How To Obtain Your Massachusetts Criminal Records

Find out exactly what is on your Massachusetts criminal record before potential employers and landlords do.

If you’re wondering how to obtain a copy of your Massachusetts criminal record, you can begin by contacting the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services. This department maintains criminal records for the state of Massachusetts and has access to criminal records throughout the United States. These records will include sex crimes, driver history, probation records, and other crimes. You can contact the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services by phone at (617) 660-4640 or by mail at 200 Arlington Street Suite 2200 Chelsea, MA 02150 Attn: CORI Unit.

Requesting a Copy of Your Criminal Record

You can request your record by submitting an application online by visiting the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services iCORI, the Criminal Offender Record Information Support system. CORI is an electronic database, which stores criminal records. This system also makes records available for prospective employers of applicants to review and make their hiring decisions. However, if you would like to review your record to verify the accuracy of charges contained in your record, you may do so by:

• Completing a Personal CORI Request Form - This form can be downloaded by clicking here. After you have completed this form you must have the form notarized before mailing it to the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services.
• Submitting payment for search inquiries - You must submit a payment in the amount of $25.00 along with your application and any additional searches will cost $25 for each search, as well. However, if you would like to access your record immediately, the cost will be $50.00. Before you submit your application, you must make sure that all information is correct otherwise you may have to pay an additional application fee. You should receive your report within 14 days after mailing your application.
• Submitting a self audit request form - This form is available for free and can be requested every three months. However, if you would like to request a self audit report more frequently than the free period allows, you will have to pay of fee of $25.00. You can download a self audit request on the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services website.

If you are experiencing financial difficulty and do not have the money to pay your application fee, you can request assistance from the judicial system by completing an Affidavit of Indigency form. On the Executive Office of Public Safety’s website, you can download and print the Affidavit of Indigency form.

What to Do When You’ve Found Errors

Although criminal records are accessible through the iCORI system, the Office of the Commissioner of Probation controls the information that is contained in the database. Therefore if you have found errors on your records after conducting a self audit, you may contact the Office of the Commissioner of Probation to request errors be removed.

If after contacting this department and your request is not granted, the next step you will need to take is to contact the court where your case or trial was held. You can locate the jurisdictional court where your case was heard, by visiting: http://www.mass.gov/courts/court-info/courthouses/. By visiting or contacting the court where your case was heard, you should be able to obtain the records of your case and correct any information that is incorrect on your background check.

Some common mistakes that are found on criminal records can include but are not limited to:

• Name spelling errors
• Social Security numbers
• Birthplaces
• Birth dates
• Closed and open dates
• Wrong cases linked to your record
• Non-guilty case dismissal error

If some of the mistakes found on your record are minor such as spelling errors, dismissal, and case closed date errors you can request assistance from a probation officer. You can call the Office of the Commissioner of Probation department or the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services. You can also complete a complaint form also known as an Incorrect Criminal Offender Record Information form to request correction of your record. You may download a complaint form here. Once you have completed this form you can mail it to the Legal Department, which is located at the Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services.

Some other errors that may appear on your record may be warrant arrests and identity theft related crimes.¹

If this is the situation, you will need to report the mistake immediately to the local authorities, complete a complaint form along with providing evidence of the mistake and your state identification card. After a thorough investigation has been conducted to verify that your claim is true, you will be informed if the mistakes on your record have been corrected. If your request is not permitted, you can acquire assistance from the Legal Advocacy and Resource Center. This resource is available for citizens who cannot afford to pay for legal services. You may review the LARC’s eligibility guidelines by visiting their website here.

Criminal Record Access Privileges

The information listed here can help you obtain your criminal records. However, if you would like more information about your rights concerning your criminal record you can review detailed information by visiting www.masslegalhelp.org and reading their pdf on understanding your cori rights. By doing so, you can review frequently asked questions about the iCORI system, sealing records, waiting periods, court proceedings, employment discrimination, expungement, error correction, tax credits, and other pertinent resources which may be able to help you. Links to various request forms are also included, such as juvenile record requests and petitions and motions to seal. The length of time a conviction stays on your record depends on the crime. If a crime is not related to an identity theft, the crime will stay on your record indefinitely unless you petition to have it sealed or expunged.

Find more legal articles in our articles database.