| Superior Court Clerk | Bristol County Superior Court Clerk's Office |
|---|---|
| Register of Probate | Bristol Probate and Family Court — Register of Probate |
| Clerk address | Superior Court Clerk: 9 Court St, Taunton, MA 02780 (criminal); 186 S Main St, Fall River, MA 02721 (criminal); 441 County St, 1st Floor, New Bedford, MA 02740 (civil). Probate and Family Court Register: 40 Broadway, Suite 240, Taunton, MA 02780 |
| Phone | Superior Court Clerk (Taunton): (508) 823-6588; (Fall River): (508) 491-3300; (New Bedford): (508) 996-2051; Probate and Family Court Register: (508) 977-6040 |
| Hours | Superior Court: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Taunton and New Bedford), 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Fall River). Probate and Family Court: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $0.05 per page for an unattested copy or printout of court documents, records, or other papers held by the clerk, register, or recorder |
| Certified copy fee | $2.50 per page for an attested (certified) copy of a document or docket sheet; $20.00 for a certificate of orders, decrees, rulings, or judgments |
Bristol County is unusual even by Massachusetts standards: its Superior Court Clerk's Office is spread across three courthouses, and each handles a different slice of the docket. The Taunton courthouse at 9 Court Street and the Fall River courthouse at 186 South Main Street hear criminal matters only, while the New Bedford courthouse at 441 County Street handles civil matters only. One elected Clerk of Courts runs all three, so the office is the same, but the physical file lives wherever the case was heard.
Misdemeanors and smaller civil claims go to the county's District Court divisions — Attleboro, Fall River, New Bedford, and Taunton — each with its own clerk-magistrate. Wills, estates, divorce, and custody matters are handled by the Bristol Probate and Family Court, whose Register's Office is at 40 Broadway in Taunton with satellite registries at 289 Rock Street in Fall River and 505 Pleasant Street in New Bedford. All three probate locations serve the entire county, so a family-law file may be at whichever one the case was filed in.
For most people the fastest first step is a free docket search on MassCourts, which will show the court location on the case header. That tells you which of the three Superior Court buildings, four District Court divisions, or three probate registries to contact before you drive anywhere or mail a fee.
Search Bristol County court records online
Superior Court Clerk
Bristol County Superior Court Clerk's Office
- Cost
- Free docket lookup on MassCourts; $2.50 per page for attested copies, $0.05 per page for plain copies under the Trial Court Uniform Schedule of Fees
- Coverage
- Superior Court felony criminal cases (Taunton and Fall River sittings) and larger civil suits (New Bedford sitting) filed in Bristol County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal
Three locations under one Clerk of Courts: Taunton, 9 Court St., (508) 823-6588, criminal only; Fall River, 186 S. Main St., (508) 491-3300, criminal only; New Bedford, 441 County St., 1st Floor, (508) 996-2051, civil only. Addresses, phones, and hours taken from the court's Mass.gov location pages on 2026-09-13.
Register of Probate
Bristol Probate and Family Court — Register of Probate
- Cost
- Free docket lookup on MassCourts; $2.50 per page for attested copies from the registry
- Coverage
- Wills, estates, guardianship, divorce, custody, paternity, and adoption cases for Bristol County
- Records
- Probate, Family
Main Register's Office at 40 Broadway, Suite 240, Taunton, MA 02780, (508) 977-6040. Satellite registries at 289 Rock St., Fall River, (508) 672-1751, and 505 Pleasant St., New Bedford, (508) 999-5249; the New Bedford office lists hours Monday–Tuesday and Thursday–Friday only. Verified on Mass.gov on 2026-09-13.
Other courts
MassCourts — District Court case search (Bristol County divisions)
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Misdemeanor and smaller civil cases from the Attleboro, Fall River, New Bedford, and Taunton District Court divisions
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
No division has its own docket website; all are searched through the statewide MassCourts portal, filtered by court location.
What is available online
MassCourts covers docket entries for Bristol County Superior Court, District Court, and Probate and Family Court cases that were entered into the Trial Court's electronic case-management system. It shows the docket — filings, hearings, and dispositions — rather than scanned copies of every document, so a full case file still comes from the clerk or register. Because the Superior Court's criminal and civil dockets sit in different cities, the "court location" line on a MassCourts result is the quickest way to learn which building to contact. Older paper files that predate electronic docketing are not searchable online at all.
Which clerk has your record
In Massachusetts, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Massachusetts page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court | Felony criminal cases; Civil actions generally above $50,000; Medical malpractice and labor disputes | Superior Court Clerk's Office (Clerk of Courts) for the county |
| District Court | Misdemeanors and lower-level felonies; Civil claims up to $50,000; Restraining and harassment prevention orders | Clerk-Magistrate of the District Court division |
| Boston Municipal Court | Misdemeanors and lower-level felonies in Boston; Civil claims up to $50,000; Restraining orders | Clerk-Magistrate of the Boston Municipal Court division |
| Probate and Family Court | Divorce, custody, and child support; Paternity and adoption; Wills, estates, and guardianship | Register of Probate for the county |
| Housing Court | Eviction (summary process); Code enforcement; Small claims involving housing conditions | Clerk-Magistrate of the Housing Court division |
| Land Court | Title registration; Zoning and land use appeals; Foreclosure of mortgages (servicemembers) | Recorder of the Land Court |
| Juvenile Court | Delinquency; Child welfare (care and protection); Youthful offender cases | Clerk-Magistrate of the Juvenile Court division |
Request records in person or by mail
Bristol County clerk offices
Superior Court Clerk: 9 Court St, Taunton, MA 02780 (criminal); 186 S Main St, Fall River, MA 02721 (criminal); 441 County St, 1st Floor, New Bedford, MA 02740 (civil). Probate and Family Court Register: 40 Broadway, Suite 240, Taunton, MA 02780
Phone: Superior Court Clerk (Taunton): (508) 823-6588; (Fall River): (508) 491-3300; (New Bedford): (508) 996-2051; Probate and Family Court Register: (508) 977-6040
Hours: Superior Court: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Taunton and New Bedford), 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Fall River). Probate and Family Court: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Superior Court criminal records. Call the Taunton clerk's office at (508) 823-6588 or the Fall River clerk's office at (508) 491-3300 to confirm which sitting has the file, then request copies by mail or in person with the case number (or the defendant's name and the year the case was filed). Attested copies are $2.50 per page; plain copies are $0.05 per page under the Trial Court's Uniform Schedule of Fees.
Superior Court civil records. All Superior Court civil business for the county is handled at 441 County Street, 1st Floor, New Bedford, (508) 996-2051. Write to the clerk's office with the docket number or party names, list the documents you need, state whether you want plain or attested copies, and include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
District Court (misdemeanor and smaller civil) records. Contact the clerk-magistrate of the division that heard the case — Attleboro, Fall River, New Bedford, or Taunton District Court. Each keeps its own file; the Superior Court clerk cannot pull a District Court record.
Probate, estate, divorce, and custody records. Contact the Register of Probate at 40 Broadway, Taunton, (508) 977-6040, or the satellite registry where the case was filed. Most probate files are public; some family-law filings, such as financial statements and abuse-prevention matters, are impounded and are not released to the public.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $0.05 per page for an unattested copy or printout of court documents, records, or other papers held by the clerk, register, or recorder |
| Certified copy | $2.50 per page for an attested (certified) copy of a document or docket sheet; $20.00 for a certificate of orders, decrees, rulings, or judgments |
Fees are set in the Trial Court's Uniform Schedule of Fees under General Laws Chapter 262, Section 4B, and apply in every Trial Court department; the schedule was last amended effective November 1, 2016. Other listed items include $50.00 for a transcript of judgment, $5.00 for a PDF or other electronic copy of a document (plus $4.00 if a CD is mailed), and $10.00 per case per day for electronic access to an audio recording of a hearing. Confirm accepted payment methods with the specific clerk's office or registry before mailing a request. Figures confirmed on the Mass.gov Uniform Schedule of Fees page on 2026-09-13.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Most Massachusetts trial-court case records are presumptively open, but several categories are removed from public view:
The Massachusetts guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Why are Bristol County Superior Court records in three different cities?
The county's Superior Court sits in Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford under a single Clerk of Courts. Taunton and Fall River hear criminal cases only and New Bedford hears civil cases only, so the file is in whichever building heard the matter. A MassCourts docket search shows the location.
Which District Courts serve Bristol County?
Attleboro, Fall River, New Bedford, and Taunton District Court. Each division keeps its own case files and has no separate online docket; all are searched through MassCourts.
Where are Bristol County probate and divorce records kept?
With the Bristol Probate and Family Court Register at 40 Broadway, Suite 240, Taunton, or at the satellite registries at 289 Rock Street, Fall River, and 505 Pleasant Street, New Bedford, depending on where the case was filed.
How much do copies cost in Bristol County?
The Trial Court's Uniform Schedule of Fees applies statewide: $2.50 per page for an attested (certified) copy, $0.05 per page for a plain copy, and $20.00 for a certificate of a judgment or order. Confirm the payment method with the specific office before mailing a request.
Sources
- Bristol County Superior Court (Taunton) — Mass.gov location page — https://www.mass.gov/locations/bristol-county-superior-court
- Bristol County Superior Court - Fall River — Mass.gov location page — https://www.mass.gov/locations/bristol-county-superior-court-fall-river
- Bristol County Superior Court - New Bedford — Mass.gov location page — https://www.mass.gov/locations/bristol-county-superior-court-new-bedford
- Bristol Probate and Family Court — Mass.gov location page — https://www.mass.gov/locations/bristol-probate-and-family-court
- Fall River Probate and Family Court — Mass.gov location page — https://www.mass.gov/locations/fall-river-probate-and-family-court
- New Bedford Probate and Family Court — Mass.gov location page — https://www.mass.gov/locations/new-bedford-probate-and-family-court
- Trial Court Uniform Schedule of Fees — Mass.gov — https://www.mass.gov/info-details/uniform-schedule-of-fees
- MassCourts / eAccess Public Portal — https://www.masscourts.org/eservices/home.page
- Mass.gov — Massachusetts law about state courts — https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-state-courts
- Mass.gov — Search Court Dockets, Calendars and Case Information — https://www.mass.gov/search-court-dockets-calendars-and-case-information
- Massachusetts Appellate Courts Public Case Search — https://www.ma-appellatecourts.org/
- iCORI (DCJIS) — https://icori.chs.state.ma.us/
- Mass.gov — Request CORI as an individual — https://www.mass.gov/how-to/request-cori-as-an-individual
- General Laws, Chapter 6, Section 172 — Availability of criminal offender record information — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleII/Chapter6/Section172
- General Laws, Chapter 276, Section 100A — Sealing of criminal records — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleII/Chapter276/Section100A
- General Laws, Chapter 276, Section 100E — Expungement of criminal records — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleII/Chapter276/Section100E
- General Laws, Chapter 262, Section 4B — Uniform Schedule of Fees — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleVI/Chapter262/Section4B
- United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts — https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Massachusetts counties.