by Vermont, just all state in the United States, keeps vital records which include birth records. With this article, we will look at how to find birth records in Vermont.
Found in the New England part of the United State, Vermont has a population of about 600 000. Statewide registration of birth in Vermont began in 1857. Complete compliance was only managed by 1919.
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Vermont Birth Records
Birth records in Vermont has and are still being recorded by the town clerks. This has been done from the moment a town was established in the state. Early birth records were normally found in town records and land records. This only changed in 1850 where birth records were now found in town records.
For sources of birth records that took place between 1760 to 1857 you can try the following birth databases which have indexes and digital images:
Vermont Vital Records (1760 – 2003)
Vermont Births and Christenings (1765 – 1908)
Vermont Town Clerk and Vital Records (1732 – 2005)
Vermont Town Records (1850 – 2005)
Vermont Vital Records (1720 – 1908)
You can order birth records from the VT State Archives and Records Administration or Vermont Department of Health, or from the clerk of the town where the birth took place. This can be archived if you have the precise date from your records or from the above listed indexes.
State Archives and the Vermont Department of Health allow searches of births within 5 years which can be an advantage if you are not familiar with the exact date of birth. The problem with state records is that they might not be as complete.
Ordering from town clerks is much faster and the records may be complete.
Basic information you can find on Vermont birth records include the following details:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Type of birth
- Gender
- Birth registration number
- Father’s full name
- Mother’s full name including maiden name
- Mother’s marital status
Vermont records every birth that took place in the state so as to be able to monitor the age distribution of its population as well as other population related trends.
Birth Records Restrictions in Vermont
Birth records in Vermont are considered public records. This means who ever needs them can access them. However, sensitive information on them is confidential and can be access by a few authorized individuals. These individuals include the following:
- Registrants (records owner)
- first-degree relations
- legal representatives
- authorized governmental personnel
How to Find Birth Records in Vermont
Birth records are useful for a number of reasons in Vermont such as administrative, legal as well person reasons. With it one can prove they were born in Vermont and thus enjoy citizenship benefits. Here are methods to locating birth records in Vermont.
Online Birth Records in Vermont
There are two ways one can lookup birth records online in Vermont. Third party vital records sites are the first option. These sites have designated portals that can give users access from Vital Records section of the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration website. The birth records that you can find from here are from 1760 – 2008. Applicants are not charged by these third party sites as the birth records are not certified making them not legitimate for legal or identification needs.
Birth records are also available from the Vermont Records Request Service online from the state’s Department of Health’s index of Birth and Death Records. Records that can be found are from 1909 to the present moment. There is a Birth Search Tool that you can utilize to lookup the birth records from the index. There are weekly updates that are made to this index. Applicants will need to include last name, gender and year of birth when looking up for a birth record.
Certified copies of birth certificates can be ordered from Vermont Records Request Service. You must fill in the Vital Records ordering webform that is on the website and submit it, providing shipping address plus necessary payment first.
There are also third party sites who are not associated with the Vermont state that you can use to find birth records. These third party sites come highly recommended as they are faster and offer searches on a wider scale. Searches on them can be done with a full name and location (city, county, state). Records from these third party sites may differ from those found on government sources as they are not government sponsored.
In person Birth Records in Vermont
Applicants who want to order birth certificates in person in Vermont can do so at the following address:
108 Cherry Street
Burlington, VT
Mail Birth Records in Vermont
To get certified copies of birth records in Vermont applicants must submit a filled in Application for Certified Copy of Vermont Birth or Death Certificate plus an Affidavit of Homeless Status form. The form must be in a self-addressed envelope with the appropriate fee and a copy of a legal identification document. These must then be mailed to:
Vermont Department of Health
Vital Records
P.O. Box 70
Burlington, VT 05402
These are the methods on how to find birth records in Vermont that you can attempt. There are online, in person and mail choices that you can try from records that dates back to 1760
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