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VT · Find someone in custody

How do I find someone in jail or prison in Vermont?

Take a breath. You can find where your person is being held in Vermont using official sources — here is exactly where to look and what to have ready.

State locator
Vermont DOC Offender Locator
VINELink
Covers Vermont
Last verified
2026-07-23
Jurisdiction
Vermont

Which system is holding them in Vermont?

There is no single search that covers everyone. Match the situation to the right official locator — most families start with the first one.

If the arrest was recent

Start with the county jail

Vermont is unusual: it runs a UNIFIED state corrections system with NO county-run jails.

A person who was just arrested and not released is held in a state-run Vermont Department of Corrections facility, not a county jail, so the SAME Vermont DOC public roster is the right tool for both a brand-new arrest and a sentenced inmate - you do not need to hunt across county sheriff rosters.

Vermont also participates in the national VINE system (Vermont VINE), a free way to check custody status and register for alerts by phone, email, or text (search at vinelink.com or use the VINELink app).

For a very recent booking or bail details, call Vermont DOC at 802-241-2442.

Vermont has NO county-run jails; the state Department of Corrections operates all correctional facilities and holds both pretrial detainees and sentenced inmates. Use the Vermont DOC public roster or Vermont VINE rather than looking for a county sheriff's jail roster, and call Vermont DOC (802-241-2442) for recent bookings and bail.

Search VINELink (choose Vermont)

If they were sentenced to prison

Use the state prison locator

The Vermont Department of Corrections publishes an official public roster / Offender Locator (hosted as the VERMONTDOC 'JailTracker Public Roster'), reachable from the state's Offender Locator service page at vermont.gov.

Search by name or ID to review custody status, facility, and basic booking information.

IMPORTANT VERMONT DIFFERENCE: Vermont runs a UNIFIED state corrections system and has NO county-run jails, so this same Vermont DOC roster also lists people held pretrial (the just-arrested audience), not only sentenced prisoners - unlike almost every other state, where the DOC locator shows sentenced prison inmates only.

Vermont DOC information line: 802-241-2442 (no fee to use the locator).

Open the Vermont inmate locator

If the charge is federal

Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons

A federal charge means the person is in the federal system, not a Vermont state or county facility. Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator by name or register number — it is separate from every state and county tool.

Search the Federal BOP locator

Finding your person in Vermont, step by step

Work through these in order. Each step points to an official source — you do the searching there, on the government site.

  1. Step 1

    Figure out where the person is likely held

    In Vermont, because there are no county jails, almost anyone in state custody - whether just arrested and held pretrial or already sentenced - is in a Vermont Department of Corrections facility, so start with the Vermont DOC public roster. If the charge is federal, they are in federal custody instead (use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator).

    Official source

  2. Step 2

    Search the Vermont DOC public roster / Offender Locator

    Use the Vermont DOC public roster (linked from the state's Offender Locator service page) and search by name or ID to confirm the facility, custody status, and basic booking information. Because it is a unified system, this covers pretrial detainees and sentenced inmates alike.

    Official source

  3. Step 3

    Use Vermont VINE or call Vermont DOC if the roster shows nothing yet

    Search VINELink (Vermont VINE) by name and register for free custody-status alerts. If a very recent booking has not appeared online yet, call Vermont DOC at 802-241-2442 to confirm custody and bail.

    Official source

  4. Step 4

    For a federal arrest, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

    If the charge is federal, search the BOP inmate locator by name or register number instead of the state tools.

    Official source

What you’ll need to search

You can start with just a name, but these make a match faster and surer.

  • The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nickname, or maiden name.
  • Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match.
  • A Vermont DOC ID number if you already have one (helpful but not required to search).

Use official, free sources — and a few things to watch for

  • Use only official sources: the Vermont DOC public roster / Offender Locator, Vermont VINE, or a call to Vermont DOC (802-241-2442). Confirm a match by full name and date of birth, since name-only matches are common.
  • Vermont's unified system means the DOC roster - not a county jail roster - is the right tool; Vermont has no county jails to search.
  • Be wary of paid data-broker 'inmate search' and mugshot sites. They are not official, often charge fees, and may show stale, incomplete, or expunged records.
  • Custody data can lag. Someone booked within the last few hours may not appear online yet; if an official source shows nothing, call Vermont DOC.
  • This tool only links to official sources. It does not store, search, or republish any inmate records itself.

If you need to bail them out in Vermont

Finding the person comes first. Once you know where they are, this is how getting them out works in Vermont.

Commercial bail available

In Vermont, commercial bail exists. If a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash directly with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee. A judge may also release the person on their own recognizance or on set conditions, so ask the court or the jail what applies before paying anyone.

Commercial surety bail bonds are legally permitted in Vermont, but the state has little to no active commercial bail-bond industry, so in practice most defendants do not use a bondsman.

Under Vermont's pretrial-release statute (13 V.S.A. § 7554), a person is ordinarily released on personal recognizance or an unsecured appearance bond, or on conditions of release; when money bail is set, it is typically posted directly with the court, either the full cash amount or a refundable deposit of not more than 10 percent of the bond amount, returned when the defendant makes the required appearances.

Paying a commercial bondsman's premium is not the usual path in Vermont.

There is generally no commercial bondsman premium to pay in Vermont, because the state has little to no commercial bail-bond industry. If bail is set, it is typically posted directly with the court, either the full cash amount or a refundable deposit of up to 10 percent of the bond under 13 V.S.A. section 7554, most of which is returned when you make your required appearances. Ask the court clerk about the 10 percent deposit option and about release on conditions.

The person’s rights. The person in custody has the right to talk to a lawyer about their case, and if they cannot afford one, the court can appoint a public defender.

Other official Vermont contacts

County jails are run by the sheriff where the arrest happened — call that jail’s booking or records line for a very recent booking or the bail amount. These statewide sources can also help.

Common questions about finding someone in Vermont

How do I find someone who was just arrested in Vermont?

Vermont is unusual: it runs a UNIFIED state corrections system with NO county-run jails. A person who was just arrested and not released is held in a state-run Vermont Department of Corrections facility, not a county jail, so the SAME Vermont DOC public roster is the right tool for both a brand-new arrest and a sentenced inmate - you do not need to hunt across county sheriff rosters. Vermont also participates in the national VINE system (Vermont VINE), a free way to check custody status and register for alerts by phone, email, or text (search at vinelink.com or use the VINELink app). For a very recent booking or bail details, call Vermont DOC at 802-241-2442.

How do I find someone in state prison in Vermont?

The Vermont Department of Corrections publishes an official public roster / Offender Locator (hosted as the VERMONTDOC 'JailTracker Public Roster'), reachable from the state's Offender Locator service page at vermont.gov. Search by name or ID to review custody status, facility, and basic booking information. IMPORTANT VERMONT DIFFERENCE: Vermont runs a UNIFIED state corrections system and has NO county-run jails, so this same Vermont DOC roster also lists people held pretrial (the just-arrested audience), not only sentenced prisoners - unlike almost every other state, where the DOC locator shows sentenced prison inmates only. Vermont DOC information line: 802-241-2442 (no fee to use the locator).

Is there a free way to check if someone is in custody in Vermont?

Yes. VINELink (the free national custody service) covers Vermont. Search by name for custody status and register for free alerts. County jail rosters and the state locator are also free and official.

What do I need to look someone up in Vermont?

The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nickname, or maiden name. Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match. A Vermont DOC ID number if you already have one (helpful but not required to search).

Does Vermont have commercial bail bondsmen?

Yes. Commercial bail exists in Vermont: if a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee, and a judge may also grant own-recognizance or conditional release.

Sources & last verified

Everything here links out to official government or public-safety sources. We don’t store, search, or republish records.

Last verified 2026-07-23 · 9 sources