Massachusetts, county records
Find the right office in Suffolk County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.
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Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
Vital records
Suffolk County Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates, the office that issues these certificates, with the application, identification and fee rules it publishes.
Open official site Suffolk County Birth, Death and Marriage CertificatesProperty records
Suffolk County Registry of Deeds, the office that records deeds, mortgages and land documents, with its index and copy rules as published.
Open official site Suffolk County Registry of DeedsPolice & jail
The Suffolk County, Massachusetts sheriff's civil process office in Boston serves court papers, summonses and writs, and lists fees and contact details for service requests.
Open official site Suffolk County Sheriff's Department Civil Process DivisionCity records
Suffolk County District Attorney's Office: Criminal investigations, prosecution and victims services, on the official site of the office that keeps it.
Open official site Suffolk County District Attorney's OfficeState records
Suffolk County Licenses: Division of professional licensure, on the official site of the office that keeps it.
Open official site Suffolk County LicensesFederal
United States Census Bureau figures for Suffolk County, Massachusetts, with population, housing, income and business counts from the latest estimates.
Open official site Suffolk County U.S. CensusCourt records
Suffolk Superior Court for Criminal Business, with the court location, contacts and the case records this office keeps.
Open official site Suffolk Superior Court for Criminal BusinessProperty records
The City of Boston Assessing Department publishes the assessment and the tax record of every parcel in Boston, which is most of Suffolk County.
Open official site City of Boston Assessing DepartmentCity records
Boston's Logan International Airport: Domestic and international commercial flights and aviation services.
Open official site Boston's Logan International AirportCourt records
Suffolk County Chelsea District Court, with the court location, contacts and the case records this office keeps.
Open official site Suffolk County Chelsea District CourtCity records
Boston Public School District In Suffolk County, with the district, school and program information it publishes.
Open official site Boston Public School District In Suffolk CountyCourt records
Suffolk Juvenile Court, with the court location, contacts and the case records this office keeps.
Open official site Suffolk Juvenile CourtEverything else, organized
5 more Suffolk County sources not listed above.
Local record guide
County profile
Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Suffolk County Sheriff's Department is responsible for maintaining public safety and managing Suffolk County's correctional facilities.
Police Departments. Suffolk County is served by several law enforcement agencies, including Suffolk County Sheriff's Department and municipal police departments in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop.
Law Enforcement & Arrests. The main office is located at 200 Nashua Street, Boston, MA 02114 (phone: 617-704-6688, website: www.scsdma.org). The department operates several facilities including the Nashua Street Jail and the South Bay House of Correction. Inmate lookups can be conducted through the Sheriff's Department website inmate locator tool or by calling 617-704-6688. Municipal police departments serve Suffolk County's four municipalities: Boston Police Department (One Schroeder Plaza, headquarters), Chelsea Police Department (200 Everett Avenue), Revere Police Department (400 Revere Beach Parkway), and Winthrop Police Department (1 Metcalf Square). Arrest records and police logs are public records available under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 66, Section 10, the Commonwealth's Public Records Law, and Chapter 4, Section 7, Clause Twenty-sixth. Recent booking information may be accessible through court arraignment records at Boston Municipal Court and district courts.
Arrest Records. Arrest records in Suffolk County are maintained by Suffolk County Sheriff's Department and local police departments.
Jail & Inmate Records. Suffolk County Jail, also known as the Nashua Street Jail, is located in Boston and is the primary detention facility for Suffolk County.
The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce (265 Franklin Street, Suite 1701, Boston, 617-227-4500, www.bostonchamber.com) serves businesses throughout Suffolk County with networking, advocacy, and resources. Property tax assessment records are maintained separately by municipal assessors: Boston Assessing Department (Room 301, City Hall, 1 City Hall Square, 617-635-4287), Chelsea Assessors (500 Broadway, 617-466-4010), Revere Assessing Department (281 Broadway, 781-286-8160), and Winthrop Assessing Department (1 Metcalf Square, 617-846-1341). Chelsea vital records are at the City Clerk's Office, 500 Broadway, Room 209 (617-466-4050); Revere vital records at City Clerk, 281 Broadway (781-286-8177); Winthrop vital records at Town Clerk, 1 Metcalf Square (617-846-1852). Entity formation documents (corporations, LLCs, partnerships) are filed with the Massachusetts Secretary of State, Corporations Division, One Ashburton Place, 17th Floor, Boston, MA 02108 (617-556-4700). Additional divisions include Chelsea District Court at 120 Broadway, Chelsea (617-660-9200), serving Chelsea and Revere, and East Boston District Court at 37 Meridian Street, East Boston (617-569-7550). Business licensing and registration in Suffolk County operates through municipal and state agencies. Doing Business As (DBA) certificates and fictitious business names must be filed with the city or town clerk where the business operates: Boston City Clerk (1 City Hall Square, Room 601, 617-635-3114), Chelsea City Clerk (500 Broadway, 617-466-4050), Revere City Clerk (281 Broadway, 781-286-8177). Boston voters contact the Boston Election Department at City Hall, Room 241, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201 (617-635-3767, www.boston.gov/elections). Birth and death certificates are held by the city or town clerk where the event occurred. For Boston births and deaths, contact the Registry Division of the Boston City Clerk, 1 City Hall Square, Room 213, Boston, MA 02201 (617-635-4175). Building permits, zoning approvals, and occupancy permits are municipal functions: Boston Inspectional Services Department (1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 617-635-5300), Chelsea Inspectional Services (500 Broadway), Revere Inspectional Services (281 Broadway), and Winthrop Building Department (1 Metcalf Square). Professional licenses are issued by the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure (617-701-8600, www.mass.gov/info-details/division-of-occupational-licensure-check-a-license) for occupations including contractors, electricians, plumbers, cosmetologists, and numerous others. Elections in Suffolk County are administered by the Elections Department within each county, coordinated with the Massachusetts Secretary of State Elections Division (One Ashburton Place, Room 1705, Boston, MA 02108, 617-727-2828, www.sec.state.ma.us/ele). Suffolk County is served by a full state court system under the Massachusetts Trial Court. Suffolk County Superior Court, located at 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108 (617-788-8175), hears serious criminal felony cases and civil matters over $50,000. Suffolk County Probate and Family Court at 24 New Chardon Street (617-788-8300) handles estates, wills, guardianships, adoptions, divorces, and family matters. Property and land records in Suffolk County are maintained by Suffolk County Registry of Deeds, an independently elected constitutional office at 50 Congress Street, Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108 (phone: 617-788-8500, website: massrods.com/suffolk). The court's website (www.mass.gov/locations/suffolk-county-superior-court) provides case information and filing procedures. Boston Municipal Court Central Division at Edward W. Brooke Courthouse, 24 New Chardon Street, Boston, MA 02114 (617-788-8700), handles criminal misdemeanors and civil cases under $50,000 for Boston proper. Sales tax registration is handled by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (617-887-6367). Chelsea voters contact the Election Commission at 500 Broadway (617-466-4050); Revere voters contact the Election Department at City Hall, 281 Broadway (781-286-8186); Winthrop voters contact the Town Clerk at 1 Metcalf Square (617-846-1852).
Abandoned mine records
Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.
From the old mine records
The mine records hold 6 named mine sites inside the county, 1 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 4 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The mineral the records name is Gypsum-Anhydrite.
A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. No abandoned mine inventory is published; the survey's host does not answer this box, both urls are in the search index.
Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department or a city police department in Suffolk County. Ask that agency for its record.
The Massachusetts criminal history record comes from the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS). A personal CORI request online through iCORI with a MyMassGov account, or on a paper CORI request form by mail for people who cannot use iCORI. Fee: $25 per personal CORI request ($0 with an indigent fee waiver).
Search the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB), or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Register with the local election office (town clerk, election commission or Board of Registrars) or through the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Elections Division. You can also register online with the state online registration. The deadline to register, update your registration or change your party is 10 days before any election or town meeting; there is no Election Day registration now, and Question 4 on the 2026 state ballot asks voters whether to add it.
Deeds and other recorded land documents in Suffolk County are kept by the Registry of Deeds for the district. Property values are set by the city or town Board of Assessors, and tax bills come from the city or town collector. Source: official state page.
Certified birth and death certificates for Massachusetts come from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS), Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Certificates can also be requested from the city or town clerk's office where the birth, marriage or death took place. Online or by phone through VitalChek, by mail with the mail order form and a check or money order payable to Commonwealth of Massachusetts to Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, 150 Mt. Vernon St., 1st Floor, Dorchester, MA 02125, or in person at the Registry counter. Fee: $20.00 per copy in person; $32.00 per copy by standard mail; $54.00 first copy online or by phone through VitalChek.
Business entity filings are searched with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division. You file a business certificate (DBA) in the city or town where your business is located, and you check with the licensing boards in your city or town to see if your business needs a license.
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.