Research at the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA)

Records maintained by the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA) document Vermont state government, from its creation in 1777 to the present. Popular records include:

• Vital records (birth, death, marriage and divorce records) dating from 1857 to five years from the present (with scattered pre-1857 records).
• The Manuscript Vermont State Papers (MSVTSP), which include laws, petitions, and other records from 1777 to the late 19th Century. The Nye Index is a name index to the MSVTSP ranging from 1777 to circa 1840.
• Legislative records, including original acts dating back to the 18th Century, legislative committee minutes since 1917, and Legislative Council records and studies from 1965 forward.
• The official correspondence of governors, including some scatterings of records that pre-date the 1864 mandate that gubernatorial records be deposited with the secretary of state.
• Election records dating from the mid-19th Century to the present and including canvasses of votes, campaign finance and other election records.
• Records of the Surveyor-General, including many of the town maps and lotting plans created before the office was abolished in 1838.

Our record series database can be searched to identify records maintained in the State Archives. If you have questions you can also use the research assistance link  to request help on specific record types.

IMPORTANT NOTE: VSARA does not provide public access to records stored in the State Records Center. These records are under the jurisdiction of their respective agencies. Individuals wishing to inspect and use records stored at the Records Center must contact the agency directly.