Chittenden County, Vermont Court Filing
Fee Lookup

Court filing fees in Chittenden County, Vermont are collected by the Chittenden County Probate Court in Burlington according to Vermont's statutory fee schedule, plus any local surcharges authorized by county ordinance. With 168,323 residents and ranked the most populous jurisdiction in Vermont, Chittenden County operates within the Superior Court (unified — all divisions: civil, family, probate, criminal, environmental) and follows both the state's base fee requirements and its own local additions.

Chittenden County is Vermont's most populous county, home to Burlington's walkable Church Street, the University of Vermont, and a progressive food and craft beer culture along Lake Champlain's eastern shore. These local economic characteristics shape the types of legal proceedings filed in Chittenden County — from probate of estates that include commercial property or business interests near Burlington to civil disputes arising from the county's primary industries.

The Chittenden County Probate Court handles the full range of case types for this community, with filing fees applying uniformly based on case type regardless of the underlying subject matter.

Chittenden County is known for landmarks including University of Vermont, Church Street Marketplace (Burlington), Lake Champlain Waterfront. For residents and businesses in the areas surrounding these community anchors, knowing the applicable filing fees and court procedures in advance helps legal matters proceed efficiently at the Chittenden County Probate Court in Burlington.

• Filing fees in Chittenden County are based on Vermont's statutory schedule, which applies statewide, plus any local surcharges assessed by the county. For reference, the statewide base fees by case type are: probate and estate filings — $95–$175 (Superior Court — Probate Division)
• civil complaints and appearances — $260–$295 (Superior Court — Civil Division)
• family law matters (divorce, custody, support) — $260–$295 (Superior Court — Family Division)
• small claims filings — $95–$125 (Superior Court — Small Claims). These figures represent the state-level base
• the total amount due at the Chittenden County Probate Court in Burlington may include additional local charges.

As one of Vermont's larger jurisdictions, Chittenden County may assess higher local surcharges than the state's rural counties, reflecting the greater administrative cost of operating a high-volume court in Burlington.

• Beyond the initial filing fee, Chittenden County litigants and estate administrators should budget for recurring court costs throughout the proceeding: fees for filing subsequent motions and responses, charges for certified copies of letters testamentary or court orders (typically $5 to $25 per document in Vermont), jury demand deposits in civil cases, and in probate matters, fees associated with filing the inventory, accountings, and petition for discharge.
• For a complete picture of expected court costs in Chittenden County, request the full fee schedule from the Chittenden County Probate Court clerk in Burlington before initiating the proceeding.

Vermont has been expanding electronic filing (e-filing) capabilities across its court system. Chittenden County is among the jurisdictions where e-filing is more established.

For this major county, the Chittenden County Probate Court in Burlington likely participates in the state's e-filing system, and represented parties in civil and family matters may be required to file electronically. Contact the Chittenden County Probate Court clerk directly to confirm the current e-filing requirements for your specific case type.

When e-filing is available in Chittenden County, the system charges a convenience fee per transaction — typically $2 to $8 — in addition to the applicable statutory court fees. This convenience fee is charged by the e-filing service provider rather than the court itself and is generally non-waivable even for litigants who have received a court fee waiver.

Self-represented litigants (pro se filers) are often exempt from mandatory e-filing requirements and may file in paper at the Chittenden County Probate Court clerk's window in Burlington during regular business hours.

For probate and estate matters in Chittenden County, e-filing availability may differ from civil cases. Some Vermont probate courts have been slower to adopt e-filing given the document-intensive nature of estate proceedings — original wills, certified death certificates, and original deeds often require in-person or mail submission regardless of whether other case types accept electronic filing.

Verify with the Chittenden County Probate Court in Burlington which documents can be e-filed and which require physical originals before planning your filing strategy.

• Chittenden County residents who cannot afford court filing fees may apply for a fee waiver under Vt.
• Stat.
• Ann.
• tit.
• 32, § 1431.
• To apply, file a declaration of financial condition with the Chittenden County Probate Court clerk's office in Burlington at the time of your initial filing.
• The declaration lists all household income sources, monthly expenses, assets, and liabilities.
• A judge or court commissioner reviews the application and issues an order granting or denying the waiver, typically within a few days of submission.

• Eligibility for a fee waiver in Chittenden County generally requires that household income fall at or below 125% to 200% of the federal poverty level, or that the applicant is receiving qualifying public benefits — commonly Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or public housing assistance.
• The specific income thresholds and qualifying programs are defined in Vt.
• Stat.
• Ann.
• tit.
• 32, § 1431 and may have been updated by recent legislation.
• Ask the Chittenden County Probate Court clerk in Burlington for the current income guidelines before completing your declaration.

• A granted fee waiver covers filing fees charged by the Chittenden County Probate Court — including initial filing fees and subsequent filings in the same case — but does not cover costs owed to third parties.
• In Chittenden County probate proceedings, a fee waiver does not eliminate the cost of publishing a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation (a statutory requirement in most states), service of process fees paid to process servers or the sheriff's office, or costs for court-ordered appraisals.
• Budget for these additional costs separately even when a fee waiver is in effect.