Massachusetts Court Records
How Massachusetts's courts are organized, where their records are kept and how to search them.
The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts is the oldest appellate court in continuous existence in the Western Hemisphere. Below it, a single statewide Trial Court is divided into seven departments, each handling a different kind of case.
Massachusetts offers a public online case search, but its criminal offender record information (CORI) law limits what can be seen about criminal cases, so some information is only available at the courthouse.
How Massachusetts's courts are organized
Massachusetts has two appellate courts and one Trial Court made up of specialized departments.
Supreme Judicial Court
Seven justices hear appeals of statewide importance, first-degree murder appeals and cases transferred from the Appeals Court.
Appeals Court
Hears most appeals from the Trial Court departments.
Superior Court
Hears serious crimes, larger civil cases and jury trials in every county.
District Court and Boston Municipal Court
Hear misdemeanors, some felonies, smaller civil cases, small claims, restraining orders and mental health commitments. The Boston Municipal Court serves the city of Boston.
Probate and Family, Housing, Juvenile and Land Courts
The Probate and Family Court handles divorce, custody, wills and estates; the Housing Court handles landlord-tenant and code cases; the Juvenile Court handles delinquency and care cases; and the Land Court handles title and land registration.
Searching Massachusetts court records online
Use MassCourts for trial court cases and the appellate docket for appeals.
- MassCourts public accessFree search of cases in most Trial Court departments. Criminal case information is limited by CORI rules, and some case types are not available to the public online.
- Massachusetts appellate courts public docketDocket information for the Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court.
- Massachusetts Court SystemCourt locations, rules and self-help guides.
Getting records from the clerk's office
Copies of case files come from the clerk's office (or Register of Probate, for Probate and Family Court) at the courthouse that handled the case. Clerks provide copies and certified or attested copies for set fees, and many accept mail requests.
Criminal case files are public at the courthouse for most cases, even when online access is limited. Deeds are kept by the county Registry of Deeds.
- Find a Massachusetts courtAddresses and contact details for every courthouse.
What is public, and what is not
Massachusetts Trial Court Rule XIV, the Uniform Rules on Public Access to Court Records, governs what is available. Most records are public, but juvenile, mental health, adoption, and many probate and family records, such as financial statements, are impounded or restricted.
Under the CORI law, criminal record information is protected from general dissemination. People can petition to seal criminal records after waiting periods, and juvenile and some adult records can be expunged. Sealed records are removed from public view.
- Mass.gov: Sealing criminal recordsHow record sealing works in Massachusetts.
Older and archived records
The Massachusetts Judicial Archives, part of the Supreme Judicial Court, holds historical court records from colonial times, many of which are housed at the Massachusetts Archives in Boston.
- Massachusetts ArchivesHistorical state records, including court records from the Judicial Archives.
Criminal history and background records
A court file tells you what happened in one case in one court. A criminal history record (often called a rap sheet) pulls together arrests, charges and outcomes reported from across the state, so it is a different product kept by a different agency.
The Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) manages CORI. The public can get limited conviction information through iCORI.
- iCORIRequest Massachusetts criminal record information online, including open-access CORI available to the public.
- Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry BoardSearch public information on Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders.
- VINELinkCheck the custody status of people in Massachusetts correctional facilities.
Federal court records in Massachusetts
Federal cases, including federal crimes, bankruptcies, and lawsuits over federal law or between citizens of different states, are not filed in Massachusetts's state courts. Massachusetts is a single federal judicial district, and each has its own clerk's office:
Federal case files are searched through PACER, the federal judiciary's records system. PACER charges a small fee per page, but you pay nothing if your charges stay under the quarterly fee-waiver threshold, court opinions are free, and every federal courthouse has public terminals you can use at no cost. Many PACER documents have also been copied into the free RECAP Archive on CourtListener. Appeals from Massachusetts's federal courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Tips for a faster search
- Know which Trial Court department heard the case. Each department has its own clerk.
- If MassCourts shows limited criminal case information, the full file is usually available at the courthouse.
- Massachusetts docket numbers include the year, a court code and a sequence number.
- Have the full names of the parties, the county and a rough date range ready. A case number is the fastest way in if you have one.
- Online indexes are not the official record. If a decision depends on it, get a copy (or a certified copy) from the clerk's office that holds the file.
Legal help and law libraries
Clerks and law librarians can explain how to find a record, but they cannot give legal advice. These organizations can point you in the right direction:
- Massachusetts Trial Court Law LibrariesPublic law libraries with help by chat, email and phone.
- MassLegalHelpFree legal information from Massachusetts legal aid programs.
- Court Service CentersIn-person help with forms and procedures.
This guide is general information about public records, not legal advice. Court websites, fees and rules change, so confirm details with the court before you rely on them. Civics-Online.org is not affiliated with any court or government agency.