| Superior Court Clerk | Middlesex County Superior Court Clerk's Office |
|---|---|
| Register of Probate | Middlesex Probate and Family Court — Register of Probate |
| Clerk address | Superior Court Clerk: 200 Tradecenter Drive, 2nd Floor, Woburn, MA 01801, and Lowell Justice Center, 370 Jackson St, Lowell, MA 01852. Probate and Family Court Register: 10-U Commerce Way, Woburn, MA 01801 (South), and 370 Jackson St, 5th Floor, Lowell, MA 01852 (North) |
| Phone | Superior Court Clerk's Office & Probation (Woburn): (781) 939-2700; Probate and Family Court South (Woburn): (781) 865-4000; Probate and Family Court North (Lowell): (978) 656-7700 |
| Hours | Superior Court Clerk (Woburn and Lowell): Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Probate and Family Court registries: Monday–Friday, 8:00 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 |
Middlesex is the most populous county in Massachusetts and the busiest court system in the Commonwealth, split across two Superior Court sites. The Middlesex County Superior Court Clerk's Office keeps felony criminal cases and larger civil suits, sitting at 200 Tradecenter Drive in Woburn and at the Lowell Justice Center. Misdemeanors and smaller civil claims are spread across twelve District Court divisions — Ayer, Cambridge, Concord, Framingham, Lowell, Malden, Marlborough, Newton, Somerville, Waltham, Woburn, and a Natick session — each with its own clerk-magistrate and none of which has a separate online case-search site; all of them are searched through the statewide MassCourts portal.
Wills, estates, divorces, and custody cases are entirely separate from the Superior Court and District Court system. They are kept by the Middlesex Probate and Family Court, run by an elected Register of Probate, with locations in Woburn and Lowell.
The common mistake is contacting the Superior Court Clerk about a misdemeanor or a divorce — neither is a Superior Court matter. Confirm which court actually heard the case (felony vs. misdemeanor vs. family matter) before requesting records.
Search Middlesex County court records online
Superior Court Clerk
Middlesex County Superior Court Clerk's Office
- Cost
- Free docket lookup on MassCourts; per-page fee for certified copies from the clerk
- Coverage
- Superior Court felony criminal cases and larger civil suits filed in Middlesex County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal
Two sittings: Woburn (200 Tradecenter Drive, 2nd Floor, (781) 939-2700) and the Lowell Justice Center (370 Jackson Street). The Lowell location's Mass.gov page lists no separate phone number. Addresses, phones, and hours confirmed on the court's Mass.gov location pages on 2026-09-13.
Register of Probate
Middlesex Probate and Family Court — Register of Probate
- Cost
- Free docket lookup on MassCourts; per-page fee for certified copies from the registry
- Coverage
- Wills, estates, guardianship, divorce, custody, paternity, and adoption cases for the 54 cities and towns of Middlesex County
- Records
- Probate, Family
Two registries: Middlesex Probate and Family Court South at 10-U Commerce Way, Woburn, (781) 865-4000, and Middlesex Probate and Family Court North at 370 Jackson Street, 5th floor, Lowell, (978) 656-7700. Each serves a fixed group of cities and towns (Burlington moved to the Woburn catchment on March 1, 2023). Confirmed on the court's Mass.gov location pages on 2026-09-13.
Other courts
MassCourts — District Court case search (Middlesex divisions)
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Misdemeanor and smaller civil cases from the twelve District Court divisions covering Middlesex County (Ayer, Cambridge, Concord, Framingham, Lowell, Malden, Marlborough, Newton, Somerville, Waltham, and Woburn)
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
No individual District Court division has its own online docket search; all are searched through the same statewide MassCourts portal, filtered by court location.
What is available online
MassCourts shows docket entries for Superior Court, District Court, and Probate and Family Court cases that have been entered electronically; older paper files and unscanned documents are not there. Probate and estate filings are increasingly e-filed and viewable through the registry's virtual services, but a physical file or certified copy still has to come from the Woburn or Lowell office. Criminal case document images are more limited than civil ones.
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
Middlesex County clerk offices
Superior Court Clerk: 200 Tradecenter Drive, 2nd Floor, Woburn, MA 01801, and Lowell Justice Center, 370 Jackson St, Lowell, MA 01852. Probate and Family Court Register: 10-U Commerce Way, Woburn, MA 01801 (South), and 370 Jackson St, 5th Floor, Lowell, MA 01852 (North)
Phone: Superior Court Clerk's Office & Probation (Woburn): (781) 939-2700; Probate and Family Court South (Woburn): (781) 865-4000; Probate and Family Court North (Lowell): (978) 656-7700
Hours: Superior Court Clerk (Woburn and Lowell): Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Probate and Family Court registries: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Superior Court (felony and larger civil) records. Contact the Superior Court Clerk's Office at either Woburn or Lowell, whichever sat on the case, with the case number or party names and year. Copies can be requested in person or by mail; call ahead to confirm the current per-page fee.
District Court (misdemeanor and smaller civil) records. Contact the clerk-magistrate's office of the specific division that heard the case — for example Cambridge, Framingham, Lowell, Malden, or Woburn District Court. There is no single "Middlesex District Court" office; each division keeps its own file.
Probate, estate, divorce, and custody records. Contact the Register of Probate at the Woburn or Lowell location. Most probate records are public and do not require you to be a party to the case, but some family-law filings can be impounded by court order.
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
Where do I search for a Middlesex County court case online?
Use MassCourts (masscourts.org), the statewide docket-search portal. It covers Superior Court, District Court, and Probate and Family Court cases from Middlesex County without a separate county website or login.
Which court handles a Middlesex County divorce?
The Middlesex Probate and Family Court, run by the elected Register of Probate, at either the Woburn or Lowell location depending on where the case was filed.
Is there one District Court for all of Middlesex County?
No. Middlesex County is covered by twelve separate District Court divisions — including Ayer, Cambridge, Concord, Framingham, Lowell, Malden, Marlborough, Newton, Somerville, Waltham, and Woburn — each with its own clerk-magistrate for that community's misdemeanor and smaller civil cases.
How do I get a certified copy of a Middlesex Superior Court record?
Contact the Superior Court Clerk's Office at Woburn or Lowell in person or by mail with the case number and the documents you need, and pay the statutory per-page attested-copy fee.
Are Middlesex probate records available without being a party to the case?
Yes, most probate and estate filings are public and can be requested by anyone at the Register of Probate's office. Certain family-court filings can be sealed or impounded by the court.
Sources
- Middlesex County Superior Court — Mass.gov location page — https://www.mass.gov/locations/middlesex-county-superior-court
- Middlesex Probate and Family Court — Mass.gov location page — https://www.mass.gov/locations/middlesex-probate-and-family-court
- MassCourts / eAccess Public Portal — https://www.masscourts.org/eservices/home.page
- Middlesex County Courts — Middlesex District Attorney's Office — https://www.middlesexda.com/about-us/pages/middlesex-county-courts
- 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
- Mass.gov — Trial Court Uniform Schedule of Fees — https://www.mass.gov/info-details/uniform-schedule-of-fees
- United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts — https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Massachusetts counties.