What to do when someone dies in Vermont
When someone dies, the first thing to know is that almost nothing has to happen immediately. If the death was expected, you can sit with them. Take the time you need. The steps below cover what actually has to happen in Vermont, in the order it has to happen.
The sequence, step by step
The first hour
1. Make one phone call
If the death was expected and they were on hospice, call the hospice number, not 911. The nurse comes to the house, confirms the death, and sets everything in motion. If the death was unexpected, call 911; police and EMS attend, and the medical examiner or coroner may need to be involved before the body can be moved.
The first hour
2. Then stop
Once the death is officially pronounced, nothing else is legally required tonight. You can sit with your person. You can call family when you're ready. The paperwork, the decisions, the arrangements all keep until morning.
The first day
3. Choose a funeral home or cremation provider
Choosing the funeral home or cremation provider is the decision that sets everything else in motion: they collect your person from the place of death, file the death certificate, and handle the permits. It's also the biggest cost decision you'll make this week. In Vermont, the same direct cremation can vary by thousands of dollars between providers, so it's worth comparing two or three quotes even now.
The first day
4. Let them collect your person
Once you've chosen, the provider handles transport from the place of death, whether that's a home, hospital or care facility. Hospitals and hospices can hold the body while you decide, so a few hours of comparison calls costs nothing.
The first days
5. Order death certificates
Certified copies come from the Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records Office. Each copy costs $10 per certified copy (plus $2 online processing), ordered online, by mail, or through town and city clerks. Your funeral director or cremation provider files the original death certificate; you only order the copies. Order more than you think: ten certified copies is the standard advice. Banks, life insurers, the DMV, pension funds and property transfers each tend to want their own certified copy, and reordering later takes weeks.
The first days
6. Make the notifications that matter
Social Security (1-800-772-1213) to stop benefits and claim the $255 death payment if a spouse or child qualifies; the employer, for final pay and any life insurance through work; the VA if they served. Banks, insurers and subscriptions can wait for the certified copies.
The first weeks
7. The estate, at a humane pace
The will, probate if needed, closing accounts, transferring titles. None of it is a same-week emergency. Each institution will tell you exactly what it needs, which is nearly always a certified death certificate and patience.
The common questions
Who do you call first when someone dies in Vermont?
If the death was expected and they were on hospice, call the hospice number, not 911. The nurse comes to the house, confirms the death, and sets everything in motion. If the death was unexpected, call 911; police and EMS attend, and the medical examiner or coroner may need to be involved before the body can be moved.
How long do you have to bury or cremate someone in Vermont?
There's no legal deadline to hold a funeral in Vermont, and refrigeration means the timeline is a family decision. For cremation specifically: A short waiting period after death may apply before cremation can proceed.
How do I get a death certificate in Vermont, and what does it cost?
Certified copies come from the Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records Office. Each copy costs $10 per certified copy (plus $2 online processing), ordered online, by mail, or through town and city clerks. Your funeral director or cremation provider files the original death certificate; you only order the copies.
How many death certificates do I need?
Order more than you think: ten certified copies is the standard advice. Banks, life insurers, the DMV, pension funds and property transfers each tend to want their own certified copy, and reordering later takes weeks.
Death certificate fees and ordering details from the state vital records office, checked September 2026. Fees change; confirm on the official site before ordering.
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