How old do you have to be to adopt in Vermont?

In Vermont, the adoption statute doesn't set a specific minimum age for adopting a child. It says "any person may adopt or be adopted by another person" (15A V.S.A. § 1-102(a)). If you are a stepparent hoping to adopt your spouse's child, you won't find a number like 21 or 25 in the law. If you want to know whether a particular age works for your situation, the Probate Court clerk in your county can confirm it.

Adopting an adult. Vermont does state an age rule here. The adopter must be an "adult" (15A V.S.A. § 5-101), which means a person who has reached 18 (15A V.S.A. § 1-101(2)). An adult may adopt another adult or an emancipated minor, but may not adopt his or her spouse. The adopter and the person being adopted file the petition together. The statutes we reviewed state no required age gap between them, but the clerk can confirm how the court handles this.

Age gap for children. We found no age-gap rule in Vermont's adoption statutes. If you are close in age to your stepchild, ask the clerk or an attorney how the court looks at your situation.

Other things that matter more than your age. For a stepparent adoption of a child, these Vermont requirements are the ones to plan around:

• Court: Your petition is filed in the Probate Court in your county. Vermont has 14 counties.
• Residency: Vermont's residency period is 6 months (15A V.S.A. § 3-101(a)(1)-(2)). For an adult adoption, the court has jurisdiction if a petitioner has lived in Vermont for at least 90 days before filing (15A V.S.A. § 5-104).
• Child's consent: A child who is 14 or older must consent (15A V.S.A. § 2-401).
• Abandonment: Where a parent's rights are at issue because of abandonment, the period in Vermont law is 6 months (15A V.S.A. § 3-504). Contested cases and cases with an unknown or absent parent depend on the facts, so talk to the clerk or an attorney about your specific situation.
• Home study: It is waived for stepparent adoptions (15A V.S.A. § 4-110(a)).
• Timeline: A stepparent adoption typically takes 3-6 months. An adult adoption typically takes 4-8 weeks.

Court filing fees vary, so the clerk in your county can tell you the current amount.

How we help. StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court document package for your Vermont county. You then file it yourself without an attorney. Your court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions. The price is $349 for the first child (or for one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child, and our 100% court acceptance guarantee applies. We have helped 87 Vermont families, and 34,000+ families nationally since 2001.