Cambridge Criminal History Search
Cambridge criminal history records come from the Cambridge Police Department, the Cambridge District Court, the Middlesex County Superior Court, and the state CORI system. Cambridge is in Middlesex County with about 118,000 residents, and it sits just across the Charles River from Boston. This page explains how to find and request criminal records from each of these sources.
Cambridge Overview
Where Cambridge Criminal Cases Are Filed
Criminal cases arising in Cambridge go to one of two state courts based on the type of charge. Misdemeanors and lower-level felonies go to the Cambridge District Court. Serious felony charges, once indicted, transfer to the Middlesex County Superior Court. Federal charges go to federal court. The Cambridge District Court and the Middlesex Superior Court are the two main courts to check when researching Cambridge criminal history.
The Middlesex County Superior Court is at mass.gov/locations/middlesex-county-superior-court for location and contact details. The Superior Court handles the most serious criminal cases and has a large backlog of historical records going back many decades. The Cambridge District Court handles the bulk of Cambridge criminal matters at the lower level, including arraignments, bail hearings, and trials for most misdemeanor and lower-level felony charges.
Both courts make their records available through the state court portal. Go to masscourts.org and search by name or case number. The portal is free and covers both Cambridge District Court and Middlesex Superior Court. It shows charges, docket entries, and case status for records that are not under a sealing order. Sealed records will not appear in the search results.
The Middlesex Probate and Family Court is at 208 Cambridge Street, Cambridge. This court handles probate and family matters, not criminal cases. If you are specifically researching criminal history, the District Court and Superior Court are the right places to look.
Cambridge Police Department Records
The Cambridge Police Department is at 125 6th Street, Cambridge, MA 02142. The main number is (617) 349-9300. For records requests, call the Records Division at (617) 349-9328. The CPD website is at cambridgema.gov/departments/cambridgepolice.aspx. You can submit records requests in person or by mail.
Arrest records from the Cambridge Police Department show the date, location, charges, and arresting officer for each arrest. These records are part of Cambridge's criminal history system but are separate from court records. An arrest record does not show what the court did with the case. For outcomes, you need to search the court docket through masscourts.org or contact the clerk at Cambridge District Court or Middlesex Superior Court.
Incident reports from the CPD cover a broad range of events, not just criminal matters. If you need an incident report from a specific date, include that date, the location, and any report number you have when submitting your request. Police incident reports are public records under Massachusetts law, though some portions may be redacted if they are part of an ongoing investigation or contain personal information that is exempt from disclosure.
Cambridge also has a city clerk's office at 795 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139. You can reach the clerk at (617) 349-4260 or at cityclerk@cambridgema.gov. The clerk's website is at cambridgema.gov/departments/cityclerk.aspx. This office handles vital records and city documents but not criminal case files. For criminal history, the police department and the courts are the right sources.
Cambridge Court Records and Dockets
Court records for Cambridge criminal cases are kept by the clerks of the Cambridge District Court and the Middlesex County Superior Court. Both courts are public records sources for criminal case files. You can visit either clerk's office in person during business hours to search records, request copies, or review a case file.
The easiest way to start a search is through masscourts.org. The portal is free and shows case-level information for most Cambridge District Court and Middlesex Superior Court criminal cases. Select the relevant court from the list, enter the name of the person you are searching, and review the results. Each case entry shows charge information, docket entries, and current status.
If you need copies of actual court documents, contact the clerk's office. Certified copies cost $2.50 per page at most Massachusetts trial courts. Plain copies cost less. You can request copies by mail or in person. Some documents may also be available through the electronic filing system if the case used eFileMA. For historical records or cases not in the online system, visiting the clerk in person is the most reliable approach.
The Massachusetts Court System website at mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-court-system has contact information for all courts, including phone numbers and hours. Calling ahead before visiting can save time, especially for older records that may require a specific request process.
The image below shows the Massachusetts Court System's public-facing website, which is the gateway to court locations, contact details, and public access information for all courts including Cambridge District Court and Middlesex Superior Court.
The Massachusetts Court System site provides court contact details, hours, and links to the masscourts.org portal for online case searches.
CORI Requests for Cambridge Residents
CORI is the official Massachusetts criminal history record. DCJIS, the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, maintains the CORI database. DCJIS is at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea, MA 02150. Their main number is (617) 660-4600. The DCJIS website is at mass.gov/orgs/department-of-criminal-justice-information-services.
Cambridge residents can request their own CORI through the iCORI online portal at icori.chs.state.ma.us. You create an account, verify your identity, and submit the request. The fee is $25. Online requests are processed in 24 to 48 hours. Mail requests take about ten business days. The individual request guide is at mass.gov/how-to/request-cori-as-an-individual.
A CORI record covers Massachusetts criminal courts only. It includes records from Cambridge District Court, Middlesex Superior Court, and any other Massachusetts court where the person had a case. It does not include out-of-state or federal records. The statutes governing CORI are M.G.L. c. 6 § 167 and M.G.L. c. 6 § 172. Background on the full law is at mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-criminal-records-cori.
If you think your CORI contains an error, DCJIS has a dispute process. You submit a written dispute, and DCJIS investigates. If they confirm an error, they correct the record. This process is free. Call DCJIS at (617) 660-4600 to start. Getting your CORI corrected can take several weeks but is worth the effort if the record is wrong.
Sealing and Expungement for Cambridge Cases
Massachusetts law gives Cambridge residents the option to seal or expunge certain criminal records under M.G.L. c. 276 § 100A. Sealing removes a record from public searches while keeping it in law enforcement databases. Expungement fully deletes it from the system.
The waiting period to petition for sealing is three years after the end of a misdemeanor case and seven years after a felony. Some offenses cannot be sealed under any circumstances. For a Cambridge District Court case, you file the sealing petition at the Cambridge District Court clerk's office. For a Middlesex Superior Court case, you file at the Superior Court clerk's office. Each court's clerk can tell you what forms to use and where to file.
Expungement applies to a narrower group of cases: certain offenses by young adults and records resulting from errors or identity fraud. The petition goes to the court that handled the original case. Once a record is sealed or expunged, it will not appear on masscourts.org and will not show in standard CORI searches. The Massachusetts Court System's website has current guidance on both sealing and expungement procedures at mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-court-system.
Several legal aid organizations in the greater Boston and Cambridge area can help residents who qualify for free or reduced-cost legal help with sealing and expungement. These services can be particularly useful if you are not sure whether your record qualifies or if you need help completing the paperwork correctly.
Searching Cambridge Criminal Records Online
The free court portal at masscourts.org is the best starting point for searching Cambridge criminal history records online. It covers Cambridge District Court and Middlesex County Superior Court. No account or fee is needed to search. You enter a name or case number and the system returns any matching records that are not sealed.
Search results show the full charge list, docket entries, hearing records, and dispositions. If a person had cases in multiple courts, each case shows up separately. You can search Cambridge District Court and Middlesex Superior Court in the same session by switching between courts in the portal. The results are generally current to within a few days.
For records that predate the online system, the clerk's offices at each court maintain physical archives. In-person visits to the clerk are the right way to access very old files. Call the court before you visit to confirm hours and what you need to bring. For recent cases, the online search at masscourts.org is usually enough to get the basic information you need.
CORI through iCORI gives a different kind of record. It is an official statewide compilation from DCJIS and includes disposition data that may not be visible through masscourts.org. Both sources are useful, and using them together gives the most complete picture of a Cambridge criminal history.
Nearby Cities
Cambridge is in Middlesex County and is close to several other qualifying cities with criminal history pages on this site.
Middlesex County Criminal History Records
Cambridge is in Middlesex County, and criminal cases from the city run through the Middlesex County court system. The county page covers all courts, clerk offices, and agencies that handle criminal history records across Middlesex County, which is the most populous county in Massachusetts.