Vermont
Public Records and the Right to Know:
What are Examples of Specific Exemptions?
| What is a Public Record |
This Guide was published in 2003 and is no longer being updated. Please see the
Right To Know website for more information.
NOTE: The following are examples. The list of statutes is not
comprehensive and users must check the statutes and case law for each title they are interested
in. The list does not include administrative rules or federal law.
1 V.S.A § 313(a) executive session [minutes]
2 V.S.A. § 404(c) functions [legislative council; bill drafts]
3 V.S.A § 131 accessibility [secretary of state; professional regulation; disciplinary complaints]
3 V.S.A. § 316 records of the department of personnel
3 V.S.A. § 318 exemptions [human services board; commissioner of PATH]
4 V.S.A. § 358(b) register [probate court]
4 V.S.A. § 602(c) duties [judicial nominating board; candidate information]
4 V.S.A. § 603 judges; appointment [judicial nominating board; candidate information]
4 V.S.A. § 608(c) joint committee on judicial retention; creation [hearings]
4 V.S.A. § 652(4) records of judgments [superior court clerk; filings of an action]
4 V.S.A. § 693 dockets and records [district court clerk]
4 V.S.A. § 740 court records; dockets [supreme court]
4 V.S.A. § 741(c) payment by credit card [court clerks; credit card numbers]
5 V.S.A. § 3452 disclosure of information [transportation board; railroads]
6 V.S.A. § 61 information collection and confidentiality [commissioner of agriculture]
6 V.S.A. § 484 records; inspection [commissioner of agriculture; maple]
6 V.S.A. § 1039 confidentiality of trade secrets [commissioner of agriculture]
6 V.S.A. § 1815 records, reports, access to premise [agriculture; compact for dairy pricing]
6 V.S.A. § 2763(g) commissioner’s verification [dairy operation; annual report]
6 V.S.A. § 2766 confidentiality [agriculture; identifying information; reports]
6 V.S.A. § 2936(b) reports from milk handlers; release of information by handlers [milk commission]
8 V.S.A. § 15 (b) rules, orders and administrative interpretations [commissioner
of BISHCA; may make public all or a portion of an advisory interpretation]
8 V.S.A. § 22 confidentiality and information sharing agreements [commissioner BISHCA]
8 V.S.A. §23 confidentiality of investigation and examination reports [BISHCA]
8 V.S.A. § 7041(e) commissioner’s summary orders and supervision proceedings
[commissioner of BISHCA; hearings]
9 V.S.A. § 4113(b) inventory reporting; confidentiality [commissioner of
public service]
9 V.S.A. § 4235 public record [commissioner of BISHCA; securities, issuers,
dealers]
9 V.S.A. § 4555 information; disclosure and confidentiality [human rights
commission]
10 V.S.A. § 7(b) economic development; assistance and incentives benchmark reports
[commissioner of economic development; public benefits statements exempt for 90 days after granting
of assistance]
10 V.S.A. § 32 applicability of state laws [secretary of commerce and community
development; world trade office]
10 V.S.A. § 123 powers and duties [center for geographic information; limit
disclosure of individual identifiers; protect security of information systems]
10 V.S.A. § 563 confidential records; penalty [secretary of natural resources;
air contaminant sources]
10 V.S.A. § 1254 classification of waters by board [water resources board;
access to confidential information]
10 V.S.A. § 1259(b) prohibitions [secretary of natural resource; water pollution;
trade secrets
10 V.S.A. § 5410 location confidential [location of endangered species]
10 V.S.A. § 6628(a) plan, plan summary and performance report review [secretary
of natural resources; hazardous waste reduction plan]
11 V.S.A. § 3058(g) member’s right to information [limited liability companies;
trade secrets]
12 V.S.A. § 1612 patients’ privileges [personal medical information]
12 V.S.A. § 1613 lawyer-corporate client privilege [communications]
12 V.S.A. § 1614 victim and crisis worker privilege [communications]
12 V.S.A. § 1705 HIV-related testing information
12 V.S.A. § 7106 confidentiality [youth court proceedings]
12 V.S.A. § 7108 audio recordings [youth court]
13 V.S.A. § 5305(a) information concerning release from confinement [addresses and telephone
numbers of victims]
13 V.S.A. § 5402 sex offender registry [public safety; victim’s name]
15 V.S.A. § 307(a) voluntary acknowledgment of parentage [voluntary acknowledgment form
confidential]
15 V.S.A. § 788 parent’s responsibility [courts; office of child support; parent
information gathered for child support]
15A V.S.A. § 2-105(d) disclosure of information on background [adoption records]
15A V.S.A. § 6-102 records confidential, court records sealed [adoption records]
15A V.S.A. § 6-104 release of non-identifying information [adoption records]
15A V.S.A. § 6-106 request for non-disclosure [adoption records]
15B V.S.A. § 312 nondisclosure of information in exceptional circumstances [child support;
personal identifying information]
16 V.S.A. § 251 policy [education; criminal record checks; privacy]
16 V.S.A. § 252(5) definitions [education; criminal records; confidentiality agreement
16 V.S.A. § 253 confidentiality of records [education; criminal records]
16 V.S.A. § 2843(d) applications, affidavits and reports [education; scholarships]
18 V.S.A. § 154 confidentiality [commissioner of health; cancer registry]
18 V.S.A. § 155 disclosure [commissioner of health; cancer registry]
18 V.S.A. § 157 mammography registry
18 V.S.A. § 1001 reports to commissioner of health
18 V.S.A. § 1094 restraining order [venereal disease]
18 V.S.A. § 1099 reports and records confidential; venereal disease]
18 V.S.A. § 1129 childhood immunization registry [health department]
18 V.S.A. § 1755(d) universal access to screening [commissioner of health; lead poisoning
screening]
18 V.S.A. § 1852(a)(7) Patients’ bill of rights [treatment records confidential]
18 V.S.A. § 4211 records confidential [medical prescriptions]
18 V.S.A. § 5083 participants in address confidentiality program
18 V.S.A. §5086 records received are confidential [statewide birth defect information
system]
18 V.S.A. § 5132 Marriage license; participants in address confidentiality program
18 V.S.A. § 5222(d) reports [fetal death reports]
18 V.S.A. § 7103 disclosure of information [mental health records]
18 V.S.A. § 8713 confidentiality of proceedings [sterilization records]
18 V.S.A. § 8728(a)(2) rights of recipients [developmental disability services; right to
privacy]
18 V.S.A. § 9306 comprehensive evaluation [commissioner of developmental and mental health
services; family court; guardianship]
18 V.S.A. § 9309(b) hearing and appeal [family court; guardianship]
18 V.S.A. § 9457 information available to the public [health care administration; personal
identifiers]
20 V.S.A. § 1923(d) internal investigations [commissioner of public safety]
20 V.S.A. § 1941 confidentiality of records [public safety; DNA records]
21 V.S.A. § 516 confidentiality [health care information; drug test results]
21 V.S.A. § 1035(c) financial responsibility [commissioner of labor and industry]
21 V.S.A. § 1314 reports and records [commissioner of employment and training]
22 V.S.A. § 761 state archeologist; protection of archeological sites [state archeologist]
23 V.S.A. § 707 records required; maintenance of vehicles [driver’s training schools]
24 V.S.A. § 1884 confidential registry [municipal treasurer; books of registry]
24 V.S.A. § 2786(a)(1) applicability of state laws [regional development corporation; proposed
transactions]
26 V.S.A. § 82 confidential communications [public accountants]
26 V.S.A. § 1353(a)(10) powers and duties of the board [medical practice board; medical
examinations of licensees]
26 V.S.A. § 1360(c) hearing before the board [medical practice board; protection of victim]
26 V.S.A. § 1443 records immune from discovery [peer review committees; health care; proceedings
and reports]
28 V.S.A. § 204(d) submission of written report; protection of records [courts; pre-sentence
reports]
28 V.S.A. § 205(b) probation [victim notification]
28 V.S.A. § 403(4) powers and responsibilities of commissioner regarding parole [commissioner of
corrections; register of individuals asking to be notified of a parole hearing]
28 V.S.A. § 601(10) powers and responsibilities of the supervising officer of each correctional
facility [supervising officer; central file on inmates]
28 V.S.A. § 903 access to treatment pending appeal; rule [commissioner of corrections;
confidentiality of inmate communications
29 V.S.A. § 505(b)(2) authority of the board [natural gas and oil resources board; well logs,
surveys, etc]
29 V.S.A. § 542 drilling reports [geological log of natural gas and oil well operator]
29 V.S.A. § 543(c) reports of oil and gas operations [natural gas and oil resources board;
reports]
29 V.S.A. § 553 disclosure of confidential information prohibited [natural gas and oil
resources board; state land manager]
29 V.S.A. § 1701(6) powers and duties of department [buildings and general services; central
computer facility; security of system and data]
30 V.S.A. § 7055(b) telecommunications company coordination [E-911; confidential information]
30 V.S.A. § 7059 confidentiality of system information [E-911]
31 V.S.A. § 674 procedures and conditions governing the tri-state lottery-Article II
[tri-state lottery commission; financial tax, trust of personal records of winners]
32 V.S.A. § 3102 confidentiality of tax records
32 V.S.A. § 3411(4) powers of the property valuation and review division [maintain
confidentiality of local information]
32 V.S.A. § 4009 examination of inventories [inventories used for grand lists]
32 V.S.A. § 5901 consent to use or disclosure of information [tax returns prepared by someone
other than the tax payer]
32 V.S.A. § 5902 persons preparing returns [tax returns prepared by someone other than the tax
payer]
32 V.S.A. § 5926(c) credit for new jobs in a job development zone [tax commissioner;
commissioner of employment and training; employment figures; federal exemptions]
32 V.S.A. § 5939(b) confidentiality exemption; nondisclosure [provide for protection and
security of tax information]
33 V.S.A. § 111 records, restrictions, penalties [PATH; applicant or recipient
information]
33 V.S.A. § 113(b) desertion and nonsupport, information from governmental entities and public
utilities [office of child support; PATH; information locating the address, assets or income]
33 V.S.A. § 115(g) access to financial records of deposit accounts of individuals who owe
overdue child support [office of child support]
33 V.S.A. § 306 administrative procedures [department of social and rehabilitation services]
33 V.S.A. § 309 access to records [commissioner of social and rehabilitation services; Vermont
crime information center; records of convictions]
33 V.S.A. § 1972 Vermont health access trust fun established [state treasurer; agency of human services]
33 V.S.A. § 4105 access to information; disclosure and confidentiality [office of child
support]
33 V.S.A. § 4305 coordinated system of care [departments of developmental and mental health
services, social and rehabilitation services, and education; coordinated services plan for children
with severe emotional disturbances]
33 V.S.A. § 4702(b) system for services to children at risk of school failure [secretary of
human services; commissioner of education; confidentiality policy]
33 V.S.A. § 4913(d) suspected child abuse and neglect; remedial action [commissioner of social and
rehabilitation services; name of person reporting suspected abuse]
33 V.S.A. § 4916 records of abuse and neglect [commissioner of social and rehabilitation
services; registry of abuse]
33 V.S.A. § 5505 transfer from other courts [juvenile court]
33 V.S.A. § 5523 conduct of hearings [juvenile court]
33 V.S.A. § 5527 continuation of hearing; disposition report [commissioners of social and
rehabilitation services and corrections; juvenile court]
33 V.S.A. § 5532 modification or vacation of orders [courts]
33 V.S.A. § 5536 juvenile court records [see also 33 V.S.A. §5536a limited
exception to confidentially of records of juveniles maintained by family court]
33 V.S.A. § 5536a limited exception to confidentiality of records of juveniles maintained by the
family court [family court]
33 V.S.A. § 6321(c) attendant care services [human services; department of health]
33 V.S.A. § 6705 subrogation [PATH; medical care records]
33 V.S.A. § 6903 suspected abuse, neglect and exploitation of elderly or disabled adults;
reports [dept. of aging and disabilities; identity of person reporting abuse]
33 V.S.A. § 6908 immunity from liability [agency of human services; dept. of aging and disabilities]
33 V.S.A. § 6909 retaliatory action by employer prohibited [agency of human services; dept. of aging and
disabilities]
33 V.S.A. § 6911 records of abuse, neglect and exploitation [commissioner of human services]
33 V.S.A. § 7112 confidential information [nursing homes; identity of complainants;
unsubstantiated complaints]
33 V.S.A. § 7116 criminal penalty [agency of human services]
33 V.S.A. § 7301 nursing home residents' bill of rights [nursing homes]
33 V.S.A. § 7503 responsibilities of the office [office of long-term care ombudsman]
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