Dukes County Criminal History Search

Dukes County criminal history records are part of the Massachusetts CORI system maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services. The county covers Martha's Vineyard island off the southeastern coast of Massachusetts, with all courts located in Edgartown. Because this is an island county, in-person access to court records requires travel to the Vineyard, making online and mail requests through DCJIS especially useful. This guide explains how to find and request criminal records for Dukes County.

Criminal Records in Dukes County

All criminal charges filed at Dukes County courts flow into the Massachusetts CORI system. DCJIS collects case data from Dukes County Superior Court and Edgartown District Court and stores it in the statewide criminal record database. That means a charge filed on Martha's Vineyard is part of the same system as any other Massachusetts criminal record.

The legal basis for CORI comes from M.G.L. c. 6 §167, which defines what counts as criminal offender record information and establishes the authority of DCJIS to manage it. Under this statute, arrest records, court charges, and case outcomes from Edgartown courts are all part of a person's official CORI.

Dukes County has six municipalities: Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, and West Tisbury. All criminal cases from any of these towns are handled by the courts in Edgartown. There is no other courthouse on the island. Felonies go to Dukes Superior Court; misdemeanors and lower-level cases go to Edgartown District Court.

The county also has a notably different seasonal population. The year-round population is around 20,000, but that number rises sharply in summer. Criminal cases can arise from both year-round and seasonal residents. Regardless of where a person lives, if the charge was filed in Dukes County, it goes into the statewide CORI system through DCJIS.

Records that have been sealed do not appear in routine CORI requests. The process for sealing a Dukes County record is governed by M.G.L. c. 276 §100A. That statute sets waiting periods and eligibility rules for sealing both convictions and non-conviction records.

Dukes County Courts

All three Dukes County courts are in the same building at 81 Main Street, Edgartown MA 02539. The phone number for all three is (508) 627-3751. This single courthouse location handles Superior Court, District Court, and Probate and Family Court for the entire island. That is worth knowing before you plan a trip, since all in-person record requests go to the same address.

Dukes County Superior Court holds criminal jury trials for felony cases. If someone was charged with a serious crime on Martha's Vineyard and went to trial, those records are at the Superior Court clerk's office in Edgartown. You can call ahead or visit in person to ask what is on file.

Edgartown District Court handles misdemeanors, arraignments, and lower-level criminal matters. Most initial criminal proceedings in Dukes County start here. District Court records for the island are kept at this location.

The Massachusetts court portal at masscourts.org lets you search public case records online. That includes cases from both Dukes County Superior Court and Edgartown District Court. You can look up cases by name or case number without having to travel to the island. Not every record is publicly searchable, but the portal covers most standard criminal filings.

The official court pages on mass.gov have current hours and details. The Dukes County Superior Court page, the Edgartown District Court page, and the Dukes Probate and Family Court page are all worth checking before you contact or visit any of these offices.

Below is a screenshot of the Dukes County Superior Court page on mass.gov, showing the courthouse address and contact information in Edgartown.

All three courts are at 81 Main Street in Edgartown, so this address applies to all record requests made in person.

Edgartown District Court handles the bulk of criminal case filings on the island. The screenshot below shows the court's official listing on mass.gov.

Confirm hours before planning an in-person visit to Edgartown.

The Dukes Probate and Family Court shares the 81 Main Street address and is relevant for criminal matters that overlap with family law, such as restraining orders or cases involving domestic charges.

All three courts are in the same building, making a single trip to Edgartown useful if you need records from more than one court.

Dukes County Sheriff's Office

The Dukes County Sheriff's Office is at 9 Manaquayak Road, Edgartown MA 02539. The phone number is (508) 627-5171. Sheriff Robert Ogden leads the department. The sheriff's office runs the county jail on the island and handles inmate transport to mainland courts when needed.

The sheriff's office does not maintain CORI records. Those are handled exclusively by DCJIS at the state level. But the sheriff does keep records of bookings and jail stays at the Dukes County jail. If you need information about someone who was held on the island, you can contact the sheriff's office to ask what records are available and how to request them.

Cape and Islands District Attorney

Dukes County is served by the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office. That office is on the mainland at 3231 Main Street, Barnstable MA 02630. The phone number is (508) 362-2131. District Attorney Robert J. Galibois leads the office. The Cape and Islands DA covers both Dukes and Nantucket counties, along with Barnstable County on the Cape.

The DA's office handles criminal prosecutions for all cases filed in Dukes County. It does not provide CORI records to the public. If you have a question about a specific case or need help as a victim of a crime, the DA's office can point you in the right direction. Victim advocates at the office are available to help people navigate the court process.

Island Access and Record Requests

Getting to Dukes County requires a ferry or flight from the mainland. That makes in-person record requests at the Edgartown courthouse less practical for many people. The good news is that both mail and online requests through DCJIS work just like they do for any other Massachusetts county, and you do not need to travel to the island to get a CORI.

The iCORI portal at icori.chs.state.ma.us is the most direct option. Submit a personal CORI request online for $25 and get results within 24 to 48 hours. The record returned covers all of Massachusetts, including any Dukes County cases on file with DCJIS. This is the recommended approach if you do not live on the island or cannot easily get there.

Mail requests go to DCJIS at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea MA 02150. The cost is still $25, and processing takes around 10 business days. Send a completed form, a copy of your ID, and a check or money order. The full process is described at mass.gov.

Online case searches through masscourts.org are also useful for checking specific case details without traveling. You can look up court records from Edgartown District Court and Dukes Superior Court from any device.

If you do go in person, all three courts are at 81 Main Street in Edgartown. Call (508) 627-3751 ahead of time to confirm what the clerk's office needs and whether the records you want are on file at that location.

For more detail on CORI rules and access rights, see the state's CORI law overview page. It explains what is included in a criminal record, how long records are kept, and what to do if you find an error.

Cities in Dukes County

Dukes County is made up of six municipalities on Martha's Vineyard: Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, and West Tisbury. None of these communities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All criminal cases for the entire island are filed at the courts located at 81 Main Street in Edgartown. Whether a charge arose in Aquinnah, Oak Bluffs, or anywhere else on the island, Edgartown is where the court records are kept.

Nearby Counties

Dukes County is an island county. The nearest counties by ferry or air are listed below.