Access Haverhill Criminal History Records
Criminal history records for Haverhill, Massachusetts are filed at Haverhill District Court and at Essex County Superior Court, which sits in either Salem or Lawrence depending on the case. Haverhill is in Essex County in the northern part of the state, close to the New Hampshire line. The state CORI database, run by DCJIS, collects records from all courts including Haverhill and makes them available for personal requests and authorized checks. This page covers how to find court records, police records, and CORI information for cases tied to Haverhill.
Haverhill Overview
Where Criminal Cases Are Filed in Haverhill
Criminal matters from Haverhill start at Haverhill District Court. This court handles arraignments, misdemeanor trials, and early hearings for felony charges before they move to the Superior Court. Haverhill District Court covers Haverhill and several surrounding towns in northern Essex County. For more serious cases, the file moves to Essex County Superior Court, which holds sessions in both Salem and Lawrence.
Felony cases that go to trial or require grand jury proceedings are handled by Essex County Superior Court. That court's location varies by case type and scheduling. The Superior Court at 43 Appleton Way in Lawrence is one key location. There is also a Superior Court courthouse in Salem. For information on which location handles a specific case, check masscourts.org or call the Superior Court clerk directly. Details are at mass.gov/locations/essex-county-superior-court.
All records from both courts become part of the statewide CORI system. DCJIS collects data from every Massachusetts court and keeps it in one database. Under M.G.L. c. 6, Section 167, the department sets the rules for who can access that data and how. A case filed in Haverhill in 2015 could still appear in a CORI check today if it has not been sealed or if the waiting period has not passed. Knowing which court handled your case is the first step to getting a copy of the record.
The Essex County Sheriff's Office also holds records on people in county custody. For information on current or past custody status in Essex County, contact the Sheriff's Office. Their website is at essexsheriffma.org. The Sheriff does not hold court records, but their custody records can be a relevant piece of the picture when researching a full criminal history.
Haverhill Police Records
The Haverhill Police Department keeps records on all arrests, incident reports, and law enforcement contacts within the city. These are separate from court records and serve a different purpose. A police record shows that someone was stopped or arrested. It does not reflect what happened in court afterward.
To request records from the Haverhill Police Department, contact the Records Division. The department is at 40 Bailey Boulevard, Haverhill MA 01832. The main number is (978) 373-1212. Ask for the Records Division at extension 266. Staff can walk you through the request process, including what forms to use, what ID to bring, and whether your request can be mailed in or needs to be done in person. Copy fees apply for most documents.
Public arrest logs from Haverhill PD are available as a public record. These logs show recent arrests by name, charge, and date. They are routine public documents and do not require a formal records request. The department's public-facing page is at cityofhaverhill.com/departments/police. For old arrest records or detailed incident reports, a formal written request to the Records Division is the right approach.
One important note: an arrest in Haverhill does not mean a conviction. The police record and the court record are two distinct documents. If you are doing research that requires knowing the outcome of a case, you need the court docket, not just the police arrest record. Check masscourts.org for the court side of the story.
Haverhill City Clerk Records
The Haverhill City Clerk manages public records requests for city documents and can help direct you to the right office when you are not sure where a particular record is held. The Clerk does not hold criminal court files, but some city enforcement records and licensing documents may be relevant in certain research situations.
The City Clerk is located at 4 Summer Street, Haverhill MA 01830. Call (978) 374-2310. The Clerk follows Massachusetts Public Records Law, which requires government offices to respond to written public records requests within a set time frame. If you need records from the city rather than the courts, this is where to start. More at cityofhaverhill.com/departments/city-clerk.
Court Records Search for Haverhill Cases
You can search for Haverhill criminal cases for free at masscourts.org. The portal covers both Haverhill District Court and Essex County Superior Court. No account is required. You search by name or case number and the results show charges, docket entries, court dates, and current case status.
The docket entries are particularly useful. They are the court's official running log of everything that happened in a case. You can see when the arraignment was held, what motions were filed and decided, when hearings took place, and what the final result was. A full docket can tell you much more than just the charge and the outcome. For Haverhill cases that went to trial, the Superior Court docket will be longer and more detailed than the District Court docket.
If a case does not show up in the online search, it may be sealed, restricted, or in a court division that requires a different search. Juvenile records are not in the public portal. Some older records may not be fully digitized. If you need something that is not showing up online, call the clerk at Haverhill District Court or at Essex County Superior Court. The court staff can confirm whether the record exists and how to get a copy.
The image below was captured from the Essex County Sheriff's Office website, which is one of the key county-level agencies involved in criminal matters from Haverhill.
The Essex County Sheriff's Office at essexsheriffma.org maintains custody records for individuals held in Essex County, which includes Haverhill.
CORI Access for Haverhill Residents
The CORI system is Massachusetts's central record of criminal history. It covers every court in the state, including Haverhill District Court and Essex County Superior Court. You have the legal right to see your own CORI at any time. The fee is $25 for a personal request.
Request your CORI online through iCORI at icori.chs.state.ma.us. You create an account, verify your identity, and pay the $25 fee to submit your request. Most responses come back within 24 to 48 hours. You can also request by mail. Download the form at mass.gov and send it with your ID and a check for $25 to DCJIS at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea MA 02150. The department's phone number is (617) 660-4600.
Your personal CORI shows you the complete record as it sits in the state system. It includes charges, dispositions, and case dates for every Massachusetts court case tied to your identity. If you find an error, you can dispute it through DCJIS using the process outlined at mass.gov/orgs/department-of-criminal-justice-information-services. Common errors include wrong case outcomes, duplicate entries, or mismatched personal information.
Under M.G.L. c. 6, Section 172, certain government agencies and authorized organizations can access a broader version of CORI than what shows up in a personal request. This includes some sealed records. If you want to understand what different levels of access look like, the DCJIS website and the law itself are the best sources. For general background, see mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-criminal-records-cori.
Sealing and Expungement of Haverhill Criminal Records
If you have a criminal record from Haverhill, you may be able to seal it. Sealing removes a case from public view while keeping it in the court system. It does not delete the record, but it does prevent the general public from seeing it in CORI or in the online court portal.
The sealing law is at M.G.L. c. 276, Section 100A. Misdemeanor convictions can be sealed three years after the end of your sentence. Felony convictions require a seven-year wait. Cases with no conviction, such as dismissals and not-guilty verdicts, have a shorter wait period. To seal a record from Haverhill District Court, file your petition at that court. To seal a record from Essex County Superior Court, file at the Superior Court clerk's office.
There is no filing fee to seal a record. Once a record is sealed, it drops off standard CORI searches and disappears from the masscourts.org public portal. Some authorized agencies can still see sealed records under M.G.L. c. 6, Section 172, but those are limited and defined by law. Expungement, which fully deletes a record, is available in fewer situations under Massachusetts law. It covers some juvenile records and cases involving identity errors. If you think you may qualify, DCJIS can give you guidance. Legal aid organizations in the Haverhill area offer free help with sealing petitions for those who qualify.
Nearby Cities
These nearby Massachusetts cities have criminal history record pages with local court and police contact information.
Essex County Criminal History Records
Haverhill is in Essex County. All criminal cases from the city go through the Essex County court system, including Haverhill District Court and Essex County Superior Court. The county page covers Superior Court details, the Sheriff's Office, and other county-level resources for criminal history access.