Vermont Small Claims Court Forms

The Forms You Need to Start a Case

The Vermont Superior Court Civil Division uses specific numbered forms at each stage of a small claims case. Official court forms are available at vtcourts.gov; VTLawHelp.org also offers free guides and an interactive form tool. Here's what each one does and when you file it.

Form 100-00257 — Small Claims Information and Instructions for Plaintiff and Small Claims Complaint. This is the document that starts your case. It includes the plaintiff instructions and the complaint itself. You fill in your name, the defendant's name and address, the amount you're claiming, and a factual narrative of the dispute. File this with the Civil Division Clerk in the proper county along with your filing fee ($65 for claims up to $1,000; $90 for claims over $1,000).

Form 100-00259 — Small Claims Information and Instructions for Defendant. You don't fill this out — you include it in the service packet you mail to the defendant after the clerk returns the signed summons. It explains the defendant's 30-day window to file an Answer and their rights in the process.

Form 100-00126 — Small Claims Answer. The defendant uses this to respond to your complaint. If they file a counterclaim on this form, they pay a separate fee ($25 for counterclaims of $500 or less, $35 for counterclaims over $500).

Service and Proof Forms

Form 100-00260 — Certificate of Service. After you mail the complaint and summons to the defendant via first-class mail, you file this form with the clerk and send a copy to the defendant to prove you completed the mailing within seven days of receiving the signed summons.

Form 100-00261 — Sheriff's Return of Service. If the defendant doesn't answer within 30 days of your mailing, you arrange in-hand delivery through a sheriff or constable. The serving officer completes this form and returns it to you; you file it with the court within 60 days of your original mailing, confirming personal service.

Form 100-00262 — Motion for Default Judgment and Declaration. If the defendant does not answer within 30 days after sheriff service, you can file this within 60 days of the answer deadline to request a default judgment. It requires a signed affidavit of the debt and a Servicemembers Civil Relief Act declaration.

Post-Judgment and Appeal Forms

Form 100-00291 — Small Claims Notice of Appeal. Either party files this within 30 days of the judgment to appeal to the Civil Division. The appeal fee is $120.

Form 100-00279 — Motion for a Financial Disclosure Hearing. If the defendant won't pay after you win, this form asks the court to compel them to appear and disclose their income and assets. There's a $65 filing fee.

Form 600-00228 — Application to Waive Filing Fees and Service Costs. If you can't afford the filing fee, submit this with a financial affidavit detailing your household finances. A granted waiver covers the court filing fee and sheriff service costs.

Assembling the Initial Filing Packet

When you're ready to file, your packet should include:

1. Completed Form 100-00257 (your complaint)
2. Filing fee payment or Form 600-00228 (fee waiver application)
3. Supporting documents (contracts, invoices, photos) — not required at filing but useful to have organized early

After the clerk processes your filing and issues the summons, you'll need to assemble the service packet for the defendant: the signed complaint, summons, Form 100-00259, and blank copies of Form 100-00126 and Form 100-00128 (Disclosure of Exempt Income).

Filing Format Rules

If you're filing electronically — by email or through eFile & Serve — every PDF must be "flattened" before submission. That means completing the fillable PDF, then printing it to a new PDF file. Unflattened forms cause processing errors and get rejected by the clerk.

Email filers must send documents to the official county court email address (not to individual judges or staff), use a subject line that includes the court division, unit name, and document title, and sign with either a scanned signature or typed /s/ Full Legal Name.

The Vermont Small Claims Filing Guide includes a step-by-step form assembly checklist and a service tracker log that maps each form to the deadline it triggers, so nothing falls through the cracks.

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