Franklin County Public Records /Franklin County Court Records

Franklin County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in Franklin County in 2026

Members of the public seeking court records in Franklin County, Vermont, may access publicly available case information through FranklinVTRecords.org, which aggregates data drawn from official government sources. Court records maintained by the Vermont Judiciary may reflect proceedings across criminal, civil, family, probate, and other case types handled within the county. The information available through such resources may include, but is not limited to:

Criminal case filings, charges, and dispositions
Civil complaints, judgments, and orders
Family court matters, including divorce and custody proceedings
Probate filings, estate records, and guardianship orders
Traffic and municipal violations
Small claims filings and judgments

Court records in Franklin County may be searched through several established methods. Members of the public may present themselves at the clerk of court's office during business hours to request access to case files. Courthouse public access terminals are available on-site and allow in-person review of docket information without charge. The Vermont Judiciary maintains an online Public Portal through which registered and guest users may search case information remotely. State-level judicial search tools, including the Vermont Judiciary's Public Portal, provide docket-level access to many active and closed cases. Written or mail requests submitted to the appropriate court division are also accepted, with applicable fees for copies and certified documents.

To locate a specific case, requesters are advised to have the full legal name of a party, a case number if known, the approximate filing date, and the relevant court division. Access to certain records may be restricted by court order, statute, or administrative rule.

Are Court Records Public in Franklin County

Court records in Franklin County are subject to the public access framework established under Vermont Rules for Public Access to Court Records, which govern the availability of judicial records statewide. Under current law, the Vermont Rules for Public Access to Court Records establish a presumption of openness for most court filings and proceedings.

Records that are generally available to the public include:

Docket entries and case numbers
Party names (plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent)
Scheduled hearing dates and courtroom assignments
Filed motions, complaints, and petitions
Court orders and final judgments
Sentencing entries and probation terms in criminal matters

Records that may be confidential, sealed, redacted, or restricted include:

Juvenile delinquency and child in need of care or supervision (CHINS) records
Adoption proceedings and related filings
Mental health commitment records
Expunged or annulled criminal records under § 7602 of Title 13 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated
Sealed filings ordered by a judge
Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth

A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While the clerk's office may permit in-person review of a broader range of records, the Vermont Judiciary's Public Portal provides role-based access, meaning that certain record types visible at the courthouse may not be available through the online system.

What Are Court Records in Franklin County?

Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court in connection with a legal proceeding. 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.

A distinction exists between docket entries and full case files. A docket is a chronological index of all actions taken in a case, including filing dates, motion titles, hearing dates, and orders entered. A full case file contains the actual documents underlying those docket entries, such as the complaint, answer, motions, exhibits, and transcripts.

Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, covering matters such as contract claims, property disputes, and tort actions. Criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the State of Vermont against an individual charged with a violation of criminal law. Filed pleadings represent the initial documents that frame the legal dispute, while final judgments represent the court's conclusive resolution of the matter.

Public filings are those submitted without restriction and available for inspection under the Vermont Rules for Public Access to Court Records. Sealed or restricted filings have been withheld from public access by court order or by operation of law. Trial court records are maintained at the originating court division, while appellate records are held by the Vermont Supreme Court.

The clerk of court for each division is the official custodian of that division's records. The Vermont Judiciary's statewide case management system tracks filings across divisions. The Vermont Secretary of State's State Archives holds historical civil, criminal, chancery, and probate court records transferred from Vermont courts over time.

Court records are created at the moment of filing and are updated continuously as the case progresses through hearings, motions, orders, and final disposition.

What's Included in a Franklin County Court Record?

A court record in Franklin County may contain a range of documents and data entries depending on the case type and applicable public access rules. The following categories of information may appear within a court record:

Case identification: Case number, court name, division, and filing date
Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and counsel of record
Case classification: Case type (criminal, civil, family, probate, traffic) and current status
Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, and court actions
Hearing information: Scheduled and past hearing dates, courtroom assignments, and continuances
Filed documents: Motions, complaints, petitions, answers, affidavits, notices, and supporting memoranda
Court orders and judgments: Interlocutory orders, final judgments, decrees, minute entries, and sentencing orders
Outcome information: Dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
Financial and administrative data: Filing fees, assessed costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly displayed

Records that are excluded or restricted from public access include sealed filings, expunged criminal matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, protected personal identifiers, and certain exhibits admitted under seal. The presence of a docket entry does not guarantee that the underlying document is available for public inspection.

Types of Courts in Franklin County

Franklin County is served by the Vermont Unified Trial Court system, which consolidates multiple divisions under a single administrative structure. The Vermont Judiciary operates the following divisions in Franklin County, all located at the Franklin County Courthouse in St. Albans:

Franklin Criminal Division
36 Main Street
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 524-7997
Franklin Criminal Division – Vermont Judiciary

Franklin Family Division
36 Main Street
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 524-7997
Franklin Family Division – Vermont Judiciary

The Civil Division, Probate Division, and Environmental Division also operate within the Unified Trial Court framework and serve Franklin County from the same courthouse location. The clerk of court for each division maintains the official record for cases filed in that division. Appeals from Franklin County trial court decisions are heard by the Vermont Supreme Court, which maintains its own record of appellate proceedings.

What Types of Cases Do Franklin County Courts Hear

The Criminal Division handles felony and misdemeanor prosecutions brought by the State of Vermont, as well as DUI matters and certain civil violations. The Family Division hears divorce, legal separation, parentage, child custody, child support, relief from abuse, and juvenile proceedings. The Civil Division handles general civil litigation, including contract disputes, property claims, and small claims matters. The Probate Division administers estates, wills, guardianships, and adoptions; probate court records in Vermont have historically encompassed the probate of wills, settlement of estates, guardianships, adoptions, civil commitments, and name changes. The Environmental Division hears appeals from municipal land use decisions and enforcement actions under Vermont environmental law.

How to Search Franklin County Court Records for Free?

Members of the public may search Franklin County court records at no cost through several channels. In-person inspection at the clerk's office is free of charge; no fee is assessed simply to view a record on-site. The Vermont Judiciary's Public Portal offers guest-level access to docket information at no cost, allowing users to search by party name or case number without creating an account. Public access terminals located within the courthouse also provide free docket-level searches during regular business hours.

Fees are assessed for the following services:

Service	Approximate Fee
Photocopies of court documents	$1.00 per page
Certified copies of court records	$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 administrative rules and are subject to revision. Requesters submitting written requests by mail must include payment for applicable copy fees. The requests for access to court records page on the Vermont Judiciary website provides current guidance on the request process and applicable fees.

How Long Does Franklin County Keep Court Records?

Retention periods for Franklin County court records are governed by the Vermont Judiciary's records retention schedules, which vary by case type and record category. Under current judicial records management policy, retention periods are as follows:

Criminal case files: Retained for a minimum of ten years following final disposition; cases involving felony convictions may be retained permanently
Civil case files: Retained for a minimum of ten years following final judgment
Family Division records: Retained for varying periods depending on case type; divorce decrees and custody orders are retained for extended periods
Probate records: Many probate records are retained permanently due to their genealogical and legal significance
Traffic and minor violation records: Retained for shorter periods, subject to the applicable schedule
Docket books and minute records: Retained permanently as the official record of court proceedings

Older records that have exceeded their active retention period may be transferred to the Vermont State Archives, where they are preserved and made available for research. Paper files may be destroyed following imaging or microfilming, provided the reproduced copy meets archival standards. A distinction exists between destruction, archival retention, sealing, and expungement. Destruction removes the physical record; archival retention transfers custody to the State Archives; sealing restricts access without destroying the record; expungement under § 7602 of Title 13 V.S.A. results in the removal of a criminal record from public access following a court order. Records subject to a sealing or expungement order are not available through standard public access channels regardless of their retention status.

How To Find a Court Docket in Franklin County

A court docket is the official chronological index of all actions taken in a specific case. It differs from a full case file in that it records what happened and when, rather than containing the actual documents filed. A docket entry may note that a motion was filed on a given date without providing the text of the motion itself.

Dockets for Franklin County cases may be accessed through the following channels:

Vermont Judiciary Public Portal: The Public Portal allows users to search docket entries by party name or case number. Guest access is available without registration and provides docket-level information for many case types.
Courthouse public terminals: Terminals located at the Franklin County Courthouse provide on-site docket searches at no charge during business hours.
Clerk of court: Staff at the Franklin Criminal Division or Franklin Family Division can confirm docket information and provide printed docket sheets upon request, subject to applicable copy fees.
Court hearing calendars: The Franklin Criminal Division court calendar lists scheduled hearings, case numbers, and party names for upcoming proceedings. Hearing calendars are updated regularly and are available to the public without charge.
Written requests: Docket sheets may be requested by mail from the clerk's office with payment of applicable fees.

A docket entry typically contains the date of the action, a brief description of the filing or event, and the name of the judicial officer involved. A docket does not include full document images, sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits admitted under seal. Motion calendars and daily hearing rosters are separately maintained and are accessible through the court hearings page of the Vermont Judiciary website. Under Vermont Rules for Public Access to Court Records Rule 6, docket entries in non-confidential cases are presumptively available to the public.

The Franklin County Clerk's office, currently under the direction of Judy Choiniere as listed in the 2026 Vermont County Clerks directory, serves as an additional point of contact for county-level record inquiries.

Franklin County Clerk's Office
36 Main Street
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 285-4500
Vermont Judiciary – Court Locations

The St. Albans Town Clerk maintains municipal records at the town level, including land records, vital records, and other documents filed with the town, which are separate from court records maintained by the Vermont Judiciary.