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Money disputes up to $5,000 are settled in the Chittenden County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
What follows covers the maximum you can claim in Chittenden County, court fees, the right courthouse, serving the defendant, the deadlines that apply, and the filing process itself. Squabble handles the documents and the filing if you want that.
Small claims in Chittenden County are heard at the courthouse below. When you file, the court confirms the right location for your case based on where the defendant lives or where your dispute happened.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Check the filing location first. The court's small-claims page lists where papers are taken today, and Squabble confirms it for your case as part of filing.
Small claims filings from Chittenden County are handled at Chittenden County Courthouse in Burlington. Chittenden County covers 26 ZIP codes, including the Burlington, Charlotte and Colchester areas.
Paper filing is the route at this court, either in person or by post. Squabble puts the documents together in the form the clerk expects.
Small claims are heard at the courthouse, in person.
Two sets of evidence are needed, one for the judge and one for the other side, and some courts also take it electronically in advance.
Residents of Chittenden County, Vermont, a county of 170,851 people, can bring small claims cases through the Vermont Small Claims Court, which handles claims up to $5,000. Cases from the county are heard at the Chittenden County Courthouse, located at 175 Main St., Burlington, 05401. The county covers Burlington, South Burlington, Winooski, Colchester, Essex, Essex Junction, Milton, Shelburne, Williston, Richmond, Hinesburg, Jericho, Underhill, Underhill Center, Charlotte, Huntington, Jonesville, and Westford, along with ZIP codes including 05403, 05404, 05446, 05452, 05461, 05468, 05477, and 05482. It lies near Lamoille County, Grand Isle County, and Washington County. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. The clerk's office can be reached at (802) 863-3467, asking for the Chittenden County Civil Division, and further information is posted at https://www.chittendencountycourt.org/. Electronic filing is not available for small claims cases in this county, so filings are handled at the courthouse.
Chittenden County covers these 18 towns and cities:
Burlington, Charlotte, Colchester, Essex, Essex Junction, Hinesburg, Huntington, Jericho, Jonesville, Milton, Richmond, Shelburne, South Burlington, Underhill, Underhill Center, Westford, Williston, Winooski.
Of Vermont's 14 counties, Chittenden County is 1st by population at roughly 170,851 people. Chittenden County Courthouse in Burlington lies around 12 miles from the Grand Isle County courthouse in North Hero and 17 miles from the Washington County courthouse in Montpelier.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
Everyday disputes over money belong in the small claims division, where the rules are simplified, and the sum in question has an upper bound.
Maximum claim
Two venues are usually open: where events took place, or where the other side is based.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
The court decides who pays whom and how much. Anything beyond money goes to a higher court.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in Vermont, though nobody has to have one. The process assumes you will speak for yourself.
A claim involving a minor is brought by a court-appointed guardian.
Over the limit? Claims over the cap can go two ways: cut to the limit and stay, or move to regular civil court at full value. Cutting it normally waives the excess.
Chittenden County is under the same limits as nearby Lamoille County and Grand Isle County. They are the same across all 26 Chittenden County ZIP codes, from 05401 onward.
Debts up to $5,000 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
Chittenden County Courthouse is the Chittenden County courthouse listed below. Chittenden County takes in Burlington, Charlotte and Colchester and the rest of the county.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Complete the claim form, choose the right court, and pay the filing fee.
Formal notice reaches the other party, who then has a window to respond or resolve it.
A short hearing, held in the courtroom or remotely where that is offered. A decision follows on the day or shortly afterwards.
Chittenden County Courthouse lists (802) 863-3467 as its number. Everything below applies to a case filed in Chittenden County, at the Burlington courthouse.
Filing is only half of it. The defendant has to receive formal notice, a step called service of process, and in most cases you cannot hand over the papers yourself.
Courts accept service by a sheriff or constable, a professional server, the clerk via certified mail, or an adult who is not party to the case. Permitted methods and charges change by county.
How long before the hearing notice must be given is set by the court. That deadline arrives with your hearing date.
A completed proof of service records who delivered the papers and when, and it is filed with the court beforehand.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Addresses in Chittenden County include places such as Burlington, Charlotte and Colchester. Lamoille County and Grand Isle County are the counties nearest to Chittenden County.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| Kind of claim | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
The same periods apply in Chittenden County as in nearby Lamoille County and Grand Isle County, which are in the same state. They do not change from one Chittenden County ZIP code to another, 05401 included.
Money owed under a contract in Vermont generally accrues interest at 12% per year before judgment (9 V.S.A. §41a; Vt. R. Civ. P. 54).
Want to estimate what interest adds to your claim? Use the Squabble interest calculator to see the running total before you file.
The rate above is the one for Chittenden County, population about 170,851. Chittenden County is under the same state rate as nearby Lamoille County and Grand Isle County.
Confirm the sum sits under the cap and that the time limit for this kind of claim has not run out.
State the party's full legal name, explain the events, and set out the calculation.
File with the Chittenden County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $50–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Arrange service once your hearing date is set and file the proof of service with the court.
Sort the documents and exhibits in advance so they can be handed up in order.
Come to the hearing in person or remotely where permitted, present the facts, and get the ruling.
Go through the events with Eleanor. The documents are prepared, Triple-Checked™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and filed for you.
Start for FREE →Three documents recur: the claim form that begins it, the proof of service confirming delivery, and a fee waiver if eligible. Names vary locally; Squabble selects the correct versions.
Burlington, Charlotte and Colchester are among the places in Chittenden County that filings come from. Chittenden County takes in filings from 26 ZIP codes, 05401 first in the list.
Expect a short, informal hearing in which the judge asks the questions. Most people present their own case.
Chittenden County Courthouse sits at the 05401 address shown above. Chittenden County has about 170,851 residents.
A judgment is the court's decision. Collecting it is a separate step, with court-backed tools if the other side doesn't pay. Which tools are available depends on state law.
Part of the debtor's earnings may be redirected toward the judgment where state law provides for it.
A levy lets the court reach money sitting in the debtor's bank account.
Filing the judgment with the county can attach a lien to land or buildings the debtor owns.
You can also ask the court to order the debtor to appear and disclose income and assets under oath. An unpaid judgment generally keeps accruing interest at the rate state law sets until it's satisfied.
Burlington, Charlotte and Colchester are among the Chittenden County places a judgment debtor may live in. Lamoille County and Grand Isle County are the counties nearest to Chittenden County.
Checked August 2026. Because courts revise fees, limits and procedures, confirm the current position before filing.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Chittenden County case for you.
