The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
§ 201. Recognized parents
A person may establish parentage by any of the following:
(1) Birth. Giving birth to the child, except as otherwise provided in chapter 8 of this title.
(2) Adoption. Adoption of the child pursuant to Title 15A.
(3) Acknowledgment. An effective voluntary acknowledgment of parentage under chapter 3 of this title.
(4) Adjudication. An adjudication based on an admission of parentage under section 112 of this title.
(5) Presumption. An unrebutted presumption of parentage under chapter 4 of this title.
(6) De facto parentage. An adjudication of de facto parentage under chapter 5 of this title.
(7) Genetic parentage. An adjudication of genetic parentage under chapter 6 of this title.
(8) Assisted reproduction. Consent to assisted reproduction under chapter 7 of this title.
(9) Gestational carrier agreement. Consent to a gestational carrier agreement by the intended parent or parents under
chapter 8 of this title. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
§ 202. Nondiscrimination
Every child has the same rights under law as any other child without regard to the
marital status or gender of the parents or the circumstances of the birth of the child. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
§ 203. Consequences of establishment of parentage
Unless parentage has been terminated by a court order or an exception has been stated
explicitly in this title, parentage established under this title applies for all purposes,
including the rights and duties of parentage under the law. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
§ 204. Determination of maternity and paternity
Provisions of this title relating to determination of paternity may apply to determination
of maternity as needed to determine parentage consistent with this title. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
§ 205. No limitation on child
Nothing in this chapter limits the right of a child to bring an action to adjudicate
parentage. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
§ 206. Adjudicating competing claims of parentage
(a) Competing claims of parentage. Except as otherwise provided in section 616 of this title, in a proceeding to adjudicate competing claims of parentage or challenges to a child’s
parentage by two or more persons, the court shall adjudicate parentage in the best
interests of the child, based on the following factors:
(1) the age of the child;
(2) the length of time during which each person assumed the role of parent of the child;
(3) the nature of the relationship between the child and each person;
(4) the harm to the child if the relationship between the child and each person is not
recognized;
(5) the basis for each person’s claim to parentage of the child; and
(6) other equitable factors arising from the disruption of the relationship between the
child and each person or the likelihood of other harm to the child.
(b) Preservation of parent-child relationship. Consistent with the establishment of parentage
under this chapter, a court may determine that a child has more than two parents if
the court finds that it is in the best interests of the child to do so. A finding
of best interests of the child under this subsection does not require a finding of
unfitness of any parent or person seeking an adjudication of parentage. A determination
of best interests may include consideration of evidence of prebirth intent to parent
the child. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2023, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. July 1, 2024.)