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Massachusetts Criminal Court Records
Find Massachusetts criminal dockets with the correct case number, use courthouse access when online search is limited, and obtain the official case record.
Use the exact criminal docket number
MassCourts makes many Massachusetts criminal cases available only by docket number. A failed name search therefore does not establish that no public case exists. Find the complete reference on a summons, court notice or prior order, then identify the court department and division. The public online list includes criminal matters in Boston Municipal, District and Superior Courts.
From MassCourts’ public-record search, select the Court Department, Court Division and location when offered. Choose Case Number and enter the docket exactly, preserving capitalization, spaces and leading zeroes. Open the case details to inspect party, event, docket and disposition information. An online entry may provide only a summary or links to selected documents.
Use courthouse access when the remote search is insufficient
Public access terminals are available at Massachusetts courthouses and designated Registry of Deeds locations. When you lack a docket number, bring the defendant’s name, approximate filing year, known court and any citation or notice to the relevant clerk. Explain which case or document you are trying to identify; the person’s current address alone may not identify the filing court.
There is no fee simply to view a public court record without reproduction. Courthouse access can still be subject to reasonable limits on volume, time and handling, and restricted material is not made public merely by visiting in person. Ask about the particular file’s availability before travelling for an older or potentially restricted case.
Request the public document from the filing court
The official public Trial Court record is obtained from the clerk, register or recorder where the case was filed. Identify the docket, the requested judgment or order and its date, and whether you need an attested copy. If the question is how a charge ended, request the disposition document rather than relying on a hearing listing or an accusation.
The access rules allow an electronic copy when the court maintains the document electronically and permit other practical formats. Ask for paper, PDF or another available format, but do not assume every criminal file can be downloaded remotely. The reviewed statewide guidance does not guarantee one retrieval deadline; older-file availability and fulfillment should be confirmed with the holding office.
Know the units in the Trial Court fee schedule
The posted Trial Court Uniform Schedule uses these separate products and units:
| Requested product | Listed charge |
|---|---|
| Unattested copy or printout | $0.05 per page |
| Attested copy, including a docket sheet | $2.50 per page |
| Certificate of orders, decrees, rulings, judgments or proceedings | $20 |
| PDF or other electronically formatted document | $5, plus $4 if a CD is mailed |
Tell the clerk which product the receiving organization requires before calculating a total. For example, a four-page attested docket is $10 at the listed per-page rate; it is not automatically the separate $20 certificate. The schedule directs payment-method questions to the specific court. Avoid paying for certification merely because an informal online search looked incomplete.
Request CORI for a history question, not a single filing
Massachusetts DCJIS handles Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI). A personal CORI request costs $25; an open-access request costs $50. An indigency affidavit is available for an eligible personal fee waiver. These request categories provide different access and should not be treated as permission to obtain another person’s full personal report.
A valid Massachusetts driver’s license or ID is required to register for an individual iCORI account. Without one, use the mailed personal-request form linked by DCJIS. Published processing may take up to 10 business days. Follow the form’s identity and signature instructions, and verify that the recipient wants CORI rather than an attested court judgment.
Resolve record errors and follow an appeal in the right system
For an incomplete or incorrect state or national criminal-history response, DCJIS directs the requester to obtain a certified docket sheet from the court of jurisdiction and submit it with the State Police Record Correction Form. A clerical mistake in a Massachusetts criminal judgment is a court matter under Criminal Procedure Rule 42; that rule does not itself overturn a substantive conviction.
If the matter was appealed, use the separate Supreme Judicial Court or Appeals Court docket links on the Massachusetts court-record hub. Keep the trial docket and appellate reference together and read the later order. A public Trial Court search alone does not establish the outcome of a subsequent appeal, nor does a docket-number miss supply a complete statewide history.
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