Springfield Criminal History Lookup
Springfield criminal history records are held by the Springfield Police Department, the Springfield District Court, and the Hampden County Superior Court. Springfield is the third largest city in Massachusetts, with about 155,000 residents, and it serves as the county seat of Hampden County in western Massachusetts. This guide covers how to search and obtain criminal records from each of these agencies.
Springfield Overview
Where Springfield Criminal Cases Are Filed
Criminal cases from Springfield are filed in one of two state courts. The Springfield District Court handles misdemeanors and lower-level felony charges. The Hampden County Superior Court handles serious felony cases after a grand jury indictment. Both courts are located at the Hampden County Hall of Justice at 50 State Street in Springfield. Federal criminal matters go to the federal courthouse in Springfield as well.
The Hampden County Hall of Justice is the main criminal courthouse for the greater Springfield area. It houses the District Court, the Superior Court, and the Probate and Family Court under one roof at 50 State Street, Springfield, MA 01103. The Superior Court location is described at mass.gov/locations/hampden-county-superior-court. Both courts maintain public case records that you can search through the state court portal at masscourts.org at no charge.
Cases start in the District Court. Most misdemeanor cases stay there through disposition. Felony cases may be heard at the District Court level first but can be indicted and transferred to Superior Court if the prosecution chooses to seek an indictment. Each transfer creates its own set of records. When searching for a Springfield criminal case, checking both courts on masscourts.org is a good idea to make sure you have the full picture.
Springfield Police Department Records
The Springfield Police Department handles arrest records and incident reports for all events within Springfield city limits. The department is at 130 Pearl Street, Springfield, MA 01105. The main line is (413) 787-6300. The Records Division number is (413) 787-6355. In-person visits and mail requests are both accepted. The department's website is at springfieldpolice.com.
Arrest records from the Springfield Police Department list the date and location of an arrest, the charges filed, and the arresting officer. These records are separate from court records. An arrest record only tells you that someone was arrested. It does not show what happened in court after the arrest. To see court outcomes, you need to search the court dockets through masscourts.org or visit the clerk's office at the Hall of Justice.
To request an incident report or arrest record by mail, send a written request to the Springfield Police Records Division at 130 Pearl Street, Springfield, MA 01105. Include the date of the incident, the address, and any report number you have. Include a check or money order for the copy fee. Calling the Records Division at (413) 787-6355 before you mail a request can help you confirm the fee and any specific forms required.
The image below is from the Springfield Police Department's public website, which provides contact information and details on how to request records.
The Springfield Police site is the first stop for requesting arrest records and incident reports from the department's Records Division.
Springfield City Clerk Records
The Springfield City Clerk is at 36 Court Street, Springfield, MA 01103. The phone number is (413) 787-6120. The city clerk manages vital records, city council records, and public records requests for city-generated documents. This office does not hold criminal case files. Those remain with the courts and the police department.
The city clerk can accept public records requests under Massachusetts public records law for documents held by city agencies. If you need a document from a Springfield city department and are not sure which office has it, contacting the clerk's office is a reasonable first step. They can route your request or point you to the right department. Responses to public records requests are generally due within ten business days.
Vital records from the city clerk, such as birth and marriage certificates, are not criminal records but may be part of a broader records search. The city clerk website at springfield-ma.gov/city-clerk has forms and contact information for submitting requests. For criminal history specifically, the courts and the police department are the primary sources.
CORI: Getting Your Springfield Criminal History
CORI stands for Criminal Offender Record Information. It is Massachusetts's official statewide criminal history database. The Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, or DCJIS, maintains it. DCJIS is at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea, MA 02150. The phone is (617) 660-4600. Their full website is at mass.gov/orgs/department-of-criminal-justice-information-services.
Springfield residents 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 for a personal request is $25. Online requests process in 24 to 48 hours. Mail requests to DCJIS take about ten business days. A full guide for individuals is at mass.gov/how-to/request-cori-as-an-individual.
A CORI covers Massachusetts criminal records only. It includes arraignments, charges, and dispositions from all Massachusetts courts, including the Springfield District Court and Hampden County Superior Court. It does not include records from other states or from federal courts. The legal framework for CORI is in 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.
Springfield residents can also request open-access CORI for certain types of records under state law. The fee for open-access CORI is $50. This level of access is different from the personal $25 request. For most individuals searching their own record, the $25 personal request through iCORI is the right option.
Sealing and Expungement in Springfield
Massachusetts law allows eligible Springfield residents to seal or expunge certain criminal records. Sealing limits public access to a record. Expungement fully removes it. The primary law governing sealing is M.G.L. c. 276 § 100A.
For misdemeanor convictions, the waiting period to petition for sealing is three years from the end of the case. For felony convictions, it is seven years. Some offenses cannot be sealed. A Springfield resident petitioning to seal a record from Springfield District Court files the petition with the clerk at the Hampden County Hall of Justice, 50 State Street. For Superior Court cases, the petition goes to the Superior Court clerk's office in the same building.
Expungement is available for a narrower set of cases than sealing. It covers certain offenses by young adults and cases involving errors or identity fraud. The expungement petition process differs from sealing and 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 up in most CORI searches. The Massachusetts Court System's site at mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-court-system has details on both processes.
Sealing and expungement both take time and require proper paperwork. Getting it right the first time matters. Some nonprofit legal aid organizations in western Massachusetts can help Springfield residents navigate this process at no cost if they qualify based on income.
Searching Springfield Court Records Online
The free Massachusetts court portal covers the Springfield District Court and the Hampden County Superior Court. Go to masscourts.org and select the court you want to search. You can search by name or case number. Results show charges, docket entries, hearing dates, and dispositions for records that are not sealed.
For Springfield cases, select "Springfield District Court" or "Hampden County Superior Court" from the list of courts on masscourts.org. Enter the name of the person you are searching. The system returns a list of matching cases, and you can click into each one to see the full docket. Case records from both courts are included if the case moved from District to Superior Court.
If you need actual copies of documents, you need to contact the clerk's office directly. The clerk's office at the Hampden County Hall of Justice is at 50 State Street, Springfield. Certified copies of court documents cost $2.50 per page. Plain copies cost less. Call ahead to ask about current fees and how to submit a copy request.
Older case records that predate the online system may not be available through masscourts.org. For historical records, the clerk's office can check physical archives. Allow extra time for very old cases. When searching for Springfield criminal history records online, the court portal and CORI through iCORI are the two most comprehensive starting points.
Nearby Cities
Chicopee is a nearby qualifying city in Hampden County with a criminal history page on this site.
Hampden County Criminal History Records
Springfield is the county seat of Hampden County, and criminal cases from the city run through the Hampden County court system. The county page covers additional courts, clerk offices, and resources that serve all of Hampden County beyond Springfield itself.