Massachusetts, Essex County
Where Manchester-by-the-sea's records are kept. The Town of Manchester-by-the-sea has its own town government; county and state offices keep its other public records.
Start here
The cards below include Manchester-by-the-sea's own offices, along with the Essex County and State of Massachusetts offices that keep the rest of its public records. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
County court
The Essex County Superior Court in Salem, Lawrence and Newburyport: felony criminal cases, civil actions over $50,000 and medical malpractice tribunals, with case records on masscourts.org and at the clerk's office.
Open official site Essex County Superior CourtCity records
The Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea site: building permits, meeting agendas and minutes, GIS parcel maps and voter registration information; the town clerk keeps the vital records and answers public records requests.
Open official site Town of Manchester-by-the-SeaCounty court
The Essex County Probate and Family Court in Salem and Lawrence: divorce, custody and child support, probate of estates, guardianships, name changes and adoptions, with case records on masscourts.org.
Open official site Essex County Probate and Family CourtProperty records
The Southern Essex District Registry of Deeds in Salem, for the Essex County towns outside the Lawrence district: deeds, mortgages, liens and plans searched online, e-recording, the recording fee schedule and homestead declarations.
Open official site Southern Essex District Registry of Deeds (Salem)Police & jail
The Essex County Sheriff's Department in Middleton: the Essex County Correctional Facility and the Lawrence correctional alternative center, inmate information and visitation, civil process and records requests.
Open official site Essex County Sheriff's DepartmentPolice & jail
The Sex Offender Registry Board public search: Level 2 and Level 3 offenders listed for public access in Massachusetts, by name, city or zip code, with photos and offense information.
Open official site Massachusetts sex offender registryPolice & jail
How to locate a person held in a Massachusetts Department of Correction prison, including the VINE search by name, from the state corrections department.
Open official site Massachusetts corrections offender searchPolice & jail
CORI, the Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information system: how to request a person's state criminal record through iCORI from the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, including the public access request.
Open official site Massachusetts criminal history record checkState courts
Massachusetts Trial Court eAccess: case search for the Superior, District, Boston Municipal, Housing and Land Court departments by name, case number or ticket number, from the Massachusetts court system.
Open official site Massachusetts court recordsVital records
The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics: Massachusetts birth, death and marriage certificates from 1931 on, ordered online, by mail or in person, with directions to the State Archives for earlier records.
Open official site Massachusetts vital recordsProperty records
Find Mass Money, the state Treasury unclaimed property search: dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, stock and insurance proceeds, claimed online by name.
Open official site Massachusetts unclaimed property searchEverything else, organized
Local record guide
Useful local context without burying the official record links above.
Local profile
The Town of Manchester-by-the-sea is in Essex County, whose county seat is Salem. Deeds are recorded at the registry of deeds that serves Essex County, The Town of Manchester-by-the-sea's town clerk keeps copies of birth and death certificates, and court cases go through the Massachusetts Trial Court. Manchester-by-the-sea's own offices are in the cards above, and our Essex County page lists each county office.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Deeds for property in Manchester-by-the-sea are recorded by the registry of deeds that serves Essex County, and the city or town assessor keeps the tax values. Our Essex 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.
Businesses that operate in Manchester-by-the-sea register with the Massachusetts Corporations Division, which runs the state business entity search. A local business license, where Manchester-by-the-sea requires one, comes from the town or Essex County.
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.