15A V.S.A. § 402
This is the official text of 15A V.S.A. § 402, part of Vermont’s V.S.A — part of the compiled statutory law of Vermont, published by the state as "V.S.A." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 2-402. Persons whose consent not required
Official statutory text
(a) Consent to an adoption of a minor is not required of:
(1) a person who has relinquished parental rights or guardianship powers, including the right to consent to adoption, to an agency pursuant to this part of this article;
(2) a person whose parental relationship to the minor has been judicially terminated or determined not to exist;
(3) a man who has not been married to the woman who gave birth to the minor and who, after the conception of the minor, executes a notarized statement denying paternity or disclaiming any interest in the minor and acknowledging that his statement is irrevocable when executed;
(4) the personal representative of a deceased parent's estate; or
(5) a parent or other person who has not executed a consent or a relinquishment and who fails to file an answer or make an appearance in a proceeding for adoption or for termination of a parental relationship within the requisite time after service of notice of the proceeding.
(b) The court may dispense with the consent of:
(1) a guardian or an agency whose consent is otherwise required upon a finding that the consent is being withheld unreasonably, contrary to the best interest of a minor adoptee; or
(2) a minor adoptee who has attained 14 years of age upon a finding that it is not in the best interest of the minor to require the consent.
(1) a person who has relinquished parental rights or guardianship powers, including the right to consent to adoption, to an agency pursuant to this part of this article;
(2) a person whose parental relationship to the minor has been judicially terminated or determined not to exist;
(3) a man who has not been married to the woman who gave birth to the minor and who, after the conception of the minor, executes a notarized statement denying paternity or disclaiming any interest in the minor and acknowledging that his statement is irrevocable when executed;
(4) the personal representative of a deceased parent's estate; or
(5) a parent or other person who has not executed a consent or a relinquishment and who fails to file an answer or make an appearance in a proceeding for adoption or for termination of a parental relationship within the requisite time after service of notice of the proceeding.
(b) The court may dispense with the consent of:
(1) a guardian or an agency whose consent is otherwise required upon a finding that the consent is being withheld unreasonably, contrary to the best interest of a minor adoptee; or
(2) a minor adoptee who has attained 14 years of age upon a finding that it is not in the best interest of the minor to require the consent.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Vermont?
Find a Vermont lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.