This is a partial list of Justice's of the Peace for the area. A complete list can be acquired from the town clerk's office.
Sheila Aronoff (802) 626-5496
Joan Harlow (802) 467-3701
Nancy Lawrence (802) 626-5917
Raelene St. Hilare (802) 748-3264
Contact our wedding coordinator for more information.
Marriage License Requirments
Do
We Need a Marriage License?
Yes. Before your ceremony, you will need to purchase a Vermont marriage
license. It must be presented to the officiant before your marriage is
performed. While your license may be purchased up to two months before
your ceremony, it "becomes void sixty days from date of issue if
the proposed marriage is not solemnized." (18 V.S.A., sec. 5131 (b))
Do
We Need Blood Tests?
No.
Where
Do We Get a Marriage License?
If both bride and groom are Vermont residents, you may go to the town
clerk in either of your towns of residence. If just one of you is a resident,
you must go to the town clerk of the town where the Vermont resident currently
resides.
What
If We Are Not Vermont Residents?
First, decide where in Vermont you wish to be married. Out-of-state residents
must buy their license in the county where they plan to marry. Any town
clerk in that county can issue the license.
What
If We Are Not US Residents?
There are no additional requirements if one or both of you are not US
residents.
How
Much Does a Vermont License Cost?
A Vermont marriage license costs $20.00.
Who
May Be Married in Vermont?
A man and a woman who are each at least 18 years old may marry in Vermont.
If you are at least 16, but under 18, you will need the consent of a parent
or guardian. Your parent or guardian should accompany you to the town
clerk's office to sign an affidavit giving you permission to marry. The
affidavit is on the back of the marriage license and is a legal part of
the license. If one or both of you are under the age of 16 and a Vermont
resident, you may not be married in Vermont unless you first furnish the
town clerk with a certificate from a probate, district, or superior court
judge of the district or county in which the under-age person resides.
If the under-age person is not a Vermont resident, you must furnish the
town clerk with a certificate from a judge of the district or county in
which the marriage will take place. By Vermont law, no one under the age
of l4 may marry in Vermont. (18 V.S.A., sec. 5142).
Are
There Any Other Marriage Restrictions?
Anyone under guardianship may not marry without the guardian's written
consent. Vermont also does not allow marriage between most close relatives.
You cannot marry your mother, father, grandparent, sister, brother, grandchild,
niece, nephew, aunt, or uncle. First cousins who are Vermont residents
or residents of another state where marriage between first cousins is
allowed may marry each other in Vermont. You cannot marry in Vermont to
evade the laws of the state where you live. You cannot marry if either
of you is currently married to someone else. The law also requires that
both parties be of sound mind.
What
Information Do We Need to Purchase a Marriage License in Vermont?
You must know your legal town of residence and your place and date of
birth; you will also need to know your parents' names, including your
mother's maiden name, and the states where your parents were born. (A
certified copy of your birth certificate can supply most of this information.)
Vermont law requires that at least one of you must sign in the presence
of the town clerk, certifying that all facts are correct; however, most
town clerks prefer to see both of you in person before issuing your license
to marry, as the law requires that they satisfy themselves that you are
both free to marry under Vermont laws. They may legally ask to see documented
proof of your statements, for example birth certificates, divorce decrees,
etc. (18 V.S.A., sec. 5141).
What
Statistical Information Will I Need to Provide?
You will need to provide information about your race, the highest grade
you completed in school, the number of times you have been married and
how your previous marriage(s), if any, ended. This information does not
become part of the marriage certificate.
What
If Either of Us Has Been Married Before?
If you are a widow or widower, you are free to marry. You will be asked
the date your spouse died. If you are divorced, you may remarry after
the date on which your previous marriage is dissolved.
Can a Marriage License Be Issued Through the Mail?
No.
Can
We Be Married by Proxy?
No.
Is
There a Waiting Period?
No.
Where
Can We Get Married?
A Vermont license is valid only for a marriage performed in Vermont.
If you are a Vermont resident or are marrying a Vermont resident,
you may be married anywhere in Vermont. If you are not a Vermont
resident, you must be married in the county where your license is
issued.
Who
May Marry Us?
A judge, supreme court justice, assistant judge, justice of the
peace, or an ordained or licensed minister, rabbi or priest residing
in Vermont or authorized by their denomination may perform your
ceremony. A priest, rabbi, or minister from another state may perform
your ceremony if he or she first obtains a special authorization
from a probate court in the district where the marriage will take
place.
What
Do We Do With the License?
By law, you must deliver the license to the person who will conduct
your wedding ceremony before the marriage can be performed.
Do
We Need Witnesses?
Vermont law does not require witnesses. If you are planning a religious
ceremony, check with your church or synagogue to see if religious
tenets require witnesses for your marriage.
What
Happens to the License After the Ceremony?
After the ceremony, the person who performs the ceremony (officiant)
will complete the sections concerning the date, place and officiant
information, and sign your license. It must then be returned by
the officiant to the town clerk's office where it was issued within
ten (10) days, so that your marriage may be officially registered.
It is not a complete legal document, useful for passports, Social
Security, etc., until it has been recorded in the town clerk's office
where it was purchased.
How
Do We Get a Copy of Our Marriage Certificate? There
are two ways to obtain a copy of your marriage certificate: When
you purchase your license, you may arrange with the town clerk to
mail you a certified copy of your certificate as soon as your marriage
is recorded. The cost will be $27 ($20 for the license and $7 for
the certified copy); Two
weeks or more after the ceremony, you may request, in person, or
in writing, a copy from the town clerk's office where you purchased
your license; or six or more weeks after your ceremony, you may
request, in person or in writing, a certified copy from the Vermont
Department of Health, Vital Records Unit, 108 Cherry Street, P0
Box 70, Burlington, Vermont 05402. Either way, the fee is $7.00,
and you will receive a copy of the original certificate, embossed
with the town or state seal and signed and dated by the appropriate
official. These certified copies are accepted for all legal purposes.
