About the Office

The Office of the Secretary of State performs a number of important functions:

Administrative Procedures Act — Rule Making

The Office of the Secretary of State oversees the filing and publication of administrative rules by all state agencies.

Business Services

The Business Services Division is responsible for Vermont business entity charter filings, foreign business entity qualifications, and assumed business name (f.k.a. trade name) registrations. The division also serves as the filing repository for Uniform Commercial Code filings for the State of Vermont. Additionally, the division maintains other miscellaneous state registrations like those for amusement ride operators, data brokers, fantasy sports operators, trademarks and telemarketers.

Elections

The Elections division protects the integrity of campaigning and elections in Vermont. It administers Vermont’s elections, oversees campaign finance reporting and lobbyist disclosure laws and encourages civic participation.

Municipal Programs

The Office of the Secretary of State works to strengthen Vermont’s municipalities by providing local officials and members of the public with information, assistance, and educational materials related to municipal law and practice and the requirements of Vermont’s open government laws.

Notary

The Office of the Secretary of State oversees notaries public for the State of Vermont.

Office of Professional Regulation

The Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) was created to protect the public from unethical, incompetent or otherwise unprofessional behavior. OPR currently licenses, certifies, and registers 50 occupations and professions and approximately 55,000 licensees. The office is also charged with the investigation and any resulting discipline of these licensees.

Safe at Home

The Safe at Home address confidentiality program helps victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking avoid being tracked down by an abuser using state or local public records. Program participants use the program’s address in all public records and their mail is forwarded to their confidential location.

Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA)

The Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA) is charged with administering the Statewide Records and Information Management (RIM) Program for all public agencies in accordance with generally accepted record-keeping principles and industry standards and best practices. This includes issuing record schedules governing the life cycle management, retention, and disposition of public records; assisting public agencies in establishing internal RIM programs; operating a records center for inactive analog State public records; and taking legal custody of State archival records, regardless of format, in accordance with record schedules.