Search Essex County Criminal Records
Essex County criminal records are maintained by three Superior Court locations and eight district courts serving the roughly 824,000 residents of the north shore and Merrimack Valley regions of Massachusetts, with primary court facilities in Salem and Lawrence and additional coverage through a Newburyport location. Because the county spans a large geographic area with distinct northern and southern regions, knowing which part of Essex County a case was filed in will point you toward the right courthouse and clerk's office quickly.
Essex County Overview
Essex County Superior Court Criminal Records
The Superior Court is where the most serious Essex County criminal records are filed. This includes all felony cases, first-degree murder, and civil matters over $50,000. The court also handles appeals from district court decisions. There are three Superior Court locations in Essex County, each covering a different geographic area.
The main location in Salem sits inside the J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center on Federal Street. This is the largest of the three and handles the bulk of Superior Court cases for the county. The Lawrence location covers the northern portion of the county, including Andover, Methuen, and North Andover. Newburyport covers the coastal northeast.
| Superior Court - Salem (main) | 56 Federal Street, Salem, MA 01970 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (978) 744-5500 |
| Fax | (978) 741-0691 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (reduced Thursday midday for some services) |
| Jurisdiction | All felony cases, civil over $50,000, district court appeals |
| Superior Court - Lawrence | 43 Appleton Way, Lawrence, MA 01841 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (978) 242-1900 |
| Fax | (978) 687-7869 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Serves | Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, North Andover |
| Superior Court - Newburyport | 145 High Street, Newburyport, MA 01950 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (978) 462-4474 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
More information about the Salem location and case filing procedures is available on the Essex County Superior Court page at mass.gov.
The mass.gov page for Essex County Superior Court lists all three locations with contact details and hours for requesting Essex County criminal records in person or by mail.
Essex County District Courts and Case Records
Eight district courts cover Essex County. Each one handles misdemeanor and lower-level felony cases for specific cities and towns. Finding the right district court depends on where the offense or filing took place.
- Gloucester District Court, 197 Main Street, Gloucester, (978) 283-2620 - serves Essex, Gloucester, and Rockport
- Haverhill District Court, 45 Ginty Boulevard, Haverhill, (978) 521-7300 - serves the Haverhill area
- Lawrence District Court, 2 Appleton Street, Lawrence, (978) 687-7184 - serves Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, and North Andover
- Lynn District Court, 580 Essex Street, Lynn, (781) 598-5200 - serves Lynn, Marblehead, Nahant, Saugus, and Swampscott
- Newburyport District Court, 188 State Street, Newburyport, (978) 462-2652 - serves the northern coastal towns
- Peabody District Court, 1 Lowell Street, Peabody, (978) 532-3100 - serves Lynnfield and Peabody
- Salem District Court, 56 Federal Street, Salem, (978) 744-1167 - serves Beverly, Danvers, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Middleton, and Salem
- Ipswich District Court, 188 State Street, Newburyport, (978) 462-2652
Start with the free public case search at masscourts.org if you don't know which court filed a case. That search tool covers all Massachusetts courts and will show you the case number, charges, and filing court at no cost.
CORI and Essex County Criminal Records
The state's CORI system is the most complete source for Essex County criminal records. CORI, which stands for Criminal Offender Record Information, is maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services and covers every arraignment, charge, and disposition filed in a Massachusetts court. It is managed separately from the court's own dockets and provides a consolidated view of a person's criminal history across all courts in the state.
The standard CORI fee is $25 per subject. People requesting their own record can do so once per year at no cost. The iCORI system at icori.chs.state.ma.us handles online requests. Mail requests require the Adult Personal CORI Request Form with notarization, a $25 payment or an Affidavit of Indigency, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Send mail requests to DCJIS, 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea, MA 02150. Processing typically takes two to three weeks for mail-in requests.
The CORI report for an Essex County matter would show misdemeanor convictions within the past five years, felony convictions within the past ten years, and all records for murder, manslaughter, and sex offenses regardless of how long ago they occurred. Pending offenses also appear. The report includes the case number, the court that handled it, offense dates, disposition dates, and sentencing. It does not cover federal cases or convictions from other states.
Access to CORI is governed by MGL Chapter 6, Sections 167 through 178. Individuals always have the right to pull their own record. Organizations accessing CORI on other people must meet eligibility requirements under that statute. Fee waivers through an Affidavit of Indigency are available to people whose income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty level.
If a record has been sealed under MGL c. 276 Section 100A (after five years for misdemeanors or ten years for felonies) or immediately sealed under Section 100C following a dismissal or not guilty finding, it won't appear in a standard CORI result. Expungement under MGL c. 276 Sections 100E through 100U removes the record entirely for those who qualify.
Essex County Sheriff Criminal Records
The Essex County Sheriff's Office operates the Middleton Jail and House of Correction, which has a capacity of over 1,200 people. The Sheriff also runs the Women in Transition facility in Salisbury and a pre-release center in Lawrence.
One notable resource is the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) maintained by the Essex County Sheriff. The BCI holds more than 300,000 criminal record files and can conduct searches by name, date of birth, Social Security Number, SBI number, and even nicknames. This makes it a useful resource for detailed local criminal record information that may not be fully captured elsewhere.
| Essex County Sheriff | 20 Manning Avenue, Middleton, MA 01949 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (978) 750-1900 |
| Website | essexsheriff.com |
| BCI Searches | By name, DOB, SSN, SBI number, nickname |
The DCJIS agency page below provides context on how the state-level criminal records system works alongside local resources like the Essex Sheriff's BCI.
The Department of Criminal Justice Information Services manages the iCORI system used to access comprehensive criminal history records for Essex County and all Massachusetts courts.
Police Records in Essex County
Arrest records and police incident reports in Essex County are held by individual police departments. There is no central county police records office. Each city or town handles its own public records requests.
| Lawrence Police | 90 Lowell Street, Lawrence |
|---|---|
| Phone | (978) 794-5900 |
| Request Method | In-person required |
| Lynn Police | 300 Washington Street, Lynn |
|---|---|
| Phone | (781) 595-2000 |
| Records Contact | James Lamanna |
| Salem Police | 95 Margin Street, Salem |
|---|---|
| Phone | (978) 744-1212 |
Haverhill and Peabody both have online records request forms available through their respective city websites. For other towns, a written request submitted in person or by mail is the standard method. Under the Massachusetts Public Records Law (MGL c. 66 Section 10), agencies must respond within ten business days. Some records, like domestic violence or sexual assault reports, are restricted regardless of how you ask.
Sex Offender Registry for Essex County
The Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board lists Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders who live, work, or attend school in Essex County. The public search at the SORB website is free. You can search by town or zip code to see who is registered in a specific area. Results include the registrant's photo, address, offense history, and registration tier. Level 1 offenders do not appear in the public database.
How to Request Essex County Criminal Records by Mail
For personal CORI requests by mail, you need to complete the Adult Personal CORI Request Form. Notarization is required for mail requests. Include your $25 payment (check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) or an Affidavit of Indigency if you qualify for a fee waiver. Also include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Your request must include your full name, any former names, date of birth, the last six digits of your Social Security Number, your parents' names, and your mailing address.
Send it all to DCJIS, 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea, MA 02150. Plan for two to three weeks for processing.
Note: For court-certified copies of specific Essex County case documents, contact the clerk's office that holds the file directly. Court certification costs $20 per document plus $1 per page, and plain copies are $0.20 per page.
Cities in Essex County
Four cities in Essex County have dedicated criminal records pages with local courthouse details, police records contacts, and specific access information.
Nearby Counties
Essex County borders Middlesex County to the south and Suffolk County to the southwest, with the Atlantic coast to the east and New Hampshire to the north.