Lawrence Criminal History Records
Criminal history records for Lawrence, Massachusetts are held at Lawrence District Court, the Essex County Superior Court, and through the state CORI system run by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services. Lawrence is in Essex County, and cases filed here feed into the statewide CORI database that tracks arrests, charges, and dispositions across the state. If you need to look up a criminal case tied to Lawrence, this page tells you where to go and how to get what you need.
Lawrence Overview
Where Criminal Cases Are Filed in Lawrence
Most criminal cases in Lawrence start at Lawrence District Court. The District Court handles misdemeanors, minor felonies, and arraignments for more serious charges. It also holds probable cause hearings for cases that will go up to the Superior Court. Lawrence District Court is located at 2 Appleton Way in Lawrence. Call (978) 689-7493 for general case info.
Felony cases and serious crimes move to Essex County Superior Court. The Superior Court for Essex County sits at 43 Appleton Way in Lawrence, MA 01840. You can reach that court at (978) 689-4900. The Superior Court handles jury trials, appeals from District Court, and major criminal matters. Both courts are close to each other in downtown Lawrence, which makes it easy to check which court holds a case you are looking for.
All criminal case records from these courts feed into the Massachusetts CORI system. CORI stands for Criminal Offender Record Information. The state collects data from every court in the state and keeps it in one centralized database. When someone runs a CORI check, the results pull from that full record, not just from one court or one city. Lawrence cases show up in the same CORI database as cases from any other part of the state.
The Essex County Sheriff's Office also holds records on people who have been held in county jail or on work release programs. For information on custody status or jail records, contact the Essex County Sheriff at (978) 750-1900. Their office is separate from the courts, but their records can matter when you are piecing together a full criminal history.
Lawrence Police Records
The Lawrence Police Department keeps records on arrests, incident reports, and police contacts in the city. These records are separate from court records. Police records can include arrest logs, booking information, and incident reports tied to Lawrence addresses. Not all police contacts result in charges, and not all arrest records include a court outcome.
To get a copy of a police record or incident report from Lawrence, contact the Records Division at Lawrence Police Department. The department is at 90 Arlington Street, Lawrence MA 01841. Call (978) 794-5900 and ask for the Records Division at extension 216. They can tell you what forms to fill out and what ID you need to bring. Some records are available by mail, but others may need an in-person visit.
Lawrence police arrest logs are public record. The department publishes a daily log that shows recent arrests in the city. These logs are general and show the name, charge, and date of arrest. They do not show the outcome of the case. For that you need court records. Visit the city's police page at cityoflawrence.com/police for more on how to contact the department and what records are available.
If you want your own arrest record from Lawrence PD, you can ask for a copy in writing. Bring a valid photo ID. There may be a small fee for copies. The department does not always have the same records as the courts, so check both sources if you need a complete picture of what happened with a particular case.
Lawrence City Clerk Records
The Lawrence City Clerk's office handles public records requests for city documents. While the Clerk does not hold criminal court records, they do manage certain public-facing records that can be relevant in some research situations. These include meeting minutes, licenses, and some civil matters that overlap with police or court actions.
The City Clerk is located at 200 Common Street, Lawrence MA 01840. Call (978) 620-9455 for help. The Clerk's office follows the Massachusetts Public Records Law, which gives the public a right to many government documents. If you are not sure whether the record you need is held by the Clerk or the courts, calling the Clerk first is a good starting point. They can often direct you to the right office quickly. More details are at cityoflawrence.com/city-clerk.
Court Records Search for Lawrence Cases
Massachusetts offers a free online case lookup tool through the state court system. You can search for Lawrence criminal cases at masscourts.org. The portal covers both District Court and Superior Court cases statewide. Searches are free and open to the public without an account.
To search for a Lawrence case, go to masscourts.org and select the case type. For criminal matters, choose either District Court or Superior Court and enter the name of the person or the case number. The system will show you basic case details: the charges filed, the court dates, and the current status of the case. You can also see docket entries, which are the official notes the court keeps as a case moves through the system.
One thing to keep in mind is that the online portal shows what is in the public docket. Some records are sealed or restricted under Massachusetts law. Juvenile records are not public. Cases that were sealed by court order will not show up in a public search. If a case you are looking for does not appear online, it may be sealed, or it may be in a different court division than you expected. In that case, calling the clerk's office at the courthouse is the next step.
The Essex County Superior Court is also searchable through masscourts.org. For court records research that goes beyond what the portal shows, you can visit the clerk's office in person at 43 Appleton Way in Lawrence. Staff there can pull physical case files and make copies for you. Fees for copies vary. More about the Superior Court is at mass.gov/locations/essex-county-superior-court.
The image below shows the Essex County Superior Court portal as captured from the official Massachusetts courts website.
The Essex County Superior Court in Lawrence handles felony cases and serious criminal matters for Lawrence and other Essex County communities.
CORI Access for Lawrence Residents
CORI is the main criminal record system in Massachusetts. It stands for Criminal Offender Record Information and is maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, or DCJIS. Any criminal case filed in Lawrence will be part of the state CORI database. You can request your own CORI report to see what it shows.
The fastest way to get your CORI is through the iCORI online system at icori.chs.state.ma.us. Create an account, verify your identity, and submit your request online. The fee for a personal CORI request is $25. Most requests come back within 24 to 48 hours. Some take longer if records need manual review. The DCJIS office is at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea MA 02150. Call (617) 660-4600 if you have questions about your request.
You can also mail in your request. Download the form from mass.gov and send it with a copy of your ID and the $25 fee to the Chelsea address. Mailed requests take longer than online ones. If you just want to see your own record and do not need it right away, mail is a fine option. For more on what CORI contains and the law behind it, see mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-criminal-records-cori.
Under M.G.L. c. 6, Section 167, the state defines what records go into CORI and who can see them. Personal access is a right. You are always allowed to see your own criminal history record. If you find errors in your CORI, the same law gives you a process to challenge the information. Contact DCJIS to start that process.
Sealing and Expungement of Lawrence Criminal Records
If you have old criminal cases in Lawrence, you may be able to have them sealed or expunged. Sealing removes a record from public view while still keeping it in the court system. Expungement deletes the record entirely. Massachusetts law allows both under certain conditions.
The main statute for sealing is M.G.L. c. 276, Section 100A. Convictions for misdemeanors can be sealed after three years from the date you completed your sentence. Felony convictions require a seven-year wait. Some serious offenses cannot be sealed at all. Cases that did not result in a conviction, such as dismissed charges or not-guilty findings, may be sealed sooner. The waiting period for those is shorter.
To seal a record, you file a petition with the court where the case was heard. For Lawrence District Court cases, that means filing at Lawrence District Court. For Superior Court cases, you file at the Superior Court clerk's office. There is no fee to seal a record. You may want to get a copy of your CORI first so you know exactly what cases are on your record before you file. Legal aid groups in the Lawrence area can help you figure out what is eligible and walk you through the paperwork.
Expungement is newer under Massachusetts law and covers a narrower set of cases, including some juvenile records and cases that were the result of a misidentification. If you think you might qualify for expungement, DCJIS has information on how to apply. Under M.G.L. c. 6, Section 172, certain agencies have expanded access to sealed records, so sealing does not make a record invisible to everyone.
Nearby Cities
These nearby Massachusetts cities also have criminal history record pages with local court and police information.
Essex County Criminal History Records
Lawrence is part of Essex County. All criminal cases filed in Lawrence go through the Essex County court system. The county page has more detail on the Superior Court, the Sheriff's Office, and county-wide resources for accessing criminal history records.