What you can do at the Town Clerk’s office

The Groton Town Clerk’s office is a hub of town government activity. If the Clerk’s office can’t help you, they will know where to direct you for assistance or answers. Here’s a rundown on what you can do at the Town Clerk’s office, and what other services the Clerk’s office provides.

Purchase a dog license: All dogs six months old or older must have a current rabies certificate and be registered with the Town Clerk’s office by April 1 each year. If your dog has been licensed in another Vermont town we will honor that year’s license and issue you a new one at no charge. If you are a new resident you must register your dogs within 30 days of moving to town. Licenses cost $10 for neutered or spayed dogs, $14 for those not neutered or spayed. An up-to-date rabies vaccination certificate is needed. Dog licenses are due to be renewed annually by the April first. After this date, an additional late fee will be assessed. The Town Clerk sponsors a rabies shot and licensing clinic each year in March — watch this site for details.

Renew your motor vehicle registration: You can do this at the Town Clerk’s office if you’re too late to renew by mail, aren’t able to renew online via the State website, www.dmv/express  or you can’t get to the DMV office in person. Renewals at the Clerk’s office cost $3 on top of the state fee, which must be paid separately from your check to the Motor Vehicle Department. You must have and bring with you the renewal form you received in the mail, and your registration cannot be expired by more than 2 months. You will be issued a temporary registration and temporary sticker to use until you receive the state registration and sticker in the mail.

NEW! RESEARCH LAND RECORDS ONLINE: Groton’s land records portal is available at

Groton Online Land Records

At this site, scans of nearly 40 years of the town’s land records are now available for viewing and online purchase for the convenience of downloading and printing. Records researchers can still make an appointment for searching by emailing or calling the Town Clerk’s office.

Pay your property taxes at the Treasurer’s office: Property tax bills are sent to property owners once a year, with taxes due in November. The annual dates are set each year by town meeting. If your taxes are paid by a bank, mortgage company or escrow company, please call the Town Treasurer at 584-3131 to verify that payment has been made prior to the due date.

Get something notarized: Both the Town Clerk and Treasurer are Notaries, and will notarize documents for you at no charge.

Register to vote:  To register to vote through your town clerk:

• Note: in addition to the procedures below, you can now also register at the polls on any election day. You will need an approved form of ID as listed below.
• Complete the Vermont Application for Addition to the Checklist (VT Voter Registration Form).https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/sos/Elections%20Division/voters/voterapplication.pdf
• Bring in of an approved form of ID. Approved ID must be one of the following:
  • A driver’s license or U.S. passport
  • A bank statement or utility bill
  • A government document
• Mail the application or deliver it in person to the Town Clerk’s office (mailing address: Town Clerk, 1476 Scott Hwy, Groton, VT 05046
• Your application will then be reviewed by your town clerk. You’ll be notified within a few days if your voter application was approved.
• Alternatively, you can register online or at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
• If you move or change your name, you can update your information using the Online Voter Registration System or by contacting the Town Clerk. It is important to do this as soon as possible to ensure that all voting information remains current.

Get copies of official documents:

• Vital Statistics – certified copies of the following documents are available at the cost of $10 each. Download the Application for Certified Copy of Birth or Death Certificate or complete it at the office:
  • Birth Certificates
  • Death certificates
  • Marriage Certificates
• Copies of Land Records or any other document maintained in the vault are available at $1.00 per page

Record deeds and land records:

• Deeds, Land Records and other official paper documents are recorded at a fee of $15 per page, with the exception of the Property Transfer Tax Return (PTTR) that must accompany all deeds; that document is considered a single page for recording fees and the charge is $15 per PTTR, regardless of the number of pages. If you have questions on recording documents or fees, please call the Town Clerk.
• Note that Town Clerk does not perform property/title or genealogical research. You must visit the office in person during working hours and a research fee of $2.00 per hour is charged for using the vault and resources. The fee for the first half hour is generally waived.

Get a marriage license: The cost is $80 for the license (this is a state fee, the town keeps only $10). There is an additional fee of $10 each if you request certified copies.

Marriage Application

Purchase a cemetery plot: Contact the Town Clerk's office for available cemetery plots and pricing.

 File property transfer tax information: The property transfer tax is a tax on the transfer by deed of title to real property in Vermont. A Property Transfer Tax Return must be filed with the Town Clerk whenever a deed that shows the transfer of title to real property is delivered to a town clerk for recording. The Town Clerk cannot record a deed unless it is accompanied by a completed Property Transfer Tax Return. The town will file this return with the Department of Taxes within 30 days of receipt. Filing the forms and paying the tax is generally handled through lawyers, but can be done by individuals at the Town Clerk’s office. The fee to register a deed is a $15 per page recording fee. Copies of deeds can be purchased at $1 per page.

Zoning Permits: Applications for a Zoning/Building Permit  or stop by the office to pick up one. Please reach out to Dan Webster, Zoning Administrator, for additional questions.

Right of Way Permits:  A permit is required for a new driveway on a Town road from the town Road Commissioner.  Right of Way/Curb Cut Permit

E911 addresses: To obtain an E911 Address, contact the Town Clerk and an address will be assigned.

Obtain an overweight vehicle permit: Permits are $10 per year for a fleet or $5 per year per individual truck to use the town roads for overweight vehicle travel. Each permit allows the recipient an unlimited number of trips.

Apply for a liquor license: If you wish to open an establishment selling alcoholic beverages in any form, apply at the Town Clerk’s office.

Purchase a Green Mountain Passport: If you are 62 years old or older and a Vermont resident, or a veteran who has been honorably discharged from active duty in US armed services, you are eligible for a lifetime day entry pass into the Vermont State Parks called the Green Mountain Passport. This is available only at Town Clerk’s offices, and costs $2. Each Passport provides free day use pass for life for one individual.

In addition to all of the above, the Town Clerk:

• Serves as a voting member Board of Tax Abatement, which grants tax abatements in special cases,
• Serves as a voting member of the Board of Civil Authority, which assists with the running of elections, acts as a quasi-judicial board for grievances between taxpayers and assessors, and maintains the voter checklist,
• Receives funds and forms for land postings (deeds, mortgages, etc., with a $15 per page filing fee)
• Updates the 911 Addressing system as needed, and
• Serves as the recording officer and clerk of the town’s Liquor Control Board. (The Selectboard serves in this capacity.)
• Finally, the Town Clerk’s office takes care of distributing the mail to town offices on a daily basis, answering phone calls and fielding in-person inquiries of all kinds.