Lowell Criminal History Records
Lowell criminal history records are available through the Lowell Police Department, the Lowell District Court, the Middlesex County Superior Court, and the state CORI system. Lowell is in Middlesex County with about 115,000 residents, making it one of the largest cities in Massachusetts. This guide covers how to search and request criminal records from each of these sources.
Lowell Overview
Where Lowell Criminal Cases Are Filed
Criminal cases from Lowell go to one of two state courts. Misdemeanors and lower-level felony cases are filed at the Lowell District Court. More serious felony charges, after indictment, go to the Middlesex County Superior Court. Both courts handle Lowell criminal matters, and both maintain public case records unless a judge has sealed them.
The Middlesex Superior Court that serves Lowell is at 370 Jackson Street, Lowell. This is the Superior Court location for northern Middlesex County. The Lowell District Court is also in the city. Both courts appear in the state court portal at masscourts.org, where you can search for Lowell cases at no charge. Contact details for the Middlesex Superior Court are at mass.gov/locations/middlesex-county-superior-court.
Cases typically start at the District Court level. If the district attorney seeks a grand jury indictment on a serious felony charge, the case transfers to Superior Court. Each stage of that process creates records. When researching Lowell criminal history, checking both courts is the safest approach to make sure no records are missed. The masscourts.org portal allows you to search multiple courts in the same session.
The Massachusetts Court System website at mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-court-system has current contact information for all courts, including the Lowell District Court. Calling ahead before visiting can confirm current hours and procedures.
Lowell Police Department Records
The Lowell Police Department is at 1 JFK Plaza, Lowell, MA 01852. The main line is (978) 937-3200. The Records Division number is (978) 937-3225. The LPD website is at lowellma.gov/police. Records requests can be submitted in person or by mail. The Records Division handles requests during regular business hours.
Arrest records from the Lowell Police Department document the date and location of an arrest, the charge or charges, and the arresting officer. These records are a part of Lowell's criminal history system but are distinct from court case files. An arrest record shows only that an arrest occurred. It does not tell you what happened in court. For that, you need to check the court dockets through masscourts.org or contact the clerk at Lowell District Court or Middlesex Superior Court.
Incident reports cover a broader range of police responses, not only arrests. If you are looking for a report from a specific event, include the date, location, and any report number when you submit your request. Plain copies of police reports cost $0.50 per page at most Massachusetts police departments. Call (978) 937-3225 before submitting a request to confirm the current fee and any required forms.
The image below shows the Lowell Police Department's public website, which provides contact details and information on how to request records from the department.
The Lowell PD website is the starting point for police record requests, including arrest records and incident reports from within city limits.
Lowell City Clerk and Public Records
The Lowell City Clerk's office is at 375 Merrimack Street, Room 5, Lowell, MA 01852. The phone number is (978) 674-4161. The clerk's website is at lowellma.gov/departments/city-clerk. This office holds vital records, city council records, and public records for city-generated documents. It does not maintain criminal case files.
If you need a document from a Lowell city department and are not sure where it sits, contacting the city clerk's office is a reasonable first step. They can route your request or point you to the right department. Vital records like birth and marriage certificates are available from the clerk's office and are a common source when doing a broader records search tied to identity verification.
For public records requests under Massachusetts public records law, written requests can be submitted to the city clerk or to the specific city agency that holds the document. Responses are generally due within ten business days. Some documents may take longer if they require review for redactions. If a request is denied, the clerk's office can explain the basis for the denial and the appeals process.
CORI: Getting Your Lowell Criminal History
CORI stands for Criminal Offender Record Information. It is Massachusetts's official statewide criminal history database, managed by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services. DCJIS is at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea, MA 02150. The phone number is (617) 660-4600. The DCJIS website is at mass.gov/orgs/department-of-criminal-justice-information-services.
Lowell residents request their own CORI through the iCORI portal at icori.chs.state.ma.us. Create an account, verify your identity, and submit the request. The fee for a personal CORI request is $25. Online requests process in 24 to 48 hours. Mail requests to DCJIS take about ten business days. The full guide is at mass.gov/how-to/request-cori-as-an-individual.
A CORI covers all Massachusetts criminal courts. It includes records from Lowell District Court, Middlesex Superior Court, and any other Massachusetts court where the person had a case. It does not include records from federal courts or from courts in other states. The statutes that govern CORI are M.G.L. c. 6 § 167 and M.G.L. c. 6 § 172. The CORI law overview is at mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-criminal-records-cori.
Open-access CORI requests are available for $50 per request under state law. This type of request is different from the standard personal request. For most Lowell residents who want their own criminal history, the $25 personal iCORI request is the right path. If your CORI contains an error, contact DCJIS at (617) 660-4600 to start a dispute. The correction process is free and typically takes several weeks.
Sealing and Expungement in Lowell
Massachusetts law allows eligible Lowell residents to seal or expunge qualifying criminal records. Sealing hides a record from most public searches. Expungement fully removes it from the system. The primary sealing statute is M.G.L. c. 276 § 100A.
Misdemeanor convictions become eligible for sealing three years after the end of the case. Felony convictions require a seven-year wait. Some offenses cannot be sealed regardless of how much time has passed. To seal a Lowell District Court record, you file the sealing petition with the Lowell District Court clerk. To seal a Middlesex Superior Court record, you file with the Superior Court clerk at 370 Jackson Street, Lowell. Each court's clerk can give you the correct forms and explain the filing process.
Expungement is available for a narrower set of cases. It covers certain offenses by young adults and records that resulted from errors or identity fraud. The expungement petition goes to the court that handled the original case. Both sealing and expungement take time and require accurate paperwork. Once a record is sealed or expunged, it will not appear on masscourts.org and will not show up in standard CORI searches.
Several legal aid organizations in the Lowell area offer help with sealing and expungement for residents who qualify. These services can be a good resource if you are not sure whether your record is eligible or if you need help with the paperwork. The Massachusetts Court System site at mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-court-system also has general guidance on both processes.
Searching Lowell Court Records Online
The state court portal at masscourts.org is the free public tool for searching Lowell criminal case records. It covers the Lowell District Court and the Middlesex County Superior Court at 370 Jackson Street. No account or fee is needed to search. Enter a name or case number to get results.
Search results show the full charge list, docket entries, hearing dates, and the disposition of the case. If a person had cases in both Lowell District Court and Middlesex Superior Court, each case shows as a separate entry. You can switch between courts in the same search session. Cases that are under a sealing order will not appear in the results.
For copies of actual court documents, contact the clerk's office at the relevant court. Certified copies of court records cost $2.50 per page. Plain copies cost less. You can request copies in person or by mail. Call the clerk's office before mailing a request to confirm the current process and the exact fee. For very old cases that predate the online system, the clerk's office may have physical archives that you can access by appointment.
Using both masscourts.org and iCORI together gives you the most complete picture of a Lowell criminal history. The court portal shows case-level docket information. The CORI from iCORI gives you an official statewide summary from DCJIS. Each source has information the other may not show, so using both is worth the time for a thorough search.
Nearby Cities
Lowell is in Middlesex County and is near several other qualifying cities with criminal history pages on this site.
Middlesex County Criminal History Records
Lowell is in Middlesex County, and all criminal cases from the city run through the Middlesex County court system. The county page covers all courts, clerk offices, and agencies that serve criminal history records across Middlesex County, which is the largest county in Massachusetts by population.