Arrest records in Massachusetts are spread across a unified statewide court system and 14 county-level offices. The MassCourts portal gives you docket and case information across all Trial Court departments statewide. The Massachusetts Department of Correction maintains a separate inmate lookup for anyone held in state custody. Booking records and local case files sit with each county’s Sheriff’s Office and Clerk of Court. Public access to criminal-history data is tightly governed by the CORI law, M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 (with c. 4, § 7, cl. 26).
If someone you know was just booked tonight, our Massachusetts inmate search page has phone-first contact info for locating them.
Search Massachusetts Arrest Records by Name
A nationwide name search can surface criminal-history data from Massachusetts and other states in one pass, which is useful when you’re not certain which county holds the record. The preliminary scan is free, though a full report requires registration. Use the results alongside the official Massachusetts sources described below for the most complete picture.
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How to look up arrest records in Massachusetts
The MassCourts portal is the broadest statewide tool available to the public. It searches dockets and case information across all seven departments of the Massachusetts Trial Court — Superior, District, Boston Municipal, Probate and Family, Land, Housing, and Juvenile. Enter a name or case number to pull up charges, hearing dates, and dispositions. Not every case type is visible to the public, and CORI restrictions mean some records are withheld from general view.
For anyone currently held in a state correctional facility, the Massachusetts Department of Correction inmate lookup confirms custody status, facility location, and projected release date. This system covers state prisons only — not county houses of correction, which are run by elected county Sheriffs.
The Massachusetts State Police maintains statewide criminal-history records and handles certain background-check functions. If your search involves a state-level incident or a record that crosses county lines, the State Police is the appropriate agency to contact. Their official portal lists current contact procedures for record requests.
The county layer is where booking records live. Each of Massachusetts’s 14 counties has a Sheriff’s Office that operates the local house of correction and maintains booking logs. The Clerk of Court for each county holds the corresponding case files. These two offices — Sheriff and Clerk — often hold different pieces of the same record. The Sheriff’s side shows the booking entry; the Clerk’s side shows what happened in court. The county arrest page for your county lists the specific Clerk’s name, address, phone number, hours, and any applicable fees. That index appears below this article.
Massachusetts abolished county government in eight of its 14 counties between 1997 and 2000. County government is gone, but the Sheriff’s Office and the courts survived as independent entities. So even in a county with no county government, you still have a functioning Sheriff and a functioning Clerk of Court — and both hold records you may need.
When you don’t know which county to search, MassCourts is the right place to cast a wide net. Once you identify the county where the case was filed, move to that county’s arrest page for the local contact details and any county-specific procedures.
Are arrest records public in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts operates under the Massachusetts Public Records Law, codified at M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 (with c. 4, § 7, cl. 26). The default rule is that government records are public unless a specific exemption applies. Criminal records fall under one of the most significant exemptions in the state: the Criminal Offender Record Information law, known as CORI, found at M.G.L. c. 6, §§ 167-178B.
CORI makes Massachusetts one of the more privacy-protective states in the country for criminal-history data. Most members of the public cannot obtain a full CORI report on another person without that person’s written consent. Employers, landlords, and certain licensing agencies can access CORI through the iCORI system, but their access is tiered and regulated. Law enforcement has broader access than the general public.
Court docket information — the public-facing record of what was filed and decided — is more accessible than the underlying CORI report. MassCourts surfaces docket entries for many case types. But the docket is not the same as a full criminal-history record, and some case types (including most juvenile matters) are not publicly searchable at all.
Sealed records are not visible to the public. After a court grants a sealing petition, the record disappears from public view in MassCourts and from any CORI report issued to employers or landlords. Law enforcement agencies retain access to sealed records. Expunged records are permanently destroyed under M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100E-100U — even law enforcement access is eliminated for an expunged record.
Juvenile records carry additional protections. Cases adjudicated in the Juvenile Court department are generally not public, and most juvenile records are sealed automatically when the person turns 18, subject to certain exceptions for serious offenses.
Booking photos — mugshots — are not uniformly released in Massachusetts. Some county Sheriffs post them; others do not. Check the county arrest page for your county, or call the Sheriff’s Office directly, to find out that county’s current practice.
What’s in a Massachusetts arrest record?
A Massachusetts arrest record is not a single document. It’s a collection of entries spread across two distinct systems: the court-side docket and the Sheriff-side booking record. Each system captures different fields, and you may need both to get the full picture.
On the court side, a MassCourts docket entry typically shows the case number, the court department and division where the case was filed, the charges by statute, the arraignment date, the names of the attorneys of record, each scheduled hearing, and the final disposition — whether the case was dismissed, continued without a finding, resulted in a guilty plea, or went to trial. If the case is still open, the next scheduled event appears in the docket. Disposition details sometimes include sentence information, though the level of detail varies by court department.
On the Sheriff side, a booking record typically shows the booking date and time, the arresting agency, the charges as written at booking (which may differ from the charges later filed in court), the defendant’s date of birth, and the facility where the person was held. Some county systems also record bail information and release date. These records are maintained by the individual county Sheriff’s Office, not by MassCourts, so they are not searchable through the statewide portal.
The two records can diverge. Charges listed at booking sometimes change before arraignment. A booking record may show an arrest that was never prosecuted. A court docket may show a case that began with a summons rather than a physical arrest, so no booking record exists at all.
Mugshot availability depends on the county. Massachusetts has no statewide policy requiring Sheriffs to publish booking photos. Practice varies significantly across the 14 counties. The county arrest page for your county notes whether the local Sheriff publishes photos and how to request them if they aren’t posted online.
How to seal or expunge an arrest record in Massachusetts
Massachusetts offers two distinct forms of record relief: sealing and expungement. They are governed by different rules, serve different situations, and produce different outcomes. Understanding which one applies to your record is the necessary first step.
Sealing hides a record from public view. The public — including most employers and landlords — can no longer see it. Law enforcement retains access. Sealing is available for a broader range of records than expungement. Under M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100E-100U, a non-conviction disposition — a dismissal, a nolle prosequi, a not-guilty finding, a no-bill, or a no-probable-cause finding — carries no waiting period. You can petition to seal immediately after the case closes. For a conviction, the waiting period is 3 years for a misdemeanor and 7 years for a felony, measured from the completion of the sentence, including any period of incarceration or supervised release. Sex offenses carry a 15-year wait.
Expungement permanently destroys the record. It is far narrower in scope. The offense must have occurred before your 21st birthday. The same 3-year and 7-year waiting periods apply. You may have no more than two records total. Serious offense categories are excluded entirely: offenses causing death or serious bodily injury, sex offenses, firearms violations, OUI, restraining-order violations, and domestic assault. If your record falls into any of those categories, expungement is not available — but sealing may still be.
To petition for sealing or expungement, file at the court where the matter was originally adjudicated. The Commissioner of Probation processes and effects the order once the court grants it. There is no filing fee to request sealing in Massachusetts. If you are seeking expungement and cannot afford an attorney, the indigency-waiver process is available at the court clerk’s office.
You can file a sealing petition without an attorney. The Trial Court publishes the required forms, and the Clerk of Court can explain the filing process. That said, if your record is complex — multiple cases, multiple counties, or charges that may or may not qualify — legal help is worth considering. The Massachusetts lawyer referral service can connect you with a criminal-defense attorney. If you cannot afford private counsel, the Committee for Public Counsel Services provides public defenders and may be able to assist with post-conviction relief.
After sealing, MassCourts no longer shows the record to the public. A CORI report issued to an employer or landlord will not include it. You are generally permitted to answer “no record” on most job and housing applications for sealed matters — but confirm the specific question’s wording with an attorney, because some licensing applications ask about sealed records explicitly.
| Resource | What it confirms | What it cannot confirm | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| MassCourts | Case numbers, charges, hearing dates, dispositions across all Trial Court departments | Booking records held by county Sheriffs; sealed or expunged cases | Search by name or case number on the portal |
| Massachusetts Department of Correction | Current custody status, facility, and projected release for state prison inmates | County house-of-correction inmates; court docket details | Use the inmate lookup on the DOC portal |
| Massachusetts State Police | Statewide criminal-history records; incidents handled by State Police | Municipal arrest records; county booking logs | Contact the State Police for record-request procedures |
| M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 (with c. 4, § 7, cl. 26) | The public-records framework governing what is and isn’t accessible | Individual case outcomes; current record status | Read the statute to understand access rights before filing a request |
| M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100E-100U | Eligibility rules for sealing and expungement of Massachusetts records | Whether your specific record qualifies — that requires a court review | File a petition at the court where the case was adjudicated |
| Nationwide Criminal Background Check | Multi-state name search when the county is unknown or records span states | Official CORI reports; sealed or expunged Massachusetts records | Run the name search above |
Related Massachusetts record searches
Two sibling searches cover adjacent needs:
- Massachusetts warrant search — to check for an active warrant statewide.
- Massachusetts inmate search — to locate someone in custody.
Arrest pages for each of Massachusetts’s 14 counties are listed in the index below this article.
Sources & official Massachusetts records systems
Page verified 2026-06-23. All linked sources are official Massachusetts government portals or statutes.
- MassCourts — statewide Trial Court docket and case-information portal.
- Massachusetts Department of Correction inmate lookup — current custody status for state prison inmates.
- Massachusetts State Police — statewide law enforcement and criminal-history records.
- M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 (with c. 4, § 7, cl. 26) — Massachusetts Public Records Law.
- M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100E-100U — Massachusetts sealing and expungement statutes (2018 Criminal Justice Reform Act).
- Massachusetts lawyer referral service — attorney referrals for criminal-record matters.
- Committee for Public Counsel Services — public defenders and post-conviction relief assistance.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I look up an arrest record in Massachusetts?
Search the MassCourts portal by name or case number to find docket entries across all Massachusetts Trial Court departments. For booking records, contact the Sheriff’s Office in the county where the arrest occurred — each county’s arrest page in the index below lists the direct contact details. If the person is in state prison, the Massachusetts Department of Correction inmate lookup confirms custody and facility. Keep in mind that CORI restrictions under M.G.L. c. 6, §§ 167-178B limit what the public can access without the subject’s consent.
How do I get a Massachusetts arrest record sealed or expunged?
File a petition at the court where the case was originally heard. For a dismissal or acquittal, there is no waiting period — you can petition immediately. For a misdemeanor conviction, the wait is 3 years from completion of the sentence; for a felony, it is 7 years. Expungement under M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100E-100U is available only for offenses that occurred before age 21 and excludes serious offense categories including OUI, sex offenses, and firearms violations. There is no filing fee for sealing. The Massachusetts lawyer referral service can help you find an attorney if the process is complex.