Vermont small claims
How to fill out Vermont's Small Claims Complaint (100-00257)
Official form: 100-00257 — Small Claims Complaint · Walkthrough written against 100-00257 — Complaint & Notice to Plaintiff (03/2025)
Download the official form — free, from the court
The only authoritative copy of this form is the court's own. Courts re-issue forms, so downloading a fresh copy right before filing beats reusing a saved one. We link the official source and never host court forms ourselves.
Get the official 100-00257 from the court's site →Link verified 2026-07-04. If it has moved, the court's forms index and clerk's office will have the current version — verify with the court before filing.
What this form is
Vermont's small claims case starts with form 100-00257, the "Small Claims Complaint," filed in the Small Claims docket of the Superior Court's Civil Division. The official PDF is three pages: two pages of the court's own "Small Claims Information and Instructions for Plaintiff," then the one-page complaint you complete.
The instructions set the limits: claims up to $10,000, except that consumer credit transaction and medical debt claims cap at $5,000 (the form cites 15 U.S.C. § 1679a and 18 V.S.A. § 9481 for the definitions). They also note that suing in small claims for a claim worth more than the limit means giving up the excess — larger claims belong in the regular Civil Division.
Vermont's most distinctive feature is the service sequence spelled out in the instructions: you file the complaint with the fee, the court mails you back a Summons and Complaint stamped with your case number, and then you mail those to the defendant by first class mail within 7 days — along with the defendant's instruction sheet and a blank Answer form — and file a Certificate of Service with the court. If the defendant doesn't answer within 30 days, sheriff or constable service is the next step.
The form, field by field
What each part of the form asks for, in the form's own order. These are descriptions of the questions — what to answer depends on facts only you know, and the court clerk or the form's own instructions are the authoritative sources.
The caption
Unit / Case No. / Plaintiff(s) / Defendant(s)
Which Superior Court unit (Vermont's Superior Court sits in units by county) and the party names. The case number is assigned by the court — and the instructions ask you to use it whenever you contact the court about the case.
Plaintiff's information
Name, date of birth, address, city/state/zip, phones, email
Your identifying and contact information — the form asks for a date of birth for the plaintiff, which helps the court identify parties precisely.
Name and address of attorney
Completed only when a lawyer represents you. The instructions note that lawyers are allowed in Vermont small claims but not required, and that many people represent themselves.
Amount of Claim
Principal / Interest / Court Costs / Total
A four-line money table. The Court Costs line has the fee tiers printed directly on the form: "$65.00 for $1,000.00 or less / $90.00 for more than $1,000.00" — so the filing fee is itemized as part of the claim rather than tracked separately. The total sums the three lines above.
Defendant's information
Name, date of birth, address, city/state/zip
The defendant's identifying information, with the form's note to attach a sheet for additional defendants. The address is where you will mail the Summons and Complaint.
The complaint narrative and signature
"BRIEFLY EXPLAIN YOUR COMPLAINT"
A dozen lines for the claim in your own words. The instructions describe what the space is for: enough information for the defendant and the judge to know what the case is about, with all important dates included — their example is a security-deposit case stated in three plain sentences.
Date, signature, printed name
You date and sign the complaint and print your name. No notarization is required.
Common reasons clerks reject this form
Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:
- ⚠Entering the wrong Court Costs figure — the tiers are printed on the form: $65 for claims of $1,000 or less, $90 above that; a mismatched fee line and check hold up filing.
- ⚠A consumer credit or medical debt claim over $5,000 — the instructions cap those claim types at $5,000 even though the general limit is $10,000.
- ⚠Missing the 7-day mailing window — once the court sends back the Summons and Complaint with the case number, the instructions require mailing them to the defendant within 7 days, with the defendant's instruction sheet and a blank Answer form.
- ⚠Skipping the Certificate of Service — after mailing to the defendant, the instructions require filing the certificate with the court; without it the court can't see that service happened.
- ⚠Letting service lapse after no answer — if the defendant doesn't answer within 30 days of the first-class mailing, the instructions require sheriff or constable service, with the Return of Service filed within 60 days of the first mailing, or the case may be dismissed.
- ⚠Extra defendants with no attachment — the form covers one defendant and says to attach a sheet for more.
What filing costs, and where it happens
Vermont's small claims filing fee is printed on the form itself: $65 for claims of $1,000 or less and $90 for claims over $1,000, payable to Vermont Superior Court when you file (those figures also match the judiciary's fee schedule as of January 2026). Sheriff or constable service, if it becomes necessary, has its own fee. The court's published fee schedule is the authoritative source; verify with the clerk before filing.
You may sue in the county where you live or where the defendant lives, and you file with the Superior Court's Civil Division for that unit — by mail or in person, sending the complaint, any attachments, and the fee. The court then mails you the Summons and Complaint with your case number, and the mail-then-certify service sequence described above begins. If the defendant answers and disputes the claim, the court sets a hearing and mails both parties a Notice of Hearing; if the defendant admits owing the money, the court issues a judgment order.
Published fees and court locations for your county are in our Vermont small claims guide and the court directory. Fees change — verify the current amount with the clerk before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get Vermont's Small Claims Complaint?
From vermontjudiciary.org — the official PDF (form 100-00257, with the plaintiff instructions attached) is free and linked on this page. Superior Court clerk's offices also provide it, along with the Answer form and defendant instructions you'll need for service.
How much can I sue for in Vermont small claims?
Up to $10,000 for most claims — but consumer credit transaction and medical debt claims cap at $5,000, per the definitions the form cites. Suing in small claims on a larger claim means giving up the amount above the limit.
Who serves the defendant in Vermont?
You do, at first — the court mails you the Summons and Complaint with the case number, and you mail them to the defendant by first class mail within 7 days, then file a Certificate of Service. Sheriff or constable service (with its own fee) is required only if the defendant doesn't answer within 30 days of your mailing.
Does the complaint need to be notarized?
No — it is dated and signed, with your name printed below the signature. No oath or notary is involved.
What happens after the defendant is served?
The defendant has 30 days to answer. An answer admitting the debt leads to a judgment order; an answer disputing it leads to a hearing (the instructions note hearing schedules vary by court). No answer after sheriff/constable service means the next step is a Motion for Default Judgment and Affidavit, filed within 60 days of when the answer was due.
Related guides
Form link verified: 2026-07-04. Reviewed against our Editorial Standards.
This is general information to help you understand the form — not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. Courts revise forms, fees, and procedures; the court's own instructions and your court clerk are the authoritative sources. Always verify with the court before filing.