Guide
How to Search County Records
Select Your County
Choose a county from the grid below to access that county's official public records portal, court system, and government offices.
Identify the Record Type
Decide what you need: court records, property deeds, vital records, business filings, or tax assessment records, each is held by a different county office.
Search Online or In Person
The Trial Court's electronic case access portal gives free basic case information, every registry of deeds publishes its land records online, and vital records, which are public in Massachusetts, are ordered from the Registry of Vital Records, the city or town clerk or VitalChek.
Pay Any Required Fees
A Massachusetts birth, marriage or death certificate costs $20 in person, $32 by mail and $42 online; city and town clerks set local rates, and public records copies are 5 cents a page.
Verify Identity if Required
Public records and most vital records need no ID, since Massachusetts vital records are open; only restricted records, such as a birth to unmarried parents, require identification and a qualifying relationship.
Guide
What Records Are Available
- Court RecordsCivil, criminal, family court, probate, traffic cases
- Property RecordsDeeds, mortgages, tax assessments, liens, transfers
- Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Business RecordsBusiness licenses, DBAs, UCC filings, permits
- Voter RegistrationRegistered voters, party affiliation, districts
- Tax RecordsProperty tax assessments, payment history, exemptions
Guide
Select a County in Massachusetts
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Straight answers
Massachusetts County Public Records, questions
Are county records public information?
Yes. The Massachusetts Public Records Law, G.L. c. 66 section 10, gives everyone the right to inspect and copy public records, and records access officers must respond within 10 business days. Court dockets, registry of deeds documents and assessor data are open. Massachusetts vital records are also public: anyone may buy a certified birth, death or marriage certificate unless the record is restricted, for example a birth to unmarried parents. Juvenile and impounded court files are closed.
How much do certified copies cost?
A certified Massachusetts birth, marriage or death certificate costs $20 in person at the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in Dorchester, $32 by mail and $42 online through VitalChek, which includes the $12 vendor fee; expedited online orders are $54 for the first copy and $42 for each additional copy. City and town clerks sell the same certificates at local rates, and the State Archives charges $3 for pre-1936 records. Under the Public Records Law copies are 5 cents a page, state agencies may not charge for the first four hours of staff time, and labor is capped at $25 an hour.
Can I search county records online?
The Massachusetts Trial Court's electronic case access portal at masscourts.org gives free basic case information and court dates for Superior, District, Housing, Probate and other courts, with fuller access at courthouse terminals. Every registry of deeds publishes its land records online, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth links to each registry. Vital records are not searched online; order them from the Registry of Vital Records, the city or town clerk, or VitalChek.
What identification do I need?
Public records and most vital records need no ID; because Massachusetts vital records are public, the Registry of Vital Records issues certified copies to any requester who supplies the names, date and place of the event. Restricted records, such as a birth to unmarried parents, go only to the person named, parents or legal representatives and require identification.
How long does it take to receive records?
Mail orders at the Registry of Vital Records are processed and shipped within 10 business days, standard VitalChek orders within 15 to 20 business days and expedited VitalChek orders within 10 business days; in-person customers are served the same day. City and town clerks also issue certificates over the counter, and the State Archives warns of long waits for pre-1936 records because of high demand. Court case and registry of deeds searches are immediate.