Registering Your Advance Directive
Updates to Vermont Advance Directive Registry – Effective July 1, 2024
User Upload Now Available:
Vermonters signing up for the Vermont Advance Directive Registry (VADR) can now directly upload a PDF copy of their advance directives when making updates to their existing account. Use the ‘Create My Account’ button below to register your directive today!
If you already have a VADR account, you can log in using the ‘Log In to My Account’ button below and upload updated documents into your existing account.
Change to Annual Reminder Letter Policy:
To decrease the environmental impact of paper mailings, the VADR will only be sending annual reminders via email. If you wish to continue receiving annual reminders about your VADR account, please log in and add your email address.
- To Log In: Use the button above to log in to your account. Once on the log in screen, enter your username and password. You can add an email address to your account information using the ‘View/Confirm/Edit’ button once you are logged in.
- Email addresses do not need to be unique. Multiple accounts can be linked to one email address if preferred.
If you need assistance logging in to your account, please email or call 1-802-828-2909.
Vermont Advance Directive Registry
The State of Vermont offers a registry for residents to submit their advance directives free of charge. The Vermont Advance Directive Registry (VADR) is hosted by the national US Advance Care Plan Registry (USACPR, formerly the US Living Will Registry). It is a secure online database where Vermonters can submit copies of their completed advance directive forms to be accessed by authorized health care facilities and providers.
Benefits of Registering Your Advance Directive:
- Immediate access to your document when it is most needed
- Portable across state lines (can be accessed anywhere, not just in Vermont)
- Annual reminders are emailed to you to ensure regular review
The Vermont Advance Directive Registry (VADR) is hosted by the US Advance Care Plan Registry and is free for all Vermonters thanks to funding through the Vermont Department of Health. Due to rapidly increasing registrations and to reduce carbon emissions caused by paper mail, customer service is now provided by the Vermont Ethics Network from our office in Montpelier, Vermont.
New! Submission Options & Customer Support
If you are not able to use the user upload process above for any reason, there are updated options to mail, fax or email your submission for registration.
If you are submitting your document via mail, fax, or email, you must also include a signed and completed VADR Registration Agreement/Authorization to Change form. This form can also be requested via phone by calling 1-802-828-2909.
MAIL:
Vermont Ethics Network
61 Elm Street, Suite 1
Montpelier, VT 05602
FAX: 1-802-828-2646
Phone or email requests for account support or new advance directive paperwork are now being received at 1-802-828-2909 or .
Documents sent to the Westfield, New Jersey address or to the prior submission email or fax number are still being received and will be processed as usual. If you have sent your document to the New Jersey address, you may experience a slight delay in receiving your confirmation letter via mail.
File Format for User Upload and Email Submission
Note: All documents submitted via user upload or sent via email for registration/update must be in PDF format. Documents in other file formats cannot be uploaded into the VADR. For more information on converting documents to PDF format, check the FAQ section below.
Phone and Email Support Options:
If you are looking for support with registering your directive, updating your account, correcting account information, or general questions about advance directives, please call the Vermont Ethics Network at 1-802-828-2909 or send an email to .
If you are experiencing an error message in your account, please call 1-888-548-9455 or email for technical support.
If you are a provider or health care facility staff looking to obtain a copy of a patient’s advance directive, please call 1-888-548-9455 and select option 1 for providers, or email with your request.
Registering your advance directive is as easy as 1, 2, 3:
Complete your advance directive form. It must be signed and properly witnessed.
Your advance directive is legally valid as soon as signing and witnessing is completed. If you choose not to register your document, make sure you share copies with your health care agents, physician and local hospital. See our advance directive checklist for recommendations on what to do with your completed advance directive.
Complete the Required Information and sign in Document A of the VT Advance Directive Registry Registration Agreement and Authorization to Change form to allow authorized healthcare facilities and providers to access your document. If you already have an account, complete Document B on this form instead.
NOTE: The VADR Registration Agreement/Authorization to Change form is not required if you are using online user upload. If you do use this option, you can give permission to create and update your account online during the upload process.
Send your signed Registration Agreement/Authorization to Change form and properly signed and witnessed advance directive to:
Vermont Ethics Network
61 Elm Street, Suite 1
Montpelier, VT 05602
Fax: 908-654-1919
OR
Online User Upload: The Vermont Advance Directive Registry now allows new registrations and updated directive submissions to be completed online and directly uploaded by users. Detailed instructions on how to save and submit digital copies of your advance directive documents are available below.
Using the VADR Registration Agreement & Authorization to Change Form
This administrative form is required when making a submission via mail, fax or email to the VADR. Please always complete the Required Information on page 1 before moving on to page 2.
On page 2:
- First-time registrants must complete Document A to establish their VADR accounts.
- Current registrants making updates must complete Document B to indicate the type of change they are making.
Click here to view the form in your browser.
This form will be completed digitally during the online user upload process and is not required when using the user upload submission method.
Have more questions?
There is no fee, but if mailing, please check to make sure that you have included sufficient postage, particularly if you are sending a multi-page document.
Within 2 to 3 weeks after you submit your documents, you will receive a confirmation letter in the mail from the Vermont Advance Directive Registry. This letter will contain a wallet card with your Registration ID number. With this number, you (or anyone you give the number to) can view your document in the Registry. It is recommended that you keep this card with your license or emergency contact information card. Also included are small stickers for your license or other identification cards with the website address of the Registry and a toll-free number for the Registry.
The Registry is secure and your advance directive is confidential. Only those with a specific need to know, such as your health care providers, will have access to the Registry and your advance directive. You can give others access to view your documents by sharing the Registration ID number on your wallet card with them.
If you provide the Registry with an email address, you will receive an annual email on the anniversary of your registration to find out if there are any changes in your wishes or your agent’s contact information. If you need to update your advance directive after you register, you will need to complete a new advance directive that includes your updates and replace the old document with the new one in your Registry account.
To Update Via User Upload*:
- Log in to your account
- Select ‘Update or Upload My Documents’
- Choose the form type that applies to your new document and click ‘Upload’
- Once uploaded, your submission will be reviewed for completion and will be visible in your account when approved (within 10 days of upload)
- You will receive an email confirming this updated when complete
To Update Via Mail, Fax or Email:
Submitting via mail, fax or email must include a completed VADR Registration Agreement/Authorization to Change Form. When making an update to your existing account with a new advance directive, complete the Required Registrant Information on page 1 and the Document B: Authorization to Change section on page 2.
- Compile your signed and witnessed advance directive with your completed VADR Authorization to Change Form
- Send your update via mail fax or email:
- Mail: Vermont Ethics Network, 61 Elm Street, Suite 1, Montpelier VT 05602
- Fax: 1-802-828-2646
- Email*:
*Please note that all email and user upload submissions must be in PDF format.
Converting a copy of your advance directive into PDF (portable document file) is the best way to ensure you have a shareable copy of your document and can easily submit your advance directive to the VADR via user upload or email. How you convert your document to a PDF will depend on what format the document is at the moment.
IF your directive is in hard-copy…
- If you have a physical copy of your directive, you can either use a scanner attached to a printer or copier to scan a copy of your document to your computer. This will automatically convert your document to a PDF file format and you will be ready to submit!
- How to Scan and Send from your Printer
IF your directive is in another digital format…
- Find the instructions below that match the current file and how to convert.
IF you don’t have access to a computer or copier, or IF you only have photos of your directive…
- There are some very helpful apps and smart phone features that can convert photos of your directive into a PDF. You can use your smart phone to photograph each page, and the app will convert each picture as you go.
Yes. You can change your mind at any time. If you make changes to your advance directive, it is recommended that you update your document in the Registry. This will help to avoid any confusion about your current goals and priorities. To log in to your Vermont Advance Directive Registry (VADR) account to view your registered document, click here.
A properly executed advance directive is a legally recognized document whether or not it has been registered. Registering your advance directive is a voluntary step you can take to ensure that your document is accessible when needed. Being in the Registry can give you a feeling of security that your document will be found in an emergency even if a copy of your advance directive is not on file at the nearest hospital or if you travel outside of Vermont.
Once an advance directive has been registered with the Vermont Advance Directive Registry, registrants will receive an initial “welcome letter” that will be mailed in hard copy format to the mailing address you provided when registering. This will include a wallet ID card and stickers for your driver’s license and insurance card. If you provided an e-mail address on the registration form, you will receive annual reminders via e-mail in the anniversary month of your original submission. Please be sure to check your spam/junk/clutter folder(s) for this e-mail reminder. If you do not provide an e-mail address, you will not receive annual reminders.
Once an advance directive has been registered with the Vermont Advance Directive Registry, registrants will receive an initial “welcome letter” that will be mailed in hard copy format to the mailing address you provided when registering. This will include a wallet ID card and stickers for your driver’s license and insurance card. If you provided an e-mail address on the registration form, all subsequent annual reminders will come via e-mail in the anniversary month of your original submission. Please be sure to check your spam/junk/clutter folder(s) for this e-mail reminder. If you do not provide an e-mail address, you will receive your annual reminder in hard copy at the mailing address on file with the registry.
Each state has their own laws regarding reciprocity with other states. Below is a quick guide to reciprocity information for other New England states:
- Connecticut: Considered valid as long as it was executed under the laws of another state in compliance with the laws of that state (provided they are not contrary to the public policy of Connecticut). Learn more.
- Maine: Considered valid as long as it was valid under the laws in the state where it was executed. Learn more.
- Massachusetts: Enforceable if executed in another state in compliance with the law of that state (provided that it is not contrary to the moral or religious views of the physician to carry out a treatment or to a formally adopted policy of a private facility that is expressly based on religious beliefs). Learn more.
- New Hampshire: Considered valid as long as it was valid under the laws in the state where it was executed. Learn more.
- Rhode Island: Considered valid as long as it was valid under the laws in the state where it was executed. Learn more.
The Vermont Advance Directive Registry is a free service provided by the State of Vermont for Vermont residents only. Even if you receive your care from a Vermont provider, only Vermont residents are permitted to use the Vermont Advance Directive Registry. The US Advance Care Plan Registry is available to all others who wish to have their advance directive registered. For information and costs to register a document with US Advance Care Plan Registry, click here.
If you move out of state you have several options :
Option 1: You may choose to transfer your account from the Vermont Advance Directive Registry to the U.S. Advance Care Plan Registry (USACPR). Your document(s) will be removed from the Vermont Advance Directive Registry and registered directly with the U.S. Advance Care Plan Registry. USACPR will send you a new wallet ID card (your Registration ID# will remain the same), you will receive annual email reminders from USACPR, and you will be able to update your account profile and your advance directive document as needed. The cost to register with USACPR is $30.00 with the use of the promo code TransferVT123. This represents a $20 discount for a lifetime registration. If you are registering more than 1 person, you must use a unique email address for each person. This email address will only be used to communicate annual updates and messages about your online account.
To select Option 1 please click here and follow the steps. Note: you may only transfer one registrant at a time.
Option 2: You may choose to entirely remove your account and documents from the USACPR and no longer be part of the registry. To choose this option, email the USACPR. In the email, include only your name, date of birth and Registration ID#. Please write “REVOKE MY FILE” in the subject line.
If you do not choose Option 1 or Option 2, your document will remain in the Registry at no cost to you and will essentially be “inactive”. You will still be able to login to your personal account using your username and password to view your personal information and document(s). However, your document will not be accessible using your Registration ID#. Providers and health care facilities will only be able to call the registry to request a copy of your document be faxed directly to them.
