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Massachusetts public records: who holds what

In Massachusetts, deeds are recorded by the Register of Deeds, birth and death certificates come from the City/Town Clerk and requests for other government records fall under the Massachusetts Public Records Law. Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in Massachusetts
  2. Public records law in Massachusetts
  3. How Massachusetts organizes its records
  4. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  5. Counties in Massachusetts
  6. Warnings from official sources
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Official directories
  9. Sources

Who holds what in Massachusetts

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
Deeds21 Registries of Deeds (districts generally by county; some counties split), each led by an elected Register of Deeds under the authority of the Secretary of the Commonwealth1$1 per page for copies; $0.50 per page on coin-operated copiers (statute)2
Property recordsLocal (city/town) assessors value property and decide abatement applications3—
Court recordsUnified state court system: Supreme Judicial Court, Appeals Court and a statewide Trial Court with 7 departments (BMC, District, Housing, Juvenile, Land, Probate & Family, Superior)4Trial Court uniform fees: $2.50/page attested copy; $0.05/page unattested copy; $20 certificate of orders/judgments5
Marriage recordsCity/town clerk where the marriage intention was filed (not where the ceremony occurred); statewide copies from RVRS (1936-present)6RVRS: $20 in person; $32 by mail; $54 first copy online/phone (VitalChek), $42 each additional7
Divorce recordsProbate and Family Court in the county where the divorce was granted8$20 certificate of divorce absolute; $20 certified copy of a judgment of divorce nisi; certified copy of a separation agreement: "$20 first page plus.05 cents for each additional page" (wording as published)8
Birth certificatesCity/town clerk of the place of birth (and of parents' residence) and the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS, Dept. of Public Health), 1936-present9RVRS: $20 in person; $32 mail; $42 expedited mail; $54 first copy online/phone (VitalChek), $42 additional; expedited online $62.50/$50.5010
Death certificatesCity/town clerk where the death occurred and RVRS (1936-present); pre-1936 also at the city/town of occurrence7Same RVRS fees as birth: $20 in person, $32 mail, $54/$42 online7
Probate and willsProbate and Family Court (state Trial Court department, with registries in each county) handles wills and estates11Trial Court uniform fee: $2.50/page attested copy, $0.05/page unattested5

Public records law in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Public Records Law (M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 and § 10A; definition and exemptions at M.G.L. c. 4, § 7, cl. 26; regulations 950 CMR 32.00) Read the law12

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
Anyone; no reason required13
What is exempt
All government records presumed public unless a specific exemption in M.G.L. c. 4, § 7(26) applies (subclauses (a)-(x), e.g. (a) statutory exemptions, (c) personnel/medical/unwarranted invasion of privacy)14
Official guide
Official guide is published by the Secretary of the Commonwealth (Supervisor of Records), not the Attorney General: "A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law" (updated December 2022)14
Response time: initial
10 business days after receipt of the request12
Response time: extension
If more time is needed the written response must give a timeframe not exceeding 15 business days (state agency) or 25 business days (municipality) from receipt, unless the requester agrees to longer12
Response time: supervisor extension
On petition and good cause, Supervisor of Records may grant a single extension: up to 20 business days (agency) or 30 business days (municipality)12
More on the Massachusetts Public Records Law
Fees: paper copy
Max 5 cents per page for standard black-and-white paper copies (single or double sided)12
Fees: labor agency
State agencies: labor up to $25/hour, but not for the first 4 hours12
Fees: labor municipality
Municipalities: labor up to $25/hour (unless Supervisor approves more); first 2 hours free only where population is over 20,00012
Fees: late response
No fee may be charged if the RAO did not respond within 10 business days12
Fees: waiver
RAO may waive or reduce fees for public-interest requests or inability to pay12
Fees: other statutes
Fee caps apply "unless expressly provided for otherwise" — record-specific fee statutes (e.g., registries of deeds, town clerks, courts) set their own copy fees12
Appealing a value: where
Appeal to the Supervisor of Records (Secretary of the Commonwealth, Public Records Division) within 90 days15
Appealing a value: deadline
File within 90 calendar days of the original request (no response) or within 90 days of the response15
Appealing a value: decision time
Supervisor issues written determination within 10 business days of receiving the petition16
Appealing a value: which court
Requester may also sue in Superior Court (Suffolk for state agencies; county where municipality is located)16
Appealing a value: attorney general role
Attorney General may enforce Supervisor orders on notice from the Supervisor16
Exemptions statute
Exemptions are in c. 4, § 7, clause Twenty-sixth17

How to write a public records request

How Massachusetts organizes its records

  • Vital records kept by cities and towns, not counties. Vital records are held by city/town clerks and the state RVRS; Archives directs pre-1841 requests to town clerks18
  • Registry of Deeds districts differ from counties. 21 registry districts; some counties have several (e.g., Middlesex North/South, Essex North/South, Bristol North/South/Fall River, Berkshire North/Middle/South, Worcester/Worcester North)1
  • Registries under Secretary of the Commonwealth. Registries operate under the Secretary of the Commonwealth; fees payable to the Commonwealth19
  • Land Court registered land. Registered (Torrens/Land Court) land searched separately from recorded land20
  • Courts are state, not county. Unified Trial Court with 7 departments; clerks and registers of probate are state court officials4
  • Barnstable and Nantucket registries on county/town sites. Barnstable registry linked at capecod.gov; Nantucket at nantucket-ma.gov1

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

Agency
DCJIS administers the state criminal records systems21
State repository
Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) - CORI (name-based Massachusetts court arraignment records) via iCORI22
Online portal
iCORI at criminalhistory.mass.gov (requires a MyMassGov account)23
Fee
$25 per personal CORI request (your own record); $50 per Open Access CORI request (on someone else); $0 with an affidavit of indigency (personal requests)24
Who may order
Individuals may get their own CORI ("Personal Self"); "Open Access" CORI may be requested on someone else; organizations register separately with higher access levels25
More about criminal history checks
Turnaround
Up to 10 business days22
Not fingerprint
iCORI results are name-based, not fingerprint-supported26

Sex offender registry

Official registry
Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB) public search: sorb.chs.state.ma.us/sorbpublic27
What it covers
Online database: Level 3 and Level 2 offenders classified after July 12, 2013; full Level 2 list from local police28
Public levels
Public can access only Level 2 and Level 3 offender information28
Other ways
Requests also by mail to SORB or in person at local police28
National
NSOPW linked29

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
Massachusetts Department of Correction; locate individuals via VINELink (linked by DOC)30

Voter records

Public access
Local voter lists are public (name, address, party, date of birth, active/inactive status, voter ID) and requested from local election offices; cost only31
Fields
Public voter list fields31
Fee
Only the cost of producing the record31
State file
Statewide voter file is not a public record; available only to statewide campaigns and political parties31
Withheld information
Phone, email, veteran status, permanent absentee status, confidential voters and minors withheld31

Business names (DBA)

Assumed names (DBA)
DBA ("business certificate") filed with the clerk of every city/town where the business has an office; valid 4 years32
DBA term
Certificate in force 4 years; must be renewed32
DBA filing fee
Statutory default $1 filing fee, unless the city/town sets its own fee33
Companies and LLCs
Corporations, LLCs, LPs searchable in the Secretary of the Commonwealth Corporations Division database34

Liens and UCC filings

UCC filings
UCC filings with the Secretary of the Commonwealth Corporations Division; online UCC search35
Liens db
Secretary also offers a Liens database search35
Registry filings
Registries of deeds also record UCC documents and federal tax liens (Suffolk: $75 UCC up to 2 debtors; $5 federal tax liens)19

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS
MassGIS: state GIS office; MassMapper and free data downloads; MassGIS Data Hub (gis.data.mass.gov)36
Parcel data
Massachusetts Interactive Property Map (statewide parcels)36

Historical and genealogy records

State archives
Massachusetts Archives (Secretary of the Commonwealth) holds vital records 1841-1935 for all cities and towns; certified copies $3 each18
Archives fee
$3.00 per certified vital record (1841-1935); max 5 per order; up to 12 weeks18
Free images
1841-1930 images free on FamilySearch (Archives partnership); free scans by email up to five records18
Pre
Before 1841: contact the city/town clerk18
RVRS research
RVRS research room (1936-present indexes), online reservation required; $4.50 per person per half hour10
More about historical and genealogy records
Passenger lists
Massachusetts Archives holds Port of Boston passenger lists 1848-189137
Court archives
SJC Judicial Archives for historic court/probate/naturalization records38

Counties in Massachusetts

7 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 14 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.39

Warnings from official sources

  • Deed copy mailers. Middlesex South Registry warns of direct-mail offers to sell homeowners copies of their deed; not from the Registry or Commonwealth; official copies viewable free online40
  • Deed copies free online. Official recorded documents viewable free40
  • Quitclaim deed fraud. Worcester Registry relays FBI Boston warning on quitclaim deed fraud; Consumer Notification Service available41
  • Corporate records/minutes solicitations. Secretary warns of look-alike "annual minutes" solicitations referencing a $125 fee; not required by the state42

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Massachusetts office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 43 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Massachusetts Registries of Deeds - Online Access to Land Records (Massrods.com)Massachusetts Registries of Deeds
  2. M.G.L. c. 262, § 38 - Registers of deeds' enumeration of feesMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
  3. M.G.L. c. 59, § 59 - AbatementsMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
  4. Types of cases available to the public onlineMassachusetts Court Systemarchived copy
  5. Uniform Schedule of Fees (Trial Court, G.L. c. 262, s. 4B)Executive Office of the Trial Courtarchived copy
  6. M.G.L. c. 207, § 19 - Intention of marriage; situs; time; feesMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
  7. Order a birth, marriage, or death certificateMassachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statisticsarchived copy
  8. Get a copy of your divorce recordProbate and Family Courtarchived copy
  9. Ordering a CertificateMassachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statisticsarchived copy
  10. Vital records service feesMassachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statisticsarchived copy
  11. Probate and Family Courtarchived copy
  12. M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 - Inspection and copies of public records; requests; written responses; extension of time; feesMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
  13. Making a Public Records RequestSecretary of the Commonwealth, Division of Public Recordsarchived copy
  14. A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records LawSecretary of the Commonwealth, Division of Public Recordsarchived copy
  15. Appealing a Public Records Request DenialSecretary of the Commonwealth, Division of Public Recordsarchived copy
  16. M.G.L. c. 66, § 10A - Petition for determination of violation of Sec. 10; enforcement by Attorney General; civil actionsMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
  17. M.G.L. c. 4, § 7 (clause Twenty-sixth: definition of public records and exemptions)Massachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
  18. Researching Vital Records at the Massachusetts Archives (Vital Records, 1841-1935)Massachusetts Archives (Secretary of the Commonwealth)archived copy
  19. Fees & Forms of PaymentSuffolk Registry of Deeds
  20. How to Get a Copy of Your DeedSuffolk Registry of Deeds
  21. Department of Criminal Justice Information ServicesDCJISarchived copy
  22. Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI)DCJISarchived copy
  23. iCORI (legacy address notice)DCJIS
  24. Request CORI as an individualMass.gov / Department of Criminal Justice Information Servicesarchived copy
  25. CORI Frequently Asked QuestionsDCJISarchived copy
  26. Welcome to the Massachusetts iCORI serviceDCJIS
  27. Sex Offender Registry Boardarchived copy
  28. Request sex offender registry information (SORI)Sex Offender Registry Boardarchived copy
  29. Information about Sex OffendersSex Offender Registry Boardarchived copy
  30. Massachusetts Department of Correctionarchived copy
  31. Access to Voter InformationSecretary of the Commonwealth, Elections Divisionarchived copy
  32. M.G.L. c. 110, § 5 - Certificates of persons conducting businesses; contents; filing; fees; indexMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
  33. M.G.L. c. 262, § 34 - Town clerks; enumeration of feesMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
  34. Corporations DivisionSecretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Divisionarchived copy
  35. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Divisionarchived copy
  36. MassGIS (Bureau of Geographic Information)MassGIS, Executive Office of Technology Services and Securityarchived copy
  37. Researching Your Family's HistoryMassachusetts Archives (Secretary of the Commonwealth)archived copy
  38. Accessing Court ArchivesMassachusetts Court System / Supreme Judicial Courtarchived copy
  39. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  40. Beware of the Deed Copy Solicitation!Middlesex South Registry of Deeds
  41. Worcester District Registry of Deeds (home)Worcester District Registry of Deeds
  42. Mailed Solicitations noticeSecretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Divisionarchived copy
  43. Massachusetts Court Systemarchived copy