§ 5132. Civil marriage license; participants in address confidentiality program

(a) If a participant in the program described in 15 V.S.A. chapter 21, subchapter 3 notifies the town that the participant's confidential address should not appear on the civil marriage license or certificate, then the town clerk shall not disclose such confidential address or the participant's town of residence on any public records. A participant who fails to provide such notice shall be deemed to have waived the provisions of this section. If such notice is received, then notwithstanding section 5131 of this title, the town clerk shall file the civil marriage certificate with the State Registrar within 10 days after receipt, without the confidential address or town of residence, and shall not retain a copy of the civil marriage certificate.

(b) The State Registrar shall receive and file for record all certificates filed in accordance with this section, and shall ensure that a person's confidential address and town of residence do not appear on the civil marriage certificate during the period that the person is a program participant. A certificate filed in accordance with this section shall be a public document. The State Registrar shall notify the Secretary of State of the receipt of a civil marriage certificate on behalf of a program participant.

(c) The Department shall maintain a confidential record of the person's actual mailing address and town of residence. Such record shall be exempt from public inspection and copying under the Public Records Act.

(d) Upon the renewal, expiration, withdrawal, invalidation, or cancellation of program participation of any person of whom the Secretary of State received notice from the State Registrar, the Secretary of State shall notify the State Registrar.

(e) Upon notice of the expiration, withdrawal, invalidation, or cancellation of program participation, the State Registrar shall enter the actual mailing address and town of residence on the original marriage certificate and shall transmit the completed original civil marriage certificate to the town clerk where the certificate was issued.

(f) The town clerk shall process certificates received in this manner in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. (Added 1999, No. 134 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. Jan. 1, 2001; amended 2009, No. 3, § 12a, eff. Sept. 1, 2009; 2015, No. 23, § 11; 2017, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § 92.)