Vt. Sup. Ct. Promulgation Order of Oct. 6, 2025: VREF9(d)

STATE OF VERMONT

VERMONT SUPREME COURT

OCTOBER TERM, 2025

Order Promulgating Amendments to Rule 9(d)

of the 2020 Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing

Pursuant to the Vermont Constitution, Chapter II, § 37, and 12 V.S.A. § 1, it is hereby ordered:

1. That Rule 9(d) of the 2020 Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing be amended as follows

(new matter underlined; deleted struck through):

RULE 9. SIGNATURES

(d) Signatures of Court Personnel.

(1) Judicial Officers. Judicial officers of the Supreme Court, the Superior Court, and the

Judicial Bureau may sign any court-generated document created, and to be sent, or filed in

electronic form subject to the following conditions:

(A) Judicial officers must create, through the Office of the Court Administrator, and

maintain an electronic facsimile of their signature.

(B) Judicial officers may sign any court-generated document created, and to be sent, or

filed in electronic form with their electronic facsimile signature followed by a signature block

containing the signer's typed name and title. That signature has the same effect as a

handwritten signature on a nonelectronic document.

(C) When judicial officers use an electronic facsimile signature on a document sent from

their official state email address or from another email address registered with the Court

Administrator, or file it in the electronic filing system, the signature is presumed valid.

(D) Judicial officers may delegate use of their electronic facsimile signature to an

authorized designee. Whenever a designee uses the facsimile signature, the designation must

be disclosed on the document.

(E) Unauthorized use of an electronic facsimile signature renders invalid the document

that was issued with the unauthorized signature unless the judicial officer ratifies use of the

signature.

(2) Court Personnel and Others. The electronic filing or transmission of any court-generated document by court personnel authorized to sign the document and by others authorized

to sign, including masters, receivers, guardians ad litem, parent coordinators, and neutrals

required to file a report, are deemed signed by senders if transmitted from their official state or

professional email address or filed by them in the electronic filing system accompanied by a

signature block containing the signer’s typed name and title.

Reporter’s Notes—2026 Amendment

Rule 9(d)(1), (d)(1)(B), and (d)(2) are amended to align the rule

language more closely with current practice. The rule previously

allowed electronic signatures to be used on “court-generated”

documents. In reality, courts and court personnel may

electronically sign documents that are not generated by the court.

For example, parties may file proposed orders.

2. That this amendment be prescribed and promulgated, effective on January 1, 2026. The

Reporter’s Notes are advisory.

3. That the Chief Justice is authorized to report these amendments to the General Assembly in

accordance with the provisions of 12 V.S.A. § 1, as amended.

Dated in Chambers at Montpelier, Vermont, this 6th day of October, 2025.

____________________________________

Paul L. Reiber, Chief Justice

____________________________________

Harold E. Eaton, Jr., Associate Justice

____________________________________

Signed by the Vermont Supreme Court

William D. Cohen, Associate Justice

____________________________________

Nancy J. Waples, Associate Justice