Massachusetts, Suffolk County
Where Boston's records are kept. Boston has its own city government, police department and fire department; county and state offices keep its other public records.
Start here
The cards below include Boston's own offices, along with State of Massachusetts offices; the Suffolk County offices are on our Suffolk County page. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
Police & jail
The Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board classifies sex offenders by risk and posts Level 3 offenders, plus Level 2 offenders classified after July 12, 2013, who live, work or study in the state.
Open official site Sex Offender Registry BoardCounty court
The court has locations in Boston, Worcester and Springfield and posts its calendar, notices of sale, video and phone hearing details, local rules and forms, with PACER for case files.
Open official site United States Bankruptcy Court, District of MassachusettsCounty court
Massachusetts Trial Court site for looking up case information and paying some court fees online. Its data is not the official court record and may lack the latest activity.
Open official site Massachusetts Trial Court Case AccessPolice & jail
The Massachusetts Department of Correction points to VINELink, an outside service online or by phone, to find someone in its prisons by full name or commitment number.
Open official site Find Someone Housed in a Massachusetts PrisonPolice & jail
Massachusetts State Police missing persons for Boston.
Open official site Boston Massachusetts Missing PersonsCounty court
Department of Criminal Justice Information Services guide to the two kinds of Massachusetts checks: name based CORI searches of state arraignments, and fingerprint supported checks.
Open official site Massachusetts DCJIS Criminal Record ChecksState records
Boston city government with BOS:311 issue reporting, the city clerk and City Council, elections, public notices, building permits and licenses, property lookup, birth certificate orders and parking tickets.
Open official site City of BostonPolice & jail
One Schroeder Plaza Boston, MA 02120 Telephone: 617-343-4200 Fax: 617-343-4481 BPD News
Open official site Boston Police DepartmentState records
Division One Headquarters 125 Purchase Street, Downtown Boston, MA 02110
Open official site Boston Massachusetts Fire DepartmentCounty court
Administrative office of the Boston Municipal Court Department, which handles criminal and civil matters for Boston and Winthrop in 8 divisions, from Brighton and Charlestown to Roxbury and West Roxbury.
Open official site Boston Municipal CourtVital records
Registry Division 1 City Hall Square, Rm 213 Boston, MA 02201-2006 Birth Certificates Death Certificates Marriage Record
Open official site Boston Massachusetts Vital RecordsState records
A Boston Public Library research guide to Boston and Massachusetts newspapers, news sites and local magazines free to read online, from current weeklies back to papers of the early 1800s.
Open official site Massachusetts Newspapers Online at the Boston Public LibraryEverything else, organized
24 more Boston sources not listed above.
Local record guide
Useful local context without burying the official record links above.
Local profile
Boston, a place of 675,647 people, is the seat of Suffolk County. Deeds are recorded at the registry of deeds that serves Suffolk County, Boston's town clerk keeps copies of birth and death certificates, and court cases go through the Massachusetts Trial Court. Boston's own offices are in the cards above, and our Suffolk County page lists each county office.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Voter registration in Massachusetts is run by the Massachusetts Elections Division and local election officials. Its site lists the registration deadline, online registration where Massachusetts offers it, polling places and the local election office for Boston.
Deeds for property in Boston are recorded by the registry of deeds that serves Suffolk County, and the city or town assessor keeps the tax values. Our Suffolk County page lists the county offices.
Certified birth and death certificates for events in Massachusetts come from the state vital records office, Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, and the town or city clerk can also issue copies. The state office's site lists who may order a copy, the fee and how to order.
Same county
Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.