Search Hampden County Criminal History

Hampden County criminal history records are held at the county's Superior Court and district courts in Springfield and across the county's 23 municipalities. Located in western Massachusetts, Hampden County is home to Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield. Criminal records here are part of the state CORI system run by DCJIS and can also be searched through the MassCourts public docket system. This page walks through the key offices, courts, and tools you need to look up criminal history in Hampden County.

Criminal History Records in Hampden County

Hampden County is the most populous county in western Massachusetts. It has a large and active court system. Criminal records from this county flow into the state CORI database maintained by DCJIS, the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services. CORI stands for Criminal Offender Record Information and covers arraignments, charges, verdicts, and sentences filed in Massachusetts courts, including all Hampden County courts.

A CORI record is created when a person is arraigned. Cases that never reach arraignment do not create a CORI record. Under M.G.L. c. 6, § 167, CORI includes criminal complaints, indictments, and their dispositions. Records that are sealed under M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A will not appear in a standard personal CORI request. Cases that ended in a not guilty verdict or a dismissal may still appear in certain CORI access levels depending on when the case was filed and how it ended.

Hampden County courts handle a wide range of criminal matters. Springfield is one of the larger cities in the state, and the courts there see significant caseloads. The Superior Court handles serious felonies. District courts handle misdemeanors, low-level felonies, and arraignments. Juvenile courts in Holyoke, Palmer, and Springfield handle cases involving minors. All of these courts contribute records to the MassCourts online system and to the CORI database.

For someone who wants to check a criminal history tied to Hampden County, the two main tools are the iCORI portal for CORI requests and MassCourts for court docket records. Both are free to access at a basic level. The sections below explain each source in more detail.

Hampden County Superior Court

The Hampden County Superior Court is in the Hampden County Hall of Justice at 50 State Street in Springfield. This is the main trial court for serious criminal cases in the county. It handles felony indictments, jury trials, major sentencing, and appeals from district court. All records from this court are part of the public court record system and can be found through MassCourts or by visiting the clerk's office in person.

Criminal history records from Superior Court include indictments, plea agreements, trial findings, and sentencing orders. These are among the most complete records in the system because superior court cases tend to be fully litigated. If you are looking for records of a serious felony in Hampden County, this is the right place to start.

The official listing for this court on the state website has address details, hours, and contact numbers. See the Hampden County Superior Court page on mass.gov for current information.

The mass.gov page above shows contact details, directions, and clerk information for the Hampden County Superior Court in Springfield.

Hampden Probate and Family Court

The Hampden Probate and Family Court shares the building at 50 State Street in Springfield with the Superior Court. This court handles estates, guardianships, and family matters. While it is not a criminal court, it does handle restraining orders and harassment prevention orders, which are part of a person's legal history in Massachusetts. Those records can be relevant when researching someone's full court history in Hampden County.

The virtual registry for this court operates Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM. You can call (413) 748-7760 to reach the probate registry. The court provides records and certified copies at the standard statewide fee schedule: $2.50 per page for certified copies and $0.05 per page for non-certified copies.

The state court page for this court has current hours, services, and contact details. See the Hampden Probate and Family Court page on mass.gov.

The probate court page above confirms the court's location at the Hampden County Hall of Justice and shows available services and contact information.

District Courts in Hampden County

Hampden County has five district courts. District courts are where most criminal cases start. They handle misdemeanors, bail hearings, arraignments, and lower-level felony matters. Criminal records from district court are part of the statewide court database and can be searched online at MassCourts.

The five district courts in Hampden County are:

• Springfield District Court - 50 State Street, P.O. Box 2421, Springfield MA 01102. Phone: (413) 748-8600. This is the busiest district court in the county and serves Springfield and neighboring towns.
• Chicopee District Court - 30 Church Street, Chicopee MA 01020. Phone: (413) 598-0099. Serves Chicopee and surrounding communities.
• Holyoke District Court - Serves Holyoke and nearby towns in the northern part of the county.
• Palmer District Court - Serves Palmer, Monson, and the eastern towns of Hampden County.
• Westfield District Court - Serves Westfield and towns in the western section of the county.

In addition to these, Hampden County has juvenile courts in Holyoke, Palmer, and Springfield. Juvenile court records have more restricted access under state law and do not appear in standard CORI checks. For adult criminal history records, focus on the district and superior court dockets through masscourts.org.

Copy fees at all Hampden County courts follow the statewide rate: $2.50 per page for certified copies and $0.05 per page for non-certified copies. Pay these fees at the clerk's window when you request copies in person.

Sheriff's Office and District Attorney

The Hampden County Sheriff's Office is at 627 Randall Road in Ludlow, MA 01056. Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi heads this office. You can reach them by phone at (413) 547-8000. The sheriff runs the county jail and house of correction. Inmate custody records are maintained by this office. For general information or inmate inquiries, visit hampdensheriff.com.

The Hampden County District Attorney's Office handles prosecution of criminal cases across all Hampden County courts. DA Anthony D. Gulluni leads this office. The DA's office is at 50 State Street in Springfield, MA 01102. Phone: (413) 747-1000. You can find general information at hampdenda.com. The DA does not provide a public case search tool, but their office can answer questions about prosecution of specific cases in Hampden County courts.

Neither the sheriff nor the DA maintains a public criminal history database. For criminal record searches, use iCORI for CORI records and MassCourts for court docket records. Those are the official public-access systems for Massachusetts criminal history information.

How to Get Hampden County Criminal Records

There are three ways to get criminal history records tied to Hampden County: through iCORI online, through the MassCourts public docket system, or by going in person to a court clerk's office in Springfield or another Hampden County court.

iCORI Online Portal: This is the state system for CORI requests. Go to icori.chs.state.ma.us to request your own criminal record or, in some cases, another person's record if you have a legal basis to do so. A personal CORI request costs $25. DCJIS typically processes online requests in 24 to 48 hours. If you prefer mail, send your request to DCJIS at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea MA 02150. Mail requests take about 10 business days. More details are at mass.gov. Background information on the CORI law is at mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-criminal-records-cori.

MassCourts Case Search: The free docket search at masscourts.org covers all Hampden County courts. You can search by full name or by docket number. Results show the charges filed, the court that handled the case, hearing dates, and how the case ended. No account is needed. Some older cases may not appear online. For those, you need to visit the clerk's office at the correct court location.

In-Person Requests: Walk into any Hampden County court clerk's office during business hours. Bring a photo ID and the name of the person or case number you are looking for. Staff can search by name and print copies on the spot. Certified copies cost $2.50 per page. Non-certified copies cost $0.05 per page. Courts are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Call ahead to confirm hours before you go, since schedules can change.

Under M.G.L. c. 6, § 172, access to CORI records depends on the type of record and who is requesting it. Open public access is available for cases with convictions and for pending cases. Dismissed cases and sealed records have limited public access. If a record has been sealed under M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A, it may not appear in a standard CORI result. For questions about CORI access rules, the DCJIS website at mass.gov/orgs/department-of-criminal-justice-information-services is the best starting point.

Cities in Hampden County

Hampden County includes 23 cities and towns. The two largest communities with individual pages on this site are Springfield and Chicopee.

Other communities in Hampden County include Agawam, Brimfield, Chester, East Longmeadow, Granville, Hampden, Holland, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Montgomery, Palmer, Russell, Southwick, Tolland, Wales, West Springfield, Westfield, and Wilbraham. Criminal cases from these towns are filed at the nearest Hampden County district court.

Nearby Counties

Hampden County borders four other Massachusetts counties. If a case was filed near a county border, check which court has jurisdiction based on the town where the offense occurred.