Search Waltham Criminal History Records
Waltham criminal history records are maintained by the Waltham Police Department, the Waltham District Court, and the Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn. Waltham is a city of about 62,000 people in Middlesex County, west of Boston, and criminal cases filed there follow the same state court process as the rest of the county. This page covers how to find court records for Waltham cases, how to get a CORI report, and what you need to know about sealing records under Massachusetts law.
Waltham Overview
Where Waltham Criminal Cases Are Filed
Waltham criminal cases begin at the Waltham District Court. This court handles arraignments, bail hearings, bench trials, and jury trials for misdemeanors and many felony charges arising within Waltham. The district court is the main entry point for most criminal matters. Its docket is searchable at no cost through the state portal at masscourts.org.
Serious felony charges, or cases where the prosecution seeks a grand jury indictment, move to the Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn. The Superior Court is at 200 Trade Center, Woburn, MA 01801. It handles the most serious criminal cases from across Middlesex County. Cases that begin at the Waltham District Court can be indicted and transferred to Superior Court when the evidence warrants it. Both courts maintain public records that are open to inspection unless sealed by a judge.
More information on the Superior Court location and contact information is at mass.gov/locations/middlesex-county-superior-court. The full list of Massachusetts courts is at the Massachusetts court system page. For federal charges arising in Waltham, the relevant court is the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston. Federal records are not on masscourts.org and require a search through pacer.gov.
Waltham Police Department Records
The Waltham Police Department maintains arrest records, incident reports, and booking records for events within Waltham city limits. The Records Division handles requests from the public and can provide copies of reports to authorized parties.
The Waltham Police Department is at 99 Church Street, Waltham, MA 02452. The main number is (781) 314-3600. The Records Division direct line is (781) 314-3603. You can request records in person during normal business hours or by sending a written request by mail. Include the date of the incident, the location, any case or report number you have, and a copy of your photo ID. Fees apply for copies and vary by the type and length of the report.
Arrest records document the date and place of an arrest, the charges listed at the time, and the arresting officer. They do not show the final outcome of a case in court. A person who was arrested but not convicted, or whose charges were dismissed, will still have an arrest record at the police department. To find out what happened in court, you need to search the case docket at masscourts.org or call the district court clerk's office.
The police department's website at city.waltham.ma.us/police-department has contact details and information on department services. Walk-in requests to the Records Division are often the fastest option. Third parties may face limits on what they can receive depending on the nature of the report and how old the case is.
If an incident involved more than one law enforcement agency, you may need to request records from each agency separately. The Records Division can advise on which reports are held by Waltham PD and which might be held by another department or the state police.
Waltham City Clerk and Public Records
The Waltham City Clerk manages public records requests for documents held by the city. The clerk does not hold criminal case files, but the office is the correct contact for city-generated records and vital documents like birth and marriage certificates.
The City Clerk is at 610 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02452. The phone number is (781) 314-3010. More information is at city.waltham.ma.us/city-clerks-office. Under Massachusetts public records law, city agencies must respond to public records requests within ten business days. If you want criminal history records, the clerk's staff will tell you to contact the police department or the relevant court, depending on what you need.
For city-held documents that are not court records, such as police department records that fall outside the court file, a written public records request through the city clerk is the right path. Submit your request in writing, keep a copy, and note the date you sent it. The ten-day response clock begins when the agency receives your request. If an agency denies your request, you have the right to appeal. The city clerk can explain the appeals process under state public records law.
Court Records Online Search
The Massachusetts court portal at masscourts.org lets you search criminal and civil case records across the state trial courts for free. For Waltham cases, search the Waltham District Court and Middlesex County Superior Court. You can search by full name or case number. Results include party names, charges, docket entries, hearing dates, and current case status.
Some records will not appear in a portal search. Sealed cases are hidden from public view by court order. Older cases may not be available online if they predate the court's electronic records system. If a case is not showing up, call the clerk's office at the relevant court to ask whether the file exists in paper form. The clerk can confirm whether the record is sealed or just not yet digitized.
Certified copies of documents cost $2.50 per page at most Massachusetts trial courts. Plain copies cost less. Certified copies carry the court seal and clerk's signature, which makes them valid for official legal use. You can request copies in person at the clerk's office or by mail. Include the case number when you request copies to speed up the process. Some documents can also be obtained through eFileMA.com if the case was filed electronically.
The Middlesex Probate and Family Court handles estate, guardianship, and family law matters across the county. The image below is from that court's website, which is one of the public resources available for Middlesex County record searches.
The Middlesex Probate and Family Court page at mass.gov is a resource for probate and family records in the county.
Waltham falls within the Middlesex County court system, which includes the probate court, district courts, and Superior Court.
CORI: Criminal Offender Record Information
CORI is the official Massachusetts criminal history record. It is compiled and maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, known as DCJIS. A CORI report covers arraignments, charges, dispositions, and sentences in Massachusetts courts. It does not include federal cases or records from other states.
Waltham residents can request their own CORI online through iCORI at icori.chs.state.ma.us. You need to create an account and confirm your identity before you can access the system. The fee for a personal request is $25. Online processing takes 24 to 48 hours in most cases. Mail requests sent directly to DCJIS take about ten business days. Full instructions are at mass.gov/how-to/request-cori-as-an-individual.
DCJIS is at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea, MA 02150. The phone number is (617) 660-4600. The agency's page is at mass.gov/orgs/department-of-criminal-justice-information-services. CORI is governed by M.G.L. c. 6 § 167 and M.G.L. c. 6 § 172, which define what the record contains and who can request it.
If your CORI has an error, DCJIS has a formal dispute process. You submit a challenge in writing, and the agency reviews the record against court and law enforcement data. Corrections are made if an error is confirmed. The CORI law overview at mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-criminal-records-cori explains your rights. Open-access CORI requests cost $50 and are available for certain public-record categories under state law. Most people seeking their own record only need the $25 personal request.
Sealing Criminal Records in Waltham
Massachusetts law lets people seal qualifying criminal records under M.G.L. c. 276 § 100A. Sealing means the record is hidden from most public searches, including the masscourts.org portal and standard CORI results, but the file still exists. Law enforcement and courts can access sealed records in future proceedings.
Misdemeanor records may be sealed after three years from the close of the case. Felony records typically require a seven-year waiting period. Some offenses are not eligible for sealing regardless of time. A Waltham resident who wants to seal a record must file a petition at the court that handled the case. For Waltham District Court cases, file at that clerk's office. For Superior Court matters, file at Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn.
Expungement is a narrower option. It is available for certain offenses committed by young adults and for cases involving an identity error or misidentification. Expungement fully removes the record from state systems rather than just hiding it. The petition is filed at the original court. Both sealing and expungement involve paperwork and waiting periods, but for those who qualify, either option can make a real difference. Current guidance is at the Massachusetts court system's website.
Nearby Cities
Other cities near Waltham with criminal history pages include Newton, Cambridge, Framingham, Somerville, Malden, Medford, Lowell, and Everett.
Middlesex County Criminal History Records
Waltham is part of Middlesex County, and all state criminal cases filed in Waltham are part of the Middlesex County court system. The county page has details on the Superior Court in Woburn, the various district courts, and the other agencies that maintain criminal history records across the county.