of age
If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.