| Superior Court Clerk | Suffolk County Superior Court — Civil and Criminal Clerk's Offices |
|---|---|
| Register of Probate | Suffolk Probate and Family Court — Register of Probate |
| Clerk address | Superior Court: 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108 (Civil Clerk 12th Floor, Criminal Clerk 14th Floor). Probate and Family Court Register: 24 New Chardon St, Boston, MA 02114 |
| Phone | Superior Court Civil Clerk: (617) 788-8175; Criminal Clerk: (617) 788-8160; Probate and Family Court Register: (617) 788-8301 |
| Hours | 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 |
Suffolk County covers Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, and unlike most of the state it splits its Superior Court clerk's office into two separate offices at the Suffolk County Courthouse, 3 Pemberton Square: a Civil Clerk's Office on the 12th floor and a Criminal Clerk's Office on the 14th floor. Between them they hold felony criminal cases and larger civil suits filed in the county.
Instead of a District Court, Boston and Winthrop are served by the Boston Municipal Court (BMC), a Trial Court department found only in Suffolk County, with eight divisions — Brighton, Central, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Roxbury, South Boston, and West Roxbury — each with its own clerk-magistrate. Chelsea and Revere are covered by Chelsea District Court instead. Probate, estate, divorce, and custody matters go to the Suffolk Probate and Family Court, with a main registry at 24 New Chardon Street in Boston and a satellite office at Chelsea District Court.
The common mistake here is treating "Suffolk District Court" as a real office — it is not. Boston and Winthrop cases go through the Boston Municipal Court's eight divisions, and each keeps its own separate file.
Search Suffolk County court records online
Superior Court Clerk
Suffolk County Superior Court — Civil and Criminal Clerk's Offices
- 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 Suffolk County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal
Civil Clerk's Office: 3 Pemberton Square, 12th Floor, Boston, MA 02108, (617) 788-8175. Criminal Clerk's Office: 3 Pemberton Square, 14th Floor, Boston, MA 02108, (617) 788-8160. Mass.gov blocked automated verification with a 403 response; kept because official-domain search results confirm both office addresses and phone numbers.
Register of Probate
Suffolk 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 Suffolk County
- Records
- Probate, Family
Main office at 24 New Chardon St., Boston, MA 02114, (617) 788-8301; satellite office at Chelsea District Court, 120 Broadway, Chelsea, MA 02150. Mass.gov blocked automated verification with a 403 response; kept on the strength of official-domain search results.
Other courts
Boston Municipal Court — eight divisions (case search via MassCourts)
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Misdemeanor and smaller civil cases from the eight Boston Municipal Court divisions (Brighton, Central, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Roxbury, South Boston, West Roxbury) covering Boston and Winthrop
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
No individual BMC division has its own online docket search; all are searched through the statewide MassCourts portal, filtered by court location. Chelsea and Revere cases are heard at Chelsea District Court instead of the BMC.
What is available online
MassCourts covers docket entries for Superior Court, Boston Municipal Court, Chelsea District Court, and Probate and Family Court cases entered electronically. Because Suffolk splits civil and criminal Superior Court functions into two physical offices, confirm which one holds the file before visiting or mailing a request. Probate filings are increasingly viewable through the registry's virtual services.
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
Suffolk County clerk offices
Superior Court: 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108 (Civil Clerk 12th Floor, Criminal Clerk 14th Floor). Probate and Family Court Register: 24 New Chardon St, Boston, MA 02114
Phone: Superior Court Civil Clerk: (617) 788-8175; Criminal Clerk: (617) 788-8160; Probate and Family Court Register: (617) 788-8301
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Superior Court (felony and larger civil) records. Contact the Civil Clerk's Office (12th floor) for civil suits or the Criminal Clerk's Office (14th floor) for felony cases, both at 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, with the case number or party names and year.
Boston Municipal Court and Chelsea District Court records. Contact the clerk-magistrate's office of the specific division that heard the case — Brighton, Central, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Roxbury, South Boston, West Roxbury, or Chelsea District Court — since each keeps its own file.
Probate, estate, divorce, and custody records. Contact the Register of Probate at 24 New Chardon St., Boston, or the Chelsea satellite office. Most probate files are public; some family-law filings can be impounded.
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 does Suffolk County have two Superior Court clerk's offices?
Suffolk splits civil and criminal Superior Court functions into separate offices at the same courthouse: a Civil Clerk's Office on the 12th floor and a Criminal Clerk's Office on the 14th floor of 3 Pemberton Square, Boston.
Is there a Suffolk County District Court?
No. Boston and Winthrop are covered by the Boston Municipal Court's eight divisions instead of a District Court, and Chelsea and Revere are covered by Chelsea District Court.
How do I find a misdemeanor case in Boston?
Identify which of the eight Boston Municipal Court divisions covers the neighborhood where the case arose (for example Dorchester or Roxbury) and search MassCourts, or contact that division's clerk-magistrate directly.
Who keeps Suffolk County probate and divorce records?
The Suffolk Probate and Family Court, run by the elected Register of Probate, with a main office at 24 New Chardon St., Boston, and a satellite office at Chelsea District Court.
Can I search Suffolk County court records without registering?
Yes. MassCourts (masscourts.org) is free and does not require an account for a basic docket search of Superior Court, Boston Municipal Court, Chelsea District Court, and Probate and Family Court cases.
Sources
- Suffolk County Superior Court — Mass.gov location page — https://www.mass.gov/locations/suffolk-county-superior-court
- Suffolk Probate and Family Court — Mass.gov location page — https://www.mass.gov/locations/suffolk-probate-and-family-court
- Overview of the Suffolk County Registry of Probate and Family Court — Mass.gov — https://www.mass.gov/info-details/overview-of-the-suffolk-county-registry-of-probate-and-family-court
- 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
- 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.