When you need to look up an arrest record in Suffolk County, the records divide between two systems: court-side dockets held by the Massachusetts Trial Court and booking-side records held by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Court dockets for cases filed at Suffolk County Superior Court — located at 3 Pemberton Square in Boston — are searchable online through the statewide MassCourts case search portal. The Superior Court Clerk’s office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Massachusetts’s CORI law tightly restricts public access to criminal history, so what you can retrieve depends on who you are and why you’re asking.
If someone you know was just booked tonight, our Suffolk County inmate-search page has phone-first contact info.
Searching for records beyond Massachusetts
A Suffolk County court search covers only cases filed in Massachusetts courts — it won’t surface arrests in other states, federal charges processed through the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston, or records predating the MassCourts online window. A nationwide database search may help fill gaps that local portals often leave, particularly if the person you’re researching has lived in multiple states or has prior names on record.
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How to look up arrest records in Suffolk County
Your path depends on whether the case is recent enough to appear in the digital portal or old enough to exist only on paper at the courthouse.
MassCourts online portal (court-side, recent cases). The MassCourts case search portal covers Trial Court dockets statewide, including Suffolk County Superior Court, Boston Municipal Court, and the district courts serving Chelsea, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Roxbury, South Boston, and West Roxbury. Search by name or case number. The portal shows docket entries, scheduled hearings, and dispositions for cases within its online window. Sealed cases do not appear. The portal is free to search.
Suffolk County Superior Court Clerk (court-side, older or paper records). Cases predating the MassCourts online window, or records you need certified, require a written request to the Suffolk County Superior Court Clerk’s Office at 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108. The Clerk’s office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call to confirm the current records-request fee and turnaround time before submitting. Phone lines at the courthouse can experience delays, so plan accordingly.
Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department (booking-side records). Arrest booking records — as distinct from court dockets — are generated by the arresting agency and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, which operates the South Bay House of Correction and the Suffolk County Jail. The Sheriff’s administrative offices are open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A confirmed direct phone number for the Sheriff’s records unit is not published online — call the Sheriff’s Department to confirm the correct contact for records requests.
Municipal police departments (arrest reports). The arresting agency holds the original arrest report. In Suffolk County, that may be the Boston Police Department, reachable at (617) 343-4500) (Headquarters, customer service Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.), the Chelsea Police Department at (617) 466-4855, the Revere Police Department at (781) 284-1212, or the Winthrop Police Department at (617) 846-1212. Each department handles its own public-records requests under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10. Boston Police Department walk-in service at most district stations accommodates the first arrivals without an appointment; after that, appointments are required. Confirm numbers and hours before visiting or calling.
Massachusetts Department of Correction (state prison records). For individuals serving state sentences, the Massachusetts Department of Correction inmate lookup covers DOC facilities statewide, including the Boston Pre-Release Center. This is a separate system from the Sheriff’s jail roster and covers different custody levels.
Federal cases. Arrests processed through federal agencies and prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts appear in the PACER Case Locator, not in MassCourts. PACER requires a free account registration.
Are Suffolk County arrest records public?
Massachusetts law makes most court filings public records under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 (with c. 4, § 7, cl. 26) — but the state’s CORI statute carves out significant exceptions that make Massachusetts one of the more privacy-protective states in the country.
The default-public rule covers docket entries in open criminal cases: the charge, the case number, the court date, and the disposition once entered. Anyone can search the MassCourts portal and retrieve this information without stating a reason.
Sealed records are the primary exception. When a court grants a petition to seal under M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100A–100C, the record disappears from public view — it won’t appear in MassCourts searches, and the subject can lawfully deny the arrest in most non-law-enforcement contexts. Law enforcement agencies retain access to sealed records; the public does not. Expunged records go further: under §§ 100E–100U, the record is physically destroyed, and even law enforcement access is eliminated. The practical effect is that a successful expungement petition removes the record from every public-facing system entirely. This is why H2 #5 below matters — many Suffolk County arrest records that appear in a search today may qualify for sealing or expungement.
Juvenile records carry a separate, stronger protection. Cases adjudicated in the Juvenile Court are not public records and do not appear in MassCourts searches available to the general public.
Victim-protection redactions apply in certain cases — addresses, contact information, and identifying details of protected parties are withheld from public docket entries even when the case itself is public.
Booking photographs (mugshots) present a distinct question. Suffolk County’s policy on releasing booking photos is not posted in a publicly accessible online document — call the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department to confirm the current release policy before relying on third-party mugshot aggregators, which may display photos that the county itself would not release.
What’s in a Suffolk County arrest record?
What fields does a Suffolk County arrest record actually contain — and does it differ depending on where you pull it from?
The answer is yes: court-side docket entries and booking-side arrest records are generated by different agencies and live in different systems. Understanding which one you’re looking at matters for interpreting what you find.
Court-side docket entries (what you see in MassCourts) include: case number, court division (e.g., Suffolk County Superior Court or Boston Municipal Court), filing date, charge or charges with statute citation, arraignment date, bail status, scheduled hearing dates, attorney of record (if entered), and disposition — guilty, not guilty, dismissed, nolle prosequi, or continued without a finding. The docket reflects the case’s procedural history from arraignment forward. It does not include the narrative arrest report or the booking photograph.
Booking-side records (what the arresting agency and Sheriff hold) include: booking date and time, arresting officer and agency, charges as written at booking (which may differ from the charges ultimately filed in court), physical description, and the booking photograph. These records are held by the arresting department — Boston Police Department Headquarters at (617) 343-4500, for example — and are subject to a separate public-records request process under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10.
A key practical point: the charges on the booking record and the charges on the court docket sometimes differ. The district attorney may file different charges than those written at booking, or may decline to prosecute entirely. A booking record showing an arrest does not mean a case was ever filed in court. Always cross-reference both systems for a complete picture.
At the Suffolk County Superior Court, the Clerk’s office at 3 Pemberton Square maintains certified copies of court records. Certified copies carry an official court seal and are typically required for legal proceedings, license applications, or immigration matters. The fee for certified copies — call the Clerk’s office to confirm the current amount before requesting.
One logistics note for in-person visits to the Suffolk County Superior Court: the entrance at Pemberton Square has minimal signage from Somerset Street. Look for the door with “Suffolk County Superior Court” carved above it. Parking near the courthouse is expensive and limited; the MBTA Courthouse station on the Silver Line is the practical alternative.
How to expunge an arrest record in Suffolk County
Petitioning to seal or expunge an arrest record in Suffolk County is a routine legal procedure — many people pursue it after a case resolves, and the process is designed to be accessible without an attorney.
Sealing (the more common path). Massachusetts sealing under M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100A–100C covers a broad range of outcomes. Non-conviction dispositions — dismissals, nolle prosequi entries, not-guilty findings, no-probable-cause findings — carry no waiting period. You can petition to seal immediately after the case closes. For convictions, the waiting period is 3 years for a misdemeanor and 7 years for a felony, measured from the completion of the sentence (the end of any incarceration or probation, not just the date of the conviction). Sex offense convictions carry a 15-year wait. There is no filing fee to request sealing.
To seal a record, file a Petition to Seal at the court where the case was adjudicated — for Suffolk County cases, that means the relevant division of the Boston Municipal Court, a district court, or the Suffolk County Superior Court, depending on where the case was heard. The Commissioner of Probation processes and effects the sealing order once the court approves it. The Probation Department at the courthouse can provide the petition form.
Expungement (the narrower path). Under M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100E-100U, expungement permanently destroys the record rather than hiding it. Eligibility is more restricted: the offense must have occurred before the petitioner’s 21st birthday, the same 3-year misdemeanor / 7-year felony waiting period applies, and the petitioner may have no more than two records total. Serious offense categories are excluded — offenses causing death or serious bodily injury, sex offenses, firearms violations, OUI, restraining-order violations, and domestic assault do not qualify. File the expungement petition at the court where the matter was adjudicated; the Commissioner of Probation effects the order.
Dismissed and acquitted cases. These are the most straightforward to address. A dismissal or not-guilty finding qualifies for sealing immediately, with no waiting period. Many people don’t realize this — an arrest that never resulted in a conviction can still appear in background checks until it’s sealed. Filing the petition promptly after a dismissal is the cleanest approach.
Self-petition vs. attorney-assisted. The sealing petition form is available at the Probation Department window at the courthouse and does not require an attorney. For expungement petitions, or for cases involving multiple charges or prior records, an attorney can help navigate eligibility questions. The Massachusetts lawyer referral service and the Committee for Public Counsel Services (public defender) can connect you with representation.
What remains visible after sealing. Law enforcement agencies — police, prosecutors, courts — retain full access to sealed records. The public does not. Employers conducting standard background checks will not see a sealed record. Federal agencies and certain licensed professions may have different access rules; confirm with an attorney if that’s relevant to your situation.
Quick-contacts table
| Resource | What it confirms | What it cannot confirm | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| MassCourts case search portal | Court docket entries, charges filed, dispositions, hearing dates for Suffolk County Trial Court cases | Sealed records, booking photos, arrest reports, federal cases | Search by name or case number; free, no account required |
| Suffolk County Superior Court Clerk 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108 Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
Certified copies of Superior Court records; paper records predating the online portal | District court or BMC records; booking-side records | Call to confirm fee and request process before visiting |
| Boston Police Department Headquarters (617) 343-4500 Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
Boston PD arrest reports, booking records for BPD arrests | Records from other agencies; court docket entries | Submit a public-records request under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10; photo ID required |
| Massachusetts Department of Correction inmate lookup | Current DOC custody status for state-sentenced individuals; facility location | County jail roster; court records; arrest history | Search by name on the Mass.gov DOC inmate lookup tool |
| PACER Case Locator | Federal criminal cases prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts | State court records; county booking records | Register for a free PACER account; search by name or case number |
| Chelsea Police Department (617) 466-4855 |
Arrest reports for incidents in Chelsea | Records from other jurisdictions; court dockets | Submit a public-records request; confirm hours before visiting (19 Park Street, Chelsea) |
- Massachusetts Courts docket search — statewide portal for Trial Court dockets including all Suffolk County divisions
- Suffolk County Superior Court — address, hours, and contact information for the Superior Court Clerk at 3 Pemberton Square, Boston
- the state prison inmate locator — DOC inmate lookup for state-sentenced individuals
- Boston Pre-Release Center — DOC facility location and contact information
- PACER Case Locator — U.S. Courts — federal case search for the District of Massachusetts
- the state bar lawyer directory — Massachusetts lawyer referral resources
- Committee for Public Counsel Services — public defender access for sealing and expungement assistance
- M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 (with c. 4, § 7, cl. 26) — Massachusetts Public Records Law, governing default-public status of court filings
- M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100A–100C — Massachusetts sealing statute, waiting periods and eligibility
- M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100E–100U — Massachusetts expungement statute (2018 Criminal Justice Reform Act)
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Frequently asked questions about Suffolk County arrest records
How do I find out what’s on my own Suffolk County arrest record?
Pull your own record through the MassCourts case search portal using your name — this shows any open or unsealed court dockets in Suffolk County and across Massachusetts. For a complete criminal history including cases in other states or records predating the online portal, you can request your own CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) through the Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, or contact the Clerk’s office at the relevant courthouse directly. The Superior Court Clerk at 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, handles Superior Court records; district court and Boston Municipal Court divisions maintain their own records separately.
How do I get a Suffolk County arrest record sealed or expunged?
For a non-conviction outcome — a dismissal, not-guilty finding, or nolle prosequi — you can petition to seal immediately with no waiting period and no filing fee. File the Petition to Seal at the court where the case was heard; the Probation Department at that courthouse has the form. For a conviction, the waiting period under M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100A–100C is 3 years for a misdemeanor or 7 years for a felony, measured from the end of your sentence. Expungement under M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100E–100U is available for offenses that occurred before age 21, subject to additional eligibility limits. The Committee for Public Counsel Services can provide free legal assistance if you qualify.
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