Franklin County Public Records /Franklin County Property Records

Franklin County Property Records

How To Search Property Records in Franklin County in 2026

FranklinVTRecords.org provides access to publicly available information related to property records in Franklin County, Vermont. Members of the public may use this resource to locate deeds, tax assessments, property transfers, ownership histories, liens, and recorded encumbrances. Record availability may vary depending on the source agency and the age of the document.

Property records in Franklin County may be searched through the following official resources:

Vermont Land Records Online – The Vermont Secretary of State's land records portal provides access to recorded deeds and other instruments indexed by town clerks across the state.
Town Clerk Offices – Each municipality within Franklin County maintains its own land records. The St. Albans Town Clerk, for example, serves as the official custodian of recorded instruments for that municipality.
Vermont Department of Taxes – The Department administers property transfer tax collection and maintains statewide transfer data under 32 V.S.A. § 9606.
Vermont Open Geodata Portal – The VT Property Transfers dataset provides approximate point locations and associated public information for all recorded property transfers statewide.
Vermont Center for Geographic Information (VCGI) – The Statewide Parcel Program publishes annual grand list-joined digital municipal parcel data for all Vermont towns.

Online Search Methods:

Members of the public may search property records online through the following platforms:

Visit the Vermont Secretary of State land records portal and select the relevant Franklin County municipality.
Search by grantor name, grantee name, document type, or recording date range.
Access the VT Property Transfers dataset on the Vermont Open Geodata Portal to view transfer records with associated parcel data.
Use the VCGI Parcel Program to access GIS-based parcel mapping linked to grand list data.
Review property tax information through the Vermont Department of Taxes property page, noting that property taxes are administered at the municipal level.

In-Person Searches:

Franklin County Clerk's Office
55 Main Street
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 285-4500
Franklin County Clerk

St. Albans Town Clerk & Treasurer
579 Lake Road
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 524-2415
Town Clerk – St. Albans Town

By Mail Requests:

Members of the public may submit written requests for recorded documents to the relevant town clerk's office. Requests should specify the property address, parcel number, or grantor/grantee name and approximate recording date. Payment for copying fees must accompany the request. Certified copies are available upon request.

Through Professionals:

Title companies, real estate attorneys, and licensed abstractors may conduct comprehensive title searches on behalf of clients. These professionals access the same public records available to the general public but provide legal analysis, title insurance commitments, and chain-of-title abstracts as part of their services.

What Is Franklin County Property Records

Property records in Franklin County, Vermont, are official documents related to real property—land and structures affixed to land—maintained by municipal town clerks and state agencies. These records constitute the legal foundation for establishing ownership, recording encumbrances, and documenting transfers of real estate interests.

Types of Property Records:

Ownership Records: Warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, trustee's deeds, life estate deeds, and other conveyance instruments that establish or transfer title.
Encumbrance Records: Mortgages, deeds of trust, mechanic's liens, judgment liens, tax liens, easements, and declarations of covenants and restrictions.
Tax and Assessment Records: Grand list entries, property tax bills, payment histories, homestead declarations, and current use program enrollments.
Legal Descriptions: Plat maps, subdivision plats, survey records, and metes-and-bounds descriptions.
Transfer Records: Property Transfer Tax Returns filed pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 9606, which document consideration paid, parties to the transaction, and property characteristics.
Building and Permit Records: Building permits, certificates of occupancy, zoning determinations, and code enforcement records maintained by municipal planning and zoning offices.

Who Maintains Property Records:

In Vermont, property records are maintained at the municipal level rather than at the county level. Each town clerk within Franklin County serves as the official custodian of land records for that municipality. The Vermont Secretary of State provides a statewide portal aggregating access to these municipal records. The Vermont Department of Taxes administers property transfer tax returns and maintains statewide transfer data. The VCGI administers the Statewide Parcel Program, which publishes digital parcel data joined to annual grand list information.

As the Vermont Center for Geographic Information describes its program: "The ongoing effort for the publishing of annual grand list-joined digital municipal parcel data" represents a comprehensive statewide mapping initiative that links assessment data to geographic parcel boundaries.

Legal Framework:

Vermont's property recording system operates under Title 27 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated, which governs the recording of deeds and other instruments affecting real property. Under 27 V.S.A. § 341, deeds and other conveyances of real estate must be recorded in the town clerk's office of the town where the property is situated to be effective against subsequent purchasers without notice. The property transfer tax is governed by 32 V.S.A. § 9606, which requires the filing of a Property Transfer Tax Return with each recorded conveyance.

Are Property Records Public Information in Franklin County?

Property records in Franklin County are public information. Vermont law establishes that land records recorded with town clerks are open to public inspection. Any member of the public—regardless of residency, ownership status, or stated purpose—may access recorded instruments, assessment data, and transfer records.

Legal Basis for Public Access:

Vermont's public records law, codified at 1 V.S.A. § 315 et seq., establishes a presumption of public access to government records. Land records recorded pursuant to Title 27 are public by their nature, as the recording system exists precisely to provide constructive notice to the public of interests in real property. The Vermont Supreme Court has consistently recognized that the recording system serves a public notice function that requires open access.

Why Property Records Are Public:

Constructive Notice: Recording a deed or mortgage provides legal notice to all subsequent purchasers and encumbrancers. This notice function requires that records be publicly accessible.
Tax Transparency: Property tax assessments and grand list data are public to ensure accountability in municipal taxation.
Market Function: Real estate transactions depend on the ability of buyers, lenders, and title insurers to verify ownership and encumbrances through public records.
Historical and Genealogical Research: Land records constitute a primary source for historical and genealogical research, tracing ownership back to original land grants.

What Property Information Is Freely Accessible:

Current and historical ownership (grantor/grantee names)
Legal descriptions and parcel identification numbers
Sale prices and transfer consideration amounts
Recorded mortgage amounts and lender names
Liens, easements, and other encumbrances
Grand list assessed values
Property transfer tax return data
GIS parcel mapping data

Privacy Considerations:

Vermont law requires that Social Security numbers and financial account numbers be redacted from documents before recording or public disclosure. Certain individuals—including law enforcement officers, judges, and victims of domestic violence—may qualify for address confidentiality protections under Vermont's Address Confidentiality Program. Homestead exemption applications may contain financial information that is subject to limited disclosure protections.

Who Can Access Property Records:

No residency requirement, ownership interest, or stated purpose is required to access Franklin County property records. Prospective buyers, real estate professionals, title companies, lenders, attorneys, investors, researchers, journalists, and members of the general public all hold equal access rights under Vermont law.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Property Records in Franklin County?

The cost to obtain property records in Franklin County varies by record type, format, and the office from which records are requested. Vermont law permits town clerks to charge reasonable fees for copies of public records.

Standard Fee Schedule:

Record Type	Fee
Copy of recorded document (per page)	$1.00–$2.00 per page (varies by municipality)
Certified copy of recorded document	$10.00–$15.00 (varies by municipality)
Property Transfer Tax Return copy	Contact Vermont Department of Taxes
GIS/parcel data download	Free (via VCGI portal)
Online document viewing	Free (via Secretary of State portal)

Free Access:

Online viewing of recorded documents through the Vermont Secretary of State's land records portal is available at no charge.
The VCGI Parcel Program provides free public access to statewide parcel mapping data.
The VT Property Transfers dataset on the Vermont Open Geodata Portal is freely accessible without registration.
Grand list data is available from municipal offices and through the Vermont Department of Taxes at no charge for basic inquiries.

Accepted Payment Methods:

Town clerk offices in Franklin County accept cash, check, and money order for copy fees. Some offices accept credit or debit cards; members of the public should confirm accepted payment methods with the specific municipal office prior to submitting a request.

Fee Waivers:

Vermont's public records law does not provide a general fee waiver provision, but agencies may waive fees at their discretion. Requests made by nonprofit organizations or for clearly public interest purposes may be considered for reduced fees on a case-by-case basis.

As the Vermont Department of Taxes notes: "Property taxes must be paid directly to the Town where the property is located. The Vermont Department of Taxes cannot process your property tax payment." This reflects the decentralized structure of Vermont's property administration, which means fee schedules may differ among Franklin County's municipalities.

What's Included in a Franklin County Property Record?

A complete Franklin County property record encompasses several categories of information drawn from multiple official sources.

Ownership Information:

Legal owner name(s) as recorded on the most recent deed
Ownership type (individual, joint tenancy, tenancy in common, trust, LLC, corporation)
Acquisition date and deed recording reference (volume and page or instrument number)
Mailing address for tax bill purposes
Chain of title reflecting prior owners, transfer dates, and historical deed references

Property Identification:

Site address and municipality
Parcel identification number (as assigned in the grand list)
Legal description (lot and block, subdivision reference, or metes-and-bounds)
Plat book and page reference where applicable

Physical Characteristics:

Lot size in acres or square feet
Building square footage and year of construction
Number of stories, bedrooms, and bathrooms
Construction type and exterior materials
Accessory structures, garage, and other improvements
Water source and sewer system type

Valuation and Assessment Information:

Land value and improvement value as listed in the municipal grand list
Total listed value
Current use program enrollment (if applicable)
Historical assessed values for prior grand list years

Tax Information:

Current tax year bill amount
Homestead declaration status
Payment history and outstanding balances
Special assessments and district levies
Delinquency status (if applicable)

Sales History:

Prior transfer dates and consideration amounts as reported on Property Transfer Tax Returns filed under 32 V.S.A. § 9606
Grantor and grantee names for each recorded transfer
Deed type (warranty, quitclaim, trustee's, etc.)
Documentary stamps and transfer tax amounts

Encumbrances and Liens:

Recorded mortgages with lender names, recording dates, and original amounts
Satisfactions and releases of mortgage
Judgment liens, tax liens, and mechanic's liens
Easements and rights-of-way
Restrictive covenants and declarations
Lis pendens notices

Maps and Visual Information:

GIS parcel boundary maps available through the VCGI Parcel Program
Aerial photography layers
Flood zone designations (FEMA)
Zoning overlay information

How Long Does Franklin County Keep Property Records?

Property records in Franklin County are maintained permanently. Vermont law requires town clerks to preserve all recorded instruments affecting title to real property indefinitely, as these records form the unbroken chain of title upon which all subsequent transactions depend.

Legal Basis for Permanent Retention:

Vermont's municipal records retention schedule, administered by the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, classifies recorded land instruments as permanent records. Under Vermont law, town clerks are required to maintain indexes and original or imaged copies of all recorded instruments in perpetuity. The recording system established under Title 27 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated has no provision for the destruction of recorded instruments affecting title.

Records Kept Permanently:

All recorded deeds (warranty, quitclaim, trustee's, and all other conveyance types)
All recorded mortgages, assignments, and satisfactions
All recorded liens and releases
All recorded easements, covenants, and restrictions
Subdivision plats and survey maps
Lis pendens notices and court-ordered instruments
Property Transfer Tax Returns (maintained by the Vermont Department of Taxes)

Format and Storage:

Franklin County's municipal town clerks maintain records in a combination of formats depending on the era of recording:

Pre-20th century records: Handwritten deed books, currently held in municipal vaults and, in some cases, available through the Vermont State Archives.
Mid-20th century records: Typed instruments recorded in bound volumes, with grantor/grantee indexes maintained separately.
Recent records: Digitally scanned images accessible through the Vermont Secretary of State's land records portal, with electronic indexing.

Online Availability by Time Period:

Time Period	Availability
Recent (last 20–30 years)	Online via Secretary of State portal (varies by municipality)
Moderate age (30–60 years)	Available in-person; some digitized
Historical (60–100+ years)	In-person at town clerk office or Vermont State Archives
Pre-statehood/territorial	Vermont State Archives

Property Appraiser and Tax Records:

Grand list records are maintained by municipal listers and the Vermont Department of Taxes. Current and recent grand list data is available online. Historical assessment records are maintained at the municipal level and are accessible upon request. Tax payment records are retained for a minimum of seven years under Vermont's municipal records retention schedule, with permanent retention for tax deed proceedings.

Contact for Historical Records:

Vermont State Archives and Records Administration
1078 US-2, Middlesex
Montpelier, VT 05633
Phone: (802) 828-2308
Vermont State Archives

Franklin County Town Clerk Offices (St. Albans City as example):

St. Albans City Clerk
100 North Main Street
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 524-1500
St. Albans City

How To Find Liens on Property in Franklin County?

Liens on property in Franklin County are recorded instruments and may be located through the same land records system used to search deeds and mortgages. Because Vermont uses a town-based recording system, lien searches must be conducted at the town clerk's office for the municipality where the property is situated.

Types of Liens Searchable in Franklin County:

Judgment liens: Recorded by creditors following a court judgment; indexed under the debtor's name in the town clerk's grantor/grantee index.
Tax liens: Federal tax liens are filed with the Vermont Secretary of State's office; state and municipal tax liens are recorded with the relevant town clerk.
Mechanic's liens: Filed by contractors, subcontractors, and materialmen pursuant to Vermont's mechanic's lien statute; recorded with the town clerk where the property is located.
HOA liens: Recorded by homeowner associations for unpaid assessments.
Child support liens: May be recorded as judgment liens following court order.

Steps to Search for Liens:

Identify the municipality within Franklin County where the property is located.
Access the Vermont Secretary of State's land records portal and select the relevant town.
Search the grantor index under the current property owner's name to identify any recorded liens.
Search by property address or parcel number where the system permits.
For federal tax liens, search the Vermont Secretary of State's UCC and lien filings database.
For in-person searches, visit the town clerk's office and request access to the grantor/grantee index and lien docket.
Review each identified instrument for lien amount, recording date, lienholder identity, and release status.

Relevant Offices:

St. Albans Town Clerk & Treasurer
579 Lake Road
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802) 524-2415
Town Clerk – St. Albans Town

Vermont Secretary of State – Corporations Division
128 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05633
Phone: (802) 828-2386
Vermont Secretary of State

Title companies and real estate attorneys conducting lien searches will review the complete chain of title, all grantor index entries under current and prior owners, federal lien filings, and court records to produce a comprehensive lien report. Members of the public conducting their own searches should be aware that a lien may be indexed under a name variation or may appear in a court record not yet reflected in the land records index.

What Is Property Owner Rule in Franklin County?

The property owner rule in Franklin County, Vermont, refers to the body of legal principles governing who may hold title to real property, how ownership interests are established and transferred, and what rights and obligations attach to property ownership under Vermont law.

Ownership Requirements:

Vermont law imposes no residency requirement for property ownership. Any individual, corporation, limited liability company, trust, partnership, or other legal entity may hold title to real property in Franklin County. Foreign nationals and out-of-state entities may own Vermont real property subject to the same recording and tax obligations as Vermont residents.

Forms of Ownership:

Sole ownership: Title held by a single individual or entity.
Joint tenancy with right of survivorship: Two or more owners hold equal undivided interests; upon the death of one owner, title passes automatically to the surviving owner(s) without probate.
Tenancy in common: Two or more owners hold undivided interests that may be unequal; each owner's interest passes through their estate upon death.
Tenancy by the entirety: Available to married couples in Vermont; provides creditor protection against the individual debts of either spouse.
Trust ownership: Title held by a trustee for the benefit of named beneficiaries.
Entity ownership: Title held by an LLC, corporation, or partnership, with ownership interests reflected in the entity's governing documents rather than in the land records.

Transfer Requirements:

Under 27 V.S.A. § 341, a deed conveying real property in Vermont must be in writing, signed by the grantor, acknowledged before a notary public or other authorized officer, and recorded in the town clerk's office of the municipality where the property is located to be effective against subsequent purchasers without notice. A Property Transfer Tax Return must be filed with each recorded conveyance pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 9606.

Property Tax Obligations:

Every owner of real property in Franklin County is subject to municipal property taxation based on the listed value established in the annual grand list. The Vermont Department of Taxes administers the education property tax, while municipal taxes are levied and collected by each town. As the Vermont Department of Taxes states: "Property taxes must be paid directly to the Town where the property is located."

Homestead Declaration:

Vermont property owners who occupy their property as their principal residence are required to file a Homestead Declaration with the Vermont Department of Taxes to qualify for the residential education property tax rate, which is lower than the nonresidential rate. Failure to file results in taxation at the higher nonresidential rate.

Current Use Program:

Vermont's Use Value Appraisal Program (Current Use) permits owners of qualifying agricultural and forestland to have their property assessed at its use value rather than fair market value, resulting in a reduced property tax burden. Enrollment is administered by the Vermont Department of Taxes and requires a formal application and enrollment agreement.

Adverse Possession:

Vermont recognizes adverse possession as a means of acquiring title to real property. Under Vermont common law, a claimant must demonstrate open, notorious, hostile, continuous, and exclusive possession of the property for a period of fifteen years to establish a claim of adverse possession. Such claims are adjudicated in Vermont Superior Court and, if successful, result in a court order that may be recorded in the land records.