Find Background Check Records in Hampshire County

Background check records in Hampshire County, Massachusetts come from the state CORI system, Superior Court, and two district courts. The Hampshire County Sheriff's Office, based in Northampton, handles civil process and corrections, while the state manages criminal history data through the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services. This page covers how to access those records, which courts hold them, what state law says about them, and where to start your search in Hampshire County.

Hampshire County Sheriff's Office

The Hampshire County Sheriff's Office is at 205 Rocky Hill Road in Northampton, MA 01060. Their main line is (413) 584-5911. The office also maintains a mailing address at P.O. Box 7000, Northampton, MA 01061-7000. Civil process questions go to (413) 585-0618.

The Sheriff's Office in Hampshire County runs the county jail and handles civil process service, including serving court papers and restraining orders. These are important functions, but they are not the same as holding criminal history records. Like all counties in Massachusetts, Hampshire County does not keep its own criminal record database. Criminal records flow through the state court system and are stored in the CORI database managed by the Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services. So if you need a full background check tied to Hampshire County, the court system and the state CORI portal are the right places to go, not the sheriff's office directly.

The Hampshire County Sheriff's Office website has program information, civil process details, and staff contacts. It is a good first stop if your question is about someone who was held at the county facility or if you need civil papers served in Hampshire County.

Hampshire County Superior Court

Hampshire County Superior Court is located at 15 Gothic Street in Northampton, MA 01061. The clerk's office handles all filings and can be reached at (413) 584-5810. This is the court that handles serious felony cases in Hampshire County. All case records filed here are part of the public docket.

You can search Hampshire County Superior Court records online through the Massachusetts Trial Court Electronic Case Access portal. The search is free and available to the public. It shows case names, case types, key dates, and court locations. For actual documents, you need to visit the clerk's office or submit a written request. Staff at the clerk's office can tell you how to get copies and what the fee is per page. Most in-person requests are filled the same day.

The Hampshire County Superior Court page on mass.gov has current hours, directions, and clerk contact info. Hours can shift, so check there before making a trip to Northampton.

Under M.G.L. c. 6, § 172, the state defines what criminal records are subject to CORI restrictions versus what is open on the public court docket. The docket itself is generally available at the clerk's office. Some case documents, like sealed records or certain juvenile records, are not open to the public, but the basic case listing is accessible for Hampshire County Superior Court cases.

District Courts in Hampshire County

Two district courts serve Hampshire County. They handle misdemeanor cases, small civil matters, and arraignments. Their records feed into the same state database that a CORI check will pull from.

Northampton District Court handles the western part of the county. Call them at (413) 584-7400. Eastern Hampshire District Court sits in Belchertown and covers the eastern towns in the county, including Amherst, Belchertown, Granby, Hadley, Pelham, and South Hadley. Their number is (413) 323-4056. Both courts are listed in the masscourts.org search system. If you know a case was heard in Hampshire County but are not sure which court, start with the online search tool. It will show you which court the case belongs to and what the current status is.

Hampshire County also has a Probate and Family Court at 33 King Street, Suite 3, Northampton, MA 01060. That office handles civil family matters and can be reached at (413) 586-8500. Probate court records are separate from criminal records, though they may appear in a broader background search.

Note: District court records in Hampshire County are part of the state CORI system. A name-based CORI check will capture cases from both Northampton and Belchertown district courts.

How to Request Background Check Records in Hampshire County

Getting background check records tied to Hampshire County starts with knowing what type of record you need. Court docket records and CORI records are two distinct things. Both are useful, but you go to different places to get them.

For court docket information, use the free Massachusetts Trial Court case access portal. Search by name or case number. It covers Superior Court, District Court, and other trial court departments in Hampshire County. This gives you the case listing and key dates at no cost. To get actual documents from a case file, contact the clerk at the right court. Call the Superior Court at (413) 584-5810 or Northampton District Court at (413) 584-7400 to ask about copy fees and procedures. In-person requests are usually the fastest option in Hampshire County.

For a formal CORI record, go to the state iCORI portal at icori.chs.state.ma.us. Register as an individual if you are requesting your own record. You need a valid Massachusetts driver's license or state ID. The fee is $25. Results come back right away online. If you do not have a Massachusetts ID, download the paper form from the individual CORI request page, sign it before a notary, and mail it with a $25 money order to DCJIS in Chelsea. Mail requests take two to three weeks to process.

Under M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A, sealed criminal records are not available through standard CORI or public court searches. If a Hampshire County case was sealed, it will not show up in a name-based search. That is true whether you search online or go to the court in person.

State CORI Process for Hampshire County Records

The CORI system is run by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services in Chelsea. Every court in Hampshire County sends its criminal case data into this state system. That makes a CORI check one of the most complete ways to search for criminal history tied to Hampshire County. It pulls from all local courts in one search.

There are two access levels worth knowing about. A personal CORI request costs $25 and lets you see your own record. An Open Access CORI request costs $50 and gives the public a more limited view of someone else's record. The full overview of the CORI system is at mass.gov. DCJIS can be reached by phone at (617) 660-4600, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by email at icori.info@mass.gov. The CORI unit line is (617) 660-4640 for more specific record questions.

If you find errors in your own CORI record, Massachusetts law gives you the right to dispute them. You can also ask about sealing. Under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10, records that qualify for sealing can be removed from public view after the required waiting period. Misdemeanors are eligible after three years; felonies after seven. DCJIS handles administrative sealing requests by mail. Court petitions handle cases that were dismissed or not prosecuted.

Note: CORI is a Massachusetts-only system. Records from other states or federal courts will not appear in a CORI check for Hampshire County.

Sex Offender Registry in Hampshire County

The Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB) covers all of Massachusetts, including Hampshire County. Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders are publicly searchable on the SORB site. Level 1 offenders are not publicly listed. The SORB phone line is (978) 740-4600, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Local police departments in Hampshire County, including those in Northampton, Amherst, Easthampton, and other towns, can also provide information about registered offenders in their area. This is a separate resource from the CORI system. There is no fee to search the public SORB database. If you want information on a specific town in Hampshire County, the local police department or the state SORB site will both show you what is publicly available.

Cities in Hampshire County

Hampshire County includes Northampton, Amherst, Easthampton, Westfield (partially), South Hadley, Belchertown, Hadley, Granby, Pelham, Hatfield, Williamsburg, and other towns. Northampton is the county seat. Amherst is home to the University of Massachusetts and several other colleges. Neither city, nor any other community in Hampshire County, meets the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All criminal and background check records for residents of these towns run through the same Hampshire County courts and the state CORI system covered above.

Nearby Counties

Hampshire County sits in the middle of western Massachusetts. It borders Hampden to the south, Worcester to the east, Franklin to the north, and Berkshire to the west. If you are not sure which county court handled a case, check where the offense or case was filed. Records may exist in more than one county if events crossed county lines.