Lamoille County Public Records /Lamoille County Court Records

Lamoille County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in Lamoille County in 2026

Members of the public seeking court records in Lamoille County may access publicly available case information through several official channels maintained by the Vermont Judiciary. LamoilleRecords.us aggregates publicly available data that may relate to court records, property filings, and other official documents originating from Lamoille County. The information available through such resources may include case status, party names, docket entries, hearing schedules, and disposition data, subject to applicable access restrictions under Vermont law.

Record categories that members of the public may encounter include:

Criminal case records, including charges, pleas, and sentencing entries
Civil court filings, including complaints, answers, and judgments
Family court records, including divorce decrees and custody orders (where not sealed)
Probate records, including estate filings and guardianship orders
Small claims court decisions
Traffic and municipal violation records

Court records in Lamoille County may be searched through five primary methods:

Clerk of Court or court records office — The clerk's office at the Lamoille Superior Court maintains the official case files. Members of the public may request records in person by providing the case number, party name, or approximate filing date. Staff can locate and retrieve files for inspection during regular business hours.
Courthouse public access terminals — The Lamoille Superior Courthouse provides public access computer terminals that allow on-site users to search case dockets and view available electronic records without charge. Terminal access does not require a login or prior registration.
Online court search — The Vermont Judiciary's Public Portal is a web-based platform that offers court users and members of the general public customized role-based access to court records. Users may search by party name, docket number, attorney, or judge.
State-level judicial search tools — The Vermont Judiciary provides a statewide court hearings search tool that allows users to locate scheduled hearings by entering a date range, attorney name, judge, docket number, or case name. This tool is particularly useful for identifying upcoming proceedings.
Written or mail requests — Members of the public who cannot appear in person may submit written requests to the clerk's office. Requests should identify the case by docket number or party name and specify the documents sought. Fees for copies apply to written requests.

Are Court Records Public In Lamoille County

Court records in Lamoille County are presumptively public under Vermont law. Vermont Rules for Public Access to Court Records, which govern access to all Vermont trial and appellate court records, establish that court records are open to public inspection unless a specific exemption applies. Under § 6 of the Vermont Rules for Public Access to Court Records, certain categories of records are confidential by operation of law or court order.

Records that are generally public:

Docket entries and case status information
Party names (plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent)
Scheduled hearing dates and courtroom assignments
Filed motions, complaints, and petitions (unless sealed)
Court orders and judgments
Sentencing entries in criminal matters
Probate inventories and estate orders

Records that may be confidential, sealed, or restricted:

Juvenile delinquency and child in need of care or supervision (CHINS) records
Adoption records
Mental health commitment proceedings
Records sealed by court order
Expunged criminal records under 13 V.S.A. § 7602
Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth in certain filings

A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While the physical case file may be inspected at the clerk's office, not all documents available for in-person review are accessible through the online Public Portal. Sealed filings and restricted case types are excluded from both channels.

What Are Court Records in Lamoille County?

Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court in connection with judicial proceedings. In practical terms, a court record encompasses everything submitted to or generated by the court from the initial filing of a case through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal.

The distinction between a docket entry and a full case file is significant. A docket is a chronological index of all actions taken in a case — it lists filings, hearings, orders, and status changes but does not reproduce the full text of each document. The case file contains the actual documents: complaints, motions, exhibits, transcripts, and orders. Both are part of the official court record, but they serve different functions and may have different access conditions.

Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, covering matters such as contract claims, personal injury actions, landlord-tenant disputes, and small claims. Criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the State of Vermont against an individual charged with a criminal offense, from arraignment through sentencing or acquittal.

Filed pleadings are the documents parties submit to initiate or respond to litigation. Final judgments are the court's official resolution of the case. Public filings are accessible to any member of the public; sealed or restricted filings require a court order or statutory authority to access. Trial court records are maintained at the originating court; appellate records are maintained by the Vermont Supreme Court.

The clerk of court is the primary custodian of court records at the trial level. The Vermont Judiciary's electronic case management system maintains digital records, while older paper files may be stored at the courthouse or transferred to judicial archives.

What's Included in a Lamoille County Court Record?

A court record in Lamoille County may contain the following information, depending on case type and applicable public-access rules:

Case identification: Case number, court name and division, filing date, and case type
Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and counsel of record
Case status: Open, closed, on appeal, or administratively closed
Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, orders, and procedural events
Hearing information: Scheduled and past hearing dates, courtroom assignments, and continuances
Filed documents: Complaints, petitions, answers, motions, memoranda, notices, and stipulations
Court orders and judgments: Interlocutory orders, final judgments, decrees, and sentencing entries
Outcome information: Dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
Administrative and financial data: Filing fees, assessed costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly displayed

Records that are excluded or restricted from the public case file include sealed filings, expunged matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, protected personal identifiers, and certain exhibits admitted under seal. The presence of a docket entry referencing a sealed document does not make the underlying document accessible.

Types of Courts in Lamoille County

Lamoille County is served by the Vermont Superior Court system under the unified Vermont Judiciary. Vermont operates a single-tier trial court structure in which the Superior Court exercises general jurisdiction over all case types. The Superior Court in each county is organized into divisions, each handling a distinct category of cases.

The divisions currently operating in Lamoille County include:

Criminal Division — Handles felony and misdemeanor criminal prosecutions brought by the State of Vermont. The Lamoille Criminal Division is located at the Lamoille Superior Court in Hyde Park.
Civil Division — Handles civil disputes, including contract claims, tort actions, landlord-tenant matters, and small claims.
Family Division — Handles divorce, legal separation, parentage, child support, custody, and relief from abuse proceedings.
Probate Division — Handles estate administration, guardianship, conservatorship, and adoption matters.
Environmental Division — Handles appeals from municipal land use decisions and environmental enforcement matters statewide, not county-specific.

The clerk of the Superior Court maintains the official records for all divisions. Appeals from the Superior Court are heard by the Vermont Supreme Court, which maintains its own appellate record.

Lamoille Superior Court
180 Main Street
Hyde Park, VT 05655
Phone: (802) 888-3887
Vermont Judiciary – Lamoille

How to Search Lamoille County Court Records for Free?

Several methods for accessing Lamoille County court records are available at no cost. In-person inspection of court records at the clerk's office is free of charge; members of the public may review case files and docket entries without paying a fee. Courthouse public access terminals provide free electronic access to case information for individuals present at the courthouse.

The Vermont Judiciary's Public Portal offers free online access to docket information and, in many cases, electronic document images. The court hearings search tool is also available at no cost and does not require registration.

Fees apply to the following services:

Service	Approximate Cost
Standard paper copies	$0.25–$1.00 per page
Certified copies of court documents	$10.00 per document
Exemplified (triple-certified) copies	$20.00 per document
Research by clerk staff	Varies by request

Fee schedules are established under Vermont Court Rules and the Vermont Judiciary's administrative fee schedule. Members of the public who qualify for a fee waiver may submit a request to the clerk at the time of the records request.

How Long Does Lamoille County Keep Court Records?

The Vermont Judiciary maintains court records in accordance with retention schedules established by the Court Administrator and the Vermont State Archives. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.

Under current judicial records management policy:

Criminal case files — Felony records are retained for extended periods, with many retained permanently or for a minimum of 10 years following final disposition. Misdemeanor records may be retained for shorter periods depending on the offense classification.
Civil case files — Retained for a minimum of 10 years following final judgment in most civil matters; longer retention applies to cases involving real property or significant monetary judgments.
Probate records — Estate and guardianship records are retained for extended periods, with permanent retention applying to wills and final decrees.
Family Division records — Divorce decrees and custody orders are retained for extended periods given their ongoing legal significance.
Traffic and minor violation records — Subject to shorter retention schedules, with some records eligible for destruction after administrative review.

Older paper records may exist in microfilm, county archives, or the Vermont State Archives. The Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, operating under 1 V.S.A. § 317, oversees the preservation of permanent government records, including judicial records of historical significance.

The destruction of a paper file following imaging or archival transfer does not constitute expungement. Expungement is a separate legal process under 13 V.S.A. § 7602 that removes a record from public access by court order. Sealed records remain in the court's custody but are restricted from public inspection.

How To Find a Court Docket in Lamoille County

A court docket is a formal index of all proceedings and filings in a specific case. It differs from the full case file in that it records what happened and when — filings, hearings, orders, and status changes — without reproducing the text of each document. The docket serves as the official chronological record of a case's progress from initiation through final disposition.

Members of the public may locate a Lamoille County court docket through the following channels:

Vermont Judiciary Public Portal: The Public Portal provides online docket access for cases in the Vermont Superior Court system. Users may search by party name, docket number, attorney, or judge. The portal displays docket entries, hearing dates, and, where available, links to electronic document images. Access is available without registration for public case types.

Court Hearings Calendar: The Vermont Judiciary publishes a searchable court hearings tool that allows users to identify scheduled proceedings by date range, case name, docket number, attorney, or judge. The Lamoille Criminal Division court calendar lists cases scheduled for hearing in the Criminal Division, including case numbers and hearing times.

In-Person Clerk Request: Members of the public may request docket sheets directly from the clerk's office at the Lamoille Superior Court. Providing the case number or the full name of a party expedites the search. Clerk staff can print a docket sheet for inspection; copy fees apply if a paper copy is requested.

Courthouse Public Terminals: On-site terminals at the Lamoille Superior Courthouse provide direct access to the case management system, allowing users to search dockets and review available electronic filings without charge.

A docket entry may not include the full text of sealed filings, confidential attachments, exhibits admitted under seal, or records restricted by statute. The requests for access to court records page maintained by the Vermont Judiciary provides guidance on submitting formal requests when docket information alone is insufficient to obtain the needed documents.

As the Vermont Judiciary states, "The Public Portal is a web-based platform that offers court users and members of the general public customized role-based access to court records," reflecting the tiered nature of docket access depending on a user's role and the case type involved.