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Frequently Asked Questions

Please click a topic name to access associated links and documents.

DOGS

Registration:

When do I license my dog?

Per state law, it is every dog owner’s responsibility to register your dog(s) in the town in which
they live, no later than April 1st each year.

 

To license your dog(s), mail or drop into the secure dropbox:

(1) your dog’s current rabies certificate,

(2) payment to the Calais Town Office, 3120 Pekin Brook Rd, East Calais, VT, 05650.

You may also drop by the Town Office during business hours to pay. Please note that we are a
cash-free office. Bring a check or exact change if you have not already paid online. 

To pay by credit card:

Processing fees apply: All transactions will be charged an additional 3% processing fee, with a $1.50 fee minimum.

Pay here

Fees are: $11 for each spayed/neutered dog; $15 for each intact dog. After April 1st, an additional late
fee of $4 will be applied to each dog. Licenses and dog tags will be mailed to you.

Licensing a dog:

helps identify your dog if lost,

provides proof your dog is protected from rabies in the event your dog is bitten by a rabid
animal, or in the event your dog bites an animal or person – which could result in
quarantine or possible euthanasia, and

helps pay for VSNIP, addressing canine overpopulation in Vermont.

Every dog in town needs to be licensed annually and needs to wear a current tag. If your dog
needs updated rabies shots, you have until April 1, 2025 to submit payment and proof of
vaccine for the license.

***East Montpelier will be holding a rabies clinic on the third Saturday of March (March 21, 2026) from 9 am to noon at the East Montpelier Fire Station in the village. The cost is $20 per animal (cash or check). All dogs must be leashed.***

BREEDING LICENSE: The owner/keeper of dogs or wolf-hybrids kept for breeding purposes may get a breeding [or special] license for such animals on or before April 1 if the animals are kept in a proper enclosure.  A current  rabies vaccination is also  required  for each dog or wolf-hybrid. Such licensed dogs or wolf-hybrids are exempt from other license fees and any town surcharge. However, each breeding license issued is subject to the $1.00 state fee for state rabies control programs. 20 V.S.A. §§ 3583, 3581(f). NOTE: Breeders of cats and ferrets may also apply for a breeding license for their operations.
Breeding License: $30.00 for the first ten dogs or wolf- hybrids; $3.00 for each additional dog or wolf-hybrid

PET DEALERS: A pet dealer is any person (excluding pet shops, animal shelters, or rescue organizations) who sells or exchanges or who offers to sell or exchange cats, dogs, or wolf-hybrids, or any combination thereof, from three or more litters of cats, dogs, or wolf-hybrids in any 12-month period. A pet dealer shall apply to the municipal clerk of the town or city in which cats, dogs, or wolf-hybrids are kept for a pet dealer permit. The permit shall expire on March 31 of every year. The permit must be displayed prominently on the premises where the cats, dogs, or wolf-hybrids are kept. The pet dealer permit does not exempt the dogs or wolf-hybrids from any other required license(s). The clerk must distribute a copy of Part 3 of the Animal Welfare Regulations adopted by the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, contact information for the Animal Health Section, and information about sales tax obligations to the pet dealer. He or she must also maintain a record of the types of animals being kept by the permit holder. 20 V.S.A. § 3681.
Pet Dealer Permit: $25

WORKING FARM DOG: A person who owns a working farm dog and intends to use it on a farm pursuant to 20 V.S.A. § 3549 must get a working farm dog license by paying $5.00 in addition to other fees required by law. “Working farm dog” means a dog that is bred or trained to herd or protect livestock or poultry or to protect crops and that is used for those purposes and that is registered as a working farm dog.   20 V.S.A. §3581(a). Municipalities shall not prohibit or regulate the barking or running at large of a working farm dog when it is on the property being farmed by the person who registered the working farm dog if the working farm dog is barking and/or running at large in order to herd or protect livestock, poultry or crops. 
Farm Dog License: Regular licensing fee + $5 per dog 

 

You can ask your veterinarian to email a copy of the rabies certificate to

AssistantTownClerk@calaisvermont.gov.

 

Please register your dogs. It is the State law, it helps keeps everyone safe, it makes it easier to
return lost dogs, and it saves Calais Animal Control Officers a lot of time and worry.


Reporting a Complaint about a Dog

If you have experienced an incident with a dog here in Calais and would like to report a complaint, please fill out the Calais Animal Complaint form and submit it to the Town Clerk, who will forward it to the Animal Control Officer and Health Officer.

 

Animal Control Officer
Buffy Langlois, 802-279-5552
animalcontrol@calaisvermont.gov
1-year term, 2025

Assistant Animal Control Officer
Chris Stellar
chrisstellar@gmail.com

Health Officer
Jay Copping
1-year term, 2025
(802) 839-6509

VOTING

How do I register to vote and vote at an election?

Town Meeting is held at Calais Elementary, 321 Lightening Ridge Rd on the first Tuesday of March. All other elections in Calais take place either at the Town Office 3120 Pekin Brook Rd, or Town Hall, 1662 Kent Hill Rd. You can find information about specific elections on our Town Elections page.

To register to vote or to update your voter information, go to https://vote.vermont.gov/public/dashboard. 

You can also come to the Town Office and register to vote with a paper form. You must be 18, or turning 18 by the election date. You must be a Calais resident.

POSTING LAND

The state of Vermont offers a couple of different ways to post your land.
  • You can post a "Safety Zone" that creates a 500-ft no hunting buffer around all of the buildings on your property. Signs are available at no charge from the Town Office.
  • If you would like to extend the posting beyond the space around your buildings, you'll want to register with the state through the Town Office. This land posting registration must be renewed annually to remain current. The process involves a brief form and a $5 fee and provides you with the backing of law enforcement in the event of unwanted hunting, trapping, and fishing. You'll need to purchase or make your own signs; they are available from most hardware stores. These signs need to be posted every 400 ft or less along your property lines (or along the lines within which you are forbidding people from hunting, trapping, or fishing).
See "What Posting Means" from the VT Department of Fish & Wildlife for more information. 

ROADS

How do I report a road problem?

If the road problem is an emergency that is dangerous and life-threatening, call 9-1-1.
Please visit the Highway Department page for more information on how to reach the Road Commissioner, Operations Manager, and Town Garage.

TOWN TRAILS

Calais has quite a few public trails. Many of these trails traverse private land; please be respectful of property owners and stay on the trail when you are enjoying these beautiful places. 

You can find PDFs of trail maps and more information about the Trails Committee's work on the Calais Trails Committee page. 

BIRTH, MARRIAGE, DEATH

How do I get certified copies of birth, marriage, or death certificates?

You can find information on requesting certified copies of birth and death certificates on our Birth, Marriage, and Death Records page. There you'll find a "fillable" application form that you can return to us. Instructions are posted there as well. There is a $10 fee for a certified copy. Birth and death certificates are generated from the Vermont Vital Statistics Department at the Department of Health. 
Certified marriage certificates are still issued from the town and town clerk where the marriage occurred. 

How do I apply for a marriage license?

The marriage license application is available by clicking here. You can fill out the form ahead of time, but at least one of the applicants must complete their signature in the presence of the Town Clerk or Assistant Town Clerk. The fee is $90.00, which includes receiving a certified copy of the license after your marriage.

FIRE, FIREWORKS, & BURN PERMITS

In case of fire call 9-1-1. Calais is serviced by East Montpelier and Woodbury Fire Departments.

Do I need a permit to use fireworks, burn brush, or have a bonfire?

Yes, in most situations you will need a permit to use fireworks or to burn brush on your property.

For a burn permit, contact Calais Fire Warden, Greg Pelchuck, at (802) 454-7377.
The town has a fireworks ordinance based on state statute that mandates a fireworks permit for any use and discharge of fireworks with Calais. Calais is part of the East Montpelier Fire Department District (EMFD). Fire Chief Ty Rolland is in charge of the permitting process. An application for a permit must be submitted at least 15 days in advance of the planned fireworks use date. Please start this process by calling the EMFD at 225-6245 or 225-6247.

MEETINGS

When do Calais committees & boards regularly meet?

Meeting schedules are posted on the Home Page website calendar, and on bulletin boards at the Town Office, Maple Corner Store, and East Calais Store. Meetings are generally held at the Town Office, the Town Hall, or the Calais Recreational Hall. Check notices for locations.


The regular schedule of board & committee meetings, unless posted otherwise, is as follows:

Selectboard: 2nd and 4th Monday of every month, 6 pm
Planning Commission: 1st & 3rd Tuesday of every month, 7 pm
Development Review Board: As needed (Check home page calendar.)
Conservation Commission: 1st Wednesday of the month
Cemetery Commission: 4th Wednesday of the month, every other month October through May -- check calendar
Calais Historic Preservation Commission: As needed (Check home page calendar.)
All meetings are open to the public. Contact the chair (listed on website) if you have an issue for the commission or board to review.