Find Background Check Records in Bristol County

Bristol County background check records are available through the Massachusetts CORI system, the Bristol County Sheriff's Office, and three Superior Court locations in New Bedford, Taunton, and Fall River. The county covers the southeastern part of the state and includes major cities like New Bedford, Fall River, and Taunton. This page explains where to find criminal history records, court case data, and other public records tied to Bristol County, Massachusetts.

Bristol County Sheriff's Office

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office is headquartered at 400 Faunce Corner Road in North Dartmouth. The main phone is 508-995-6400. For civil process questions, call (508) 992-6631. Sheriff Paul Heroux was elected in 2022. The office manages county corrections, civil process, and inmate records. Their full website is at bcso-ma.us.

Bristol County operates two correctional facilities. The Bristol County House of Correction is in Dartmouth, adjacent to the sheriff's headquarters. The Ash Street Jail in New Bedford holds the distinction of being the oldest operating jail in the nation, having opened in 1888. Both facilities hold pre-trial and sentenced inmates from Bristol County courts. If you need to check on someone currently in custody in Bristol County, the sheriff's office can help with that.

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office homepage gives the public access to information about civil process, inmate custody, and county programs. The screenshot below is from their main site.

Visit the Bristol County Sheriff's Office website to learn about services, civil process, and inmate information.

The site is maintained by the Bristol County Sheriff's Office in North Dartmouth and covers all sheriff services for the county.

Bristol County Superior Court Background Check Records

Bristol County is one of the few counties in Massachusetts with more than one Superior Court location. There are three in total, each covering different types of cases or geographic areas within the county. All three are part of the Massachusetts Superior Court system, and records from each flow into state court databases.

The New Bedford Superior Court at 441 County Street handles civil matters. Phone is (508) 996-2051. This is the main civil division for Bristol County. The Taunton Superior Court on Court Street handles criminal cases for the northern part of the county. The Fall River Superior Court at 186 South Main Street handles criminal cases for the southern part and can be reached at (508) 491-3300. Felony criminal records from any of these three locations appear in CORI under M.G.L. c. 6, § 172.

The Fall River Superior Court information is shown below, including the courthouse location and services available there.

The Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River handles criminal matters for the southern part of Bristol County and is one of three Superior Court locations in the county.

The Fall River courthouse on South Main Street serves residents of Fall River and the surrounding southern Bristol County communities.

To search case records across all three Bristol County Superior Court locations, use the free Massachusetts Trial Court case access portal at masscourts.org. You can search by name or case number. Results show case type, charges, filing date, and current status. This is free for all users.

District Courts in Bristol County

Bristol County has three main district courts. The Fall River District Court serves the southern cities and towns and can be reached at (508) 491-3200. The New Bedford District Court covers the New Bedford area at (508) 999-9700. The Taunton District Court handles the northern and central towns at (508) 977-6150.

District courts handle misdemeanor criminal cases, civil cases under $50,000, and small claims. Most first-time charges in Bristol County start here. Arraignment records from these courts feed directly into the state CORI database. A misdemeanor conviction or a case still pending at any of these district courts will show up when someone requests a Bristol County background check through the CORI system. Under M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A, qualifying old or dismissed charges may be sealed and removed from standard CORI results.

All three Bristol County district courts are searchable at masscourts.org. This covers public docket information for active and closed cases.

Note: The Bristol County District Attorney's Office is at 888 Purchase Street in New Bedford. Phone is 508-997-0711. The DA does not provide background check records directly, but the office handles prosecution of cases that become part of the public court record.

How to Request a Background Check in Bristol County

Massachusetts uses the CORI system for criminal background checks. CORI is managed by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) at 200 Arlington Street in Chelsea. All court records from Bristol County courts are included in the CORI database.

To get your own background check record, go to icori.chs.state.ma.us. Register as an individual, pay the $25 fee by credit card, and get your record right away if you have a Massachusetts driver's license or ID. If you do not have a Massachusetts ID, you can do this by mail. Download the Personal CORI Request Form from the DCJIS site, notarize it, include a $25 money order or an Affidavit of Indigency for a fee waiver, and mail it to DCJIS in Chelsea. Mail requests take about two to three weeks. Full instructions are at mass.gov/how-to/request-cori-as-an-individual.

The CORI system covers arraignments from all Bristol County courts. It does not include arrests that did not lead to arraignment. For case-level detail, use the court access portal or contact the clerk at the relevant court. The main CORI overview page is at mass.gov/massachusetts-criminal-offender-record-information-cori.

Under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10, court records are public records. Anyone can request copies from the clerk's office at any Bristol County court. Bring a case number if you have one. Clerks at New Bedford, Taunton, and Fall River courthouses can all process copy requests in person.

Searching Bristol County Court Records

The free public portal at masscourts.org is the starting point for any court-based background check in Bristol County. It covers Superior Court and district court cases at all three Bristol County locations. You can search by name. Results include case type, charges, hearing dates, and disposition. Sealed and impounded records do not appear here.

To get paper copies of court documents in Bristol County, visit the clerk's office at the courthouse where the case was heard. The Fall River clerk handles Fall River Superior and district cases. The New Bedford clerk handles civil Superior Court and New Bedford district cases. The Taunton clerk handles Taunton cases. Each clerk charges a per-page fee for plain copies and a higher rate for certified copies. Call ahead to confirm the current fee schedule and hours before you make the trip.

Sex Offender Registry for Bristol County

The Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board classifies registered sex offenders by risk level. Level 3 offenders (high risk) are always public. Level 2 offenders classified after July 12, 2013 are also public. Level 1 is not public. Registered offenders from Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton, and all other Bristol County communities are included. Reach SORB at (978) 740-6400, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. The online search is at mass.gov.

Cities in Bristol County

Bristol County includes more than 20 cities and towns. All criminal cases from these communities are handled through the Bristol County court system. The cities below have dedicated background check resource pages.

Other communities in Bristol County include Dartmouth, Attleboro, Mansfield, Norton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Dighton, Berkley, Raynham, Easton, Westport, Fairhaven, Freetown, Somerset, Swansea, and Acushnet. These towns file cases at the nearest Bristol County district court or the appropriate Superior Court location.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Bristol County. If you need records for someone who lives near the county line, check the adjacent county courts as well.