Worcester County, Massachusetts public records

In Worcester County, deeds are recorded by the Worcester District Registry of Deeds; property values come from the City and town assessors; court files are split between the Worcester County Superior Court, Clerk and the Worcester Probate and Family Court, Register.

Last checked against official sources on November 4, 2026.

On this page

1. Where to get each record
2. Deeds and land records
3. Property values, owners and tax bills
4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
5. Marriage records
6. Divorce records
7. Birth certificates
8. Death certificates
9. Probate records and wills
10. Business names (DBA)
11. Voter records
12. Historical records
13. Good to know about Worcester County records
14. Office addresses, phones and hours
15. Records that are not online: public records requests
16. Questions people ask
17. Official copies vs look-alike sites
18. Sources

The Census Bureau lists no county government for Worcester County.¹ The offices below are the state, registry or local offices that keep its records.

Where to get each record

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Worcester County are recorded by the Worcester District Registry of Deeds (Register of Deeds).⁵

Online search

masslandrecords.com/worcester²Free search

Cost

Free³

Who runs it

Worcester North search system: Browntech (ALIS)¹⁷

Years online

Worcester District: documents and indexes from 1731; full index and image search from January 1, 1960; earlier documents by scanned grantor/grantee index books or book and page. Registered land from 1899. Worcester North: records before 1949 need book and page or the scanned index; Land Court records from 1900¹⁸

Which registry

Worcester North (Fitchburg): Ashburnham, Fitchburg, Leominster, Lunenburg, Westminster. All other Worcester County cities and towns: Worcester District¹⁹

Copy fee

$1 per page for copies; $0.50 per page on coin-operated copiers (statute)⁴

Certified copy fee: worcester district

$1 per page²⁰

Recording fee

Worcester District: deed $155; mortgage $205; discharge $105; homestead $35; municipal lien certificate $80; all other documents $105²⁰

How to order

Worcester District: copies can be viewed and printed from masslandrecords.com; certified copies at the registry ($1 per page). Contact 508-368-7000¹⁹

Alerts

Worcester District: free Consumer Notification Service emails owners when a document is recorded in their name or address (up to 3 properties); Worcester North: free Owner Alert Service⁵

Registered land

Registered (Land Court) land is a separate unit of the registry, an adjunct of the Land Court¹⁹

How deeds work in Massachusetts

Property values, owners and tax bills

The City and town assessors sets property values⁶.

Property search

No county assessor: each city or town assesses. Links per town are in registryDistricts (from the registry pages)⁶

Statewide

MassGIS Massachusetts Interactive Property Map (statewide parcel viewer built with local assessors)²¹

Parcel map (GIS)

Massachusetts Interactive Property Map (statewide parcels)²¹

Appealing a value

Apply in writing to local assessors on or before the due date of the first actual (not preliminary) tax bill installment²²

Appeal next

Appeal of assessors' decisions goes to the state Appellate Tax Board (ATB)²³

How property tax works in Massachusetts

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

Fees

Trial Court uniform fees: $2.50/page attested copy; $0.05/page unattested copy; $20 certificate of orders/judgments⁹

Criminal limit

Most criminal cases are searchable online only by docket number²⁴

Criminal records and background checks

State

iCORI at criminalhistory.mass.gov (requires a MyMassGov account)²⁵

Courts

Most criminal cases are searchable online only by docket number²⁴

How Massachusetts courts keep their files

Marriage records

City/town clerk where the marriage intention was filed (not where the ceremony occurred); statewide copies from RVRS (1936-present)¹¹

State fee

RVRS: $20 in person; $32 by mail; $54 first copy online/phone (VitalChek), $42 each additional¹⁰

Massachusetts marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Probate and Family Court in the county where the divorce was granted¹²

Fee

$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)¹²

How to request

Need docket number; submit Request for Copies form (PFC 18) by mail or in person to the courthouse¹²

Which court

Worcester Probate and Family Court, 225 Main Street, Worcester⁸

Massachusetts divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

City/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-present¹⁴

Fee

RVRS: $20 in person; $32 mail; $42 expedited mail; $54 first copy online/phone (VitalChek), $42 additional; expedited online $62.50/$50.50¹³

Who may order

Births to married parents are public records; births to unwed parents are restricted to the child, parents, father with paternity documentation, legal guardian or legal representative¹⁰

Ordering a Massachusetts birth certificate

Death certificates

City/town clerk where the death occurred and RVRS (1936-present); pre-1936 also at the city/town of occurrence¹⁰

Fee

Same RVRS fees as birth: $20 in person, $32 mail, $54/$42 online¹⁰

Ordering a Massachusetts death certificate

Probate records and wills

Probate and Family Court (state Trial Court department, with registries in each county) handles wills and estates¹⁵

Online

Estates and Administration cases are listed among Probate & Family Court case types on MassCourts.org; document images restricted remotely²⁴

Copy fee

Trial Court uniform fee: $2.50/page attested copy, $0.05/page unattested⁹

Older records

Older (generally pre-mid-20th-century) probate records via SJC Archives / FamilySearch; mid-20th century forward through the probate courts²⁶

Which court

Worcester Probate and Family Court, Register's Office (508) 831-2200⁸

Finding a will or probate case in Massachusetts

Business names (DBA)

Where Massachusetts keeps it: DBA ("business certificate") filed with the clerk of every city/town where the business has an office.¹⁶

Assumed names (DBA)

DBA ("business certificate") filed with the clerk of every city/town where the business has an office; valid 4 years²⁷

Companies and LLCs

Corporations, LLCs, LPs searchable in the Secretary of the Commonwealth Corporations Division database²⁸

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 only²⁹

Historical records

Deeds

Worcester District holds recorded land documents, indexes and plans from 1731¹⁸

Guide

Worcester North posts scanned grantor/grantee index PDFs and old probate (1731-1980) and divorce (1922-1980) book indexes¹⁷

Vital

Massachusetts Archives (Secretary of the Commonwealth) holds vital records 1841-1935 for all cities and towns; certified copies $3 each³⁰

Pre

Before 1841: contact the city/town clerk³⁰

Which court

SJC Judicial Archives for historic court/probate/naturalization records³¹

Good to know about Worcester County records

• Two registries serve the county: Worcester District in Worcester (55 communities, established April 1731) and Worcester Northern in Fitchburg (5 communities).¹⁸
• In the Worcester District, documents before January 1, 1960 are indexed only by grantor and grantee name through scanned index books.²
• The Worcester Register of Deeds is elected for a six-year term and also serves as Assistant Recorder of the Land Court.¹⁹
• Worcester North requires an appointment for all in-person services.¹⁷
• By local custom in Worcester County the seller pays the deed excise (tax stamp) and the buyer pays the recording fee.¹⁹

Office addresses, phones and hours

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page

massrods.com/worcester/contact³²

Contact: worcester district

Public Records Access Officer: Kathleen Meehan-Sullivan, Assistant Register of Deeds, 508-368-7014, [email protected]³²

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

Other counties in Massachusetts with a full guide: Essex County, Hampden County, Hampshire County, Middlesex County, Norfolk County, Suffolk County. Every county in the state: Massachusetts county list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 33 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
2. Search Records InstructionsWorcester District Registry of Deeds
3. Genealogical ResearchMiddlesex North Registry of Deeds
4. M.G.L. c. 262, § 38 - Registers of deeds' enumeration of feesMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
5. Worcester District Registry of Deeds (home)Worcester District Registry of Deeds
6. Cities and Towns – Assessors LinksWorcester District Registry of Deeds
7. Worcester County Superior CourtMassachusetts Court Systemarchived copy
8. Worcester Probate and Family CourtMassachusetts Court Systemarchived copy
9. Uniform Schedule of Fees (Trial Court, G.L. c. 262, s. 4B)Executive Office of the Trial Courtarchived copy
10. Order a birth, marriage, or death certificateMassachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statisticsarchived copy
11. M.G.L. c. 207, § 19 - Intention of marriage; situs; time; feesMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
12. Get a copy of your divorce recordProbate and Family Courtarchived copy
13. Vital records service feesMassachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statisticsarchived copy
14. Ordering a CertificateMassachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statisticsarchived copy
15. Probate and Family Courtarchived copy
16. M.G.L. c. 110, § 5 - Certificates of persons conducting businesses; contents; filing; fees; indexMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
17. Worcester Northern Registry of Deeds Online Research (home)Worcester Northern Registry of Deeds
18. About UsWorcester District Registry of Deeds
19. FAQ’sWorcester District Registry of Deeds
20. Recording FeesWorcester District Registry of Deeds
21. MassGIS (Bureau of Geographic Information)MassGIS, Executive Office of Technology Services and Securityarchived copy
22. M.G.L. c. 59, § 59 - AbatementsMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
23. Appellate Tax BoardMassachusetts Appellate Tax Boardarchived copy
24. Types of cases available to the public onlineMassachusetts Court Systemarchived copy
25. iCORI (legacy address notice)DCJIS
26. Get access to historic probate recordsSupreme Judicial Court Archivesarchived copy
27. M.G.L. c. 110, § 5 - Certificates of persons conducting businesses; contents; filing; fees; indexMassachusetts General Court (Legislature)archived copy
28. Corporations DivisionSecretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Divisionarchived copy
29. Access to Voter InformationSecretary of the Commonwealth, Elections Divisionarchived copy
30. Researching Vital Records at the Massachusetts Archives (Vital Records, 1841-1935)Massachusetts Archives (Secretary of the Commonwealth)archived copy
31. Accessing Court ArchivesMassachusetts Court System / Supreme Judicial Courtarchived copy
32. ContactWorcester District Registry of Deeds
33. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau