Boston Background Check Records

Boston background check records come from several sources across Suffolk County. The Boston Police Department, Boston Municipal Court, and Suffolk County Superior Court all hold records that feed into a background check for someone who lives or has appeared before the courts in Boston. You can request a CORI through the state system or pull court case records from the Massachusetts Trial Court's public access portal. This guide covers how to get records, who to contact, and what laws apply in Boston.

Boston Police Department Records

The Boston Police Department handles public records requests for incident reports, arrest logs, and police documents. The department is located at One Schroeder Plaza, Roxbury Crossing, MA 02120. For general calls, the main number is 617-343-4500. The Public Service Unit, which handles records and related inquiries, can be reached at 617-343-4633. If you need to submit a records request by email, send it to publicrecords@boston.gov. For police reports specifically, use policereport@pd.boston.gov. Learn more about the department at police.boston.gov.

The Records Access Officer for the City of Boston is Grace Jung, Director of Public Records. Her direct line is 617-635-4037 and her email is grace.jung@boston.gov. She oversees all public records requests routed through the city. If your request is denied or not answered in time, you can appeal to the Supervisor of Records at the Secretary of State's office. Most records requests are answered within ten business days under Massachusetts public records law, which is governed by M.G.L. c. 66, § 10.

BPD also offers ink fingerprinting on the first floor of its headquarters. The cost is $5.00 per card. Appointments are required and must be made at boston-scheduling.as.me/InkFingerprinting. This service is for Boston residents only.

Boston Municipal Court Background Check

The Boston Municipal Court is the main trial court handling criminal matters in Boston. Unlike other cities in Massachusetts, Boston has its own court system separate from the regular district court model. The BMC covers all criminal arraignments, bail hearings, and trials for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies that occur within Boston. Court records from BMC are a core part of any background check for a Boston resident.

The central division is at 24 New Chardon Street, Boston, MA 02114. The main phone is 617-788-8600. Beyond the central courthouse, the BMC runs seven additional divisions spread across Boston neighborhoods: Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Roxbury, South Boston, and West Roxbury. Each division handles cases from its own geographic area. Criminal case records filed at any BMC division are searchable through the Massachusetts Trial Court case access system at masscourts.org. Public access to basic case data is free. You can search by name or case number.

The image below shows the Boston Municipal Court page hosted by the Massachusetts court system, which is the official source for BMC records and contact information.

The BMC system processes thousands of cases each year. If you need a certified court document from Boston Municipal Court, you must go in person or submit a written request to the clerk's office at the division where the case was heard.

Suffolk County Superior Court

For more serious criminal matters, the Suffolk County Superior Court handles felony cases and civil actions above $50,000. The courthouse is at 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108. The criminal division can be reached at (617) 788-8160 and the civil division at (617) 788-8175. Superior Court criminal records are also part of what shows up in a Boston background check when someone has been charged with a felony. These records are in the same public case access system at masscourts.org.

Superior Court records include indictments, plea records, trial transcripts (by request), and sentencing orders. To get copies of documents from a Superior Court case, contact the clerk's office directly. Fees apply per page for printed copies.

How to Request a Boston Background Check

A formal background check in Massachusetts goes through the CORI system, which is run by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS). CORI stands for Criminal Offender Record Information. The law governing CORI is M.G.L. c. 6, § 172. Anyone who lived or was charged in Boston can have a CORI on file with the state.

To get your own CORI, go to the iCORI portal at icori.chs.state.ma.us. You will need a valid Massachusetts driver's license or state ID to register online. The fee is $25 per name-based search. Once you pay, results come back right away. If you don't have a Massachusetts ID, you can still request your CORI by mail. Download the Personal CORI Request Form from the DCJIS site, have it notarized, include a $25 money order, and mail it to DCJIS at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea, MA 02150. Mail requests take two to three weeks to process. More detail on the process is at mass.gov/how-to/request-cori-as-an-individual.

The general overview of the CORI program is at mass.gov/massachusetts-criminal-offender-record-information-cori. DCJIS can be reached at (617) 660-4600 or by email at icori.info@mass.gov.

Two types of CORI checks exist. The name-based check uses your name and date of birth to search Massachusetts court records. It costs $25 and covers arraignments on file in the state system. The fingerprint-based check, called SAFIS, matches prints against both state and FBI databases. It is more thorough and required for some licensed roles. Both types would cover records from Boston courts.

Boston Court Records Access

The Massachusetts Trial Court electronic case access system is the fastest way to find court records tied to a Boston background check. The site at masscourts.org covers Boston Municipal Court, District Court, Superior Court, Probate and Family Court, and several other trial court departments. Basic case information is free. You can search by full name or case number. Results show case type, filing date, charges if criminal, and current status.

Keep in mind that sealed and expunged records do not appear in public searches. Under M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A, a person may petition to seal a misdemeanor after three years or a felony after seven years. Once sealed, those records are not visible to the public through masscourts.org or standard CORI searches. Expunged records are removed entirely from state systems.

If you need physical copies of court documents from a Boston case, contact the clerk at the specific court division. Certified copies cost more than plain copies and are used for legal purposes like identity verification or court proceedings in other jurisdictions.

Sex Offender Registry in Boston

The Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB) maintains the state registry for Massachusetts. For Boston residents or people with a Boston address, their registry status falls under the same statewide system. SORB classifies offenders at three levels. Level 1 is low risk and not public. Level 2 is moderate risk and public if classified after July 12, 2013. Level 3 is high risk and always public. You can search the SORB database through the state site at mass.gov/orgs/sex-offender-registry-board. The SORB main line is (978) 740-6400, open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Boston and have their own background check pages. Each one files cases in its own court jurisdiction but uses the same state CORI system for record requests.

Suffolk County handles Boston records. See the Suffolk County background check page for more on county-level records and how the court system is structured there.