Springfield Criminal Records

Springfield criminal records are maintained by Springfield District Court and Hampden County Superior Court, both located at 50 State Street in the city. You can search Springfield criminal records online for free through masscourts.org or get an official CORI report through the iCORI portal at mass.gov. This page covers the courts that handle Springfield cases, how to look up records online, how to request them in person or by mail, what the CORI system includes, and how sealing and expungement work for Hampden County criminal records.

Springfield District Court and Hampden Superior Court

Springfield District Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases and lower-level felony matters. It is where most criminal cases in Springfield begin. Initial hearings, arraignments, and trials for offenses that do not go to Superior Court all happen here. The court sits at 50 State Street along with Hampden County Superior Court, which takes over when charges are serious enough for a grand jury indictment.

If you need records from a Springfield criminal case, the first step is figuring out which court held the case. District Court handles most day-to-day criminal matters. Superior Court takes over after a grand jury indictment. Both can be searched at masscourts.org. Select Hampden County when you run your search there.

Both courts are in the Hall of Justice building at 50 State Street. When you arrive, ask at the front desk which clerk's office handles the records you need. District Court and Superior Court clerk offices are on different floors of the same building.

Search Springfield Criminal Records Online

The free public case search at masscourts.org is the fastest way to look up Springfield criminal records online. Search by name, date of birth, or case number. Results show charges, case status, and upcoming hearing dates. This covers both Springfield District Court and Hampden County Superior Court. You do not need to create an account for a basic search.

For an official record with legal weight, use the iCORI portal at mass.gov/cori. This gives you Criminal Offender Record Information as maintained by DCJIS. The fee is $25 per person. If you are checking your own CORI, you can do it once each year for free. Any Springfield case that led to an arraignment will appear in an iCORI report unless it was sealed or expunged afterward.

The Springfield District Court page at mass.gov has contact details, hours, and links to court resources. The screenshot below shows that page.

From there you can find clerk contact info, court forms, and directions for visiting the court in person.

Requesting Springfield Court Records in Person or by Mail

To get certified copies of case records in person, visit the clerk's office at 50 State Street. Bring a photo ID. Tell the clerk the name on the case, the year, and the type of record you need. They can pull dockets, charging documents, and dispositions. Copy fees are generally $1 to $2.50 per page. Certified copies with a court seal cost a bit more.

Mail requests are accepted at both the district and superior court clerk offices. Write to the clerk at 50 State Street, Springfield, MA 01103. Note which court's clerk you are writing to. Include the subject's full name, date of birth, approximate case year, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Send a check or money order made out to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the copy fees.

You can also get a CORI by mail. Send a completed CORI request form and a $25 payment to DCJIS at 200 Arlington Street, Chelsea, MA 02150. If you need a fee waiver, include a completed Affidavit of Indigency. DCJIS processes mail requests in 5 to 10 business days. The iCORI online portal is faster if you have access to it.

Springfield Police Department Records

Springfield Police records include arrest logs, incident reports, and other law enforcement documents. Police records and court records are not the same thing. Police records capture what officers documented at the time of an arrest or incident. Court records follow the case after charges were filed. You may want both depending on what you are trying to find.

Public records requests for Springfield Police documents are submitted through the city's online portal rather than directly to the police department. The city's public records division coordinates responses. The standard deadline is 10 business days. Some documents may be withheld if they are part of an active investigation or fall under a public records exemption.

Hampden County Sheriff

The Hampden County Sheriff operates the county jail and keeps records of people in county custody. If you need to locate someone currently held or find out about a past inmate, the sheriff's office has an online lookup tool.

The sheriff's records relate to detention and custody, not to court outcomes. For case outcomes and criminal history records, use the court system or the iCORI process. The VINE notification system at www.vinelink.com also lets you track custody status and release dates for people in Hampden County facilities.

CORI and What It Covers in Springfield

CORI is defined under MGL c. 6 § 167. It covers arraignment records, criminal charges, verdicts, and sentences from Massachusetts courts. Any Springfield case that led to arraignment in district or superior court will show up in a CORI unless it was sealed or expunged later.

Some records do not appear in CORI. Sealed records are hidden from most checks. Juvenile records are generally excluded unless the case moved to adult court. Certain older misdemeanor convictions may drop off after enough time passes without new charges. The exact rules depend on the type of charge and how the case ended.

DCJIS, the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, manages CORI from its office at 200 Arlington Street in Chelsea. Their number is (617) 660-4640. Visit mass.gov/dcjis for more. The iCORI portal is the standard way to request an official CORI for any Massachusetts subject, including those with Springfield criminal records.

Sealing and Expungement for Springfield Criminal Records

Massachusetts provides two main ways to limit what shows in a background check for people with criminal records: sealing and expungement. Both are available for Springfield cases depending on the situation.

Sealing hides a record from standard CORI checks and general public view. Under MGL c. 276 § 100A, you can petition to seal a misdemeanor three years after your case ends or a felony seven years after. Certain offense types are not eligible. A sealed record still exists and courts and law enforcement can still access it. It just does not appear in a routine background check.

Expungement destroys the record entirely. Under MGL c. 276 §§ 100E-100U, expungement is available for cases that were dismissed, ended in a not guilty finding, or involve youthful offender matters in specific situations. It also applies to some cases where the offense was later decriminalized. Once expunged, the record is gone from all standard searches.

File your petition at the court that handled the original case. In Springfield, that is usually Springfield District Court or Hampden Superior Court at 50 State Street. Residents who need legal help can contact Hampden County Legal Aid or the Volunteer Lawyers Project.

Sex Offender Registry in Springfield

The Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB) maintains a public list of registered sex offenders. The registry is searchable at mass.gov/sorb by name or by address in Springfield. The city has registered offenders at multiple levels.

Level 1 offenders do not appear publicly. Level 2 and Level 3 offenders are on the public registry. For information on a Level 1 offender, write directly to SORB. The registry is separate from CORI and only covers offenses requiring sex offender registration under Massachusetts law. It is not a general criminal history search tool.

Hampden County Criminal Records

Springfield is in Hampden County. For broader county court info and resources, visit the county page.

View Hampden County Criminal Records

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Springfield and have their own criminal records pages with local court contacts.