Search Massachusetts Busted Mugshots

Massachusetts busted mugshots come from police departments and sheriff offices across all 14 counties in the state. Booking photos are taken at the time of arrest and held by the agency that made the arrest. You can look up these records through the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, local police records divisions, and county sheriff offices. The state has its own system called CORI that tracks criminal records statewide. Each city and town keeps its own arrest logs too. This page helps you find busted mugshots in Massachusetts from the right source, fast.

Massachusetts Busted Mugshots and the CORI System

The state runs its criminal records through a system called CORI. That stands for Criminal Offender Record Information. The Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, or DCJIS, manages it from their office at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, in Chelsea. You can reach them at (617) 660-4600. CORI tracks felony and misdemeanor convictions, pending charges, and some older offenses. It does not track arrests that never led to charges. It also leaves out juvenile cases and out-of-state crimes. When you search for busted mugshots in Massachusetts, CORI is one place to start, but it is not the only one.

The iCORI online system went live in May 2012. It lets you submit requests and pay by credit card. Results come back in minutes to days. The system runs all day, every day for users who sign up. A personal CORI request costs $25 and shows your full history, even sealed records marked as sealed. Public access requests cost $50 and show less. They only list felonies from the past two years after release and misdemeanors from the past year. You can also do a free self-audit once every 90 days. That shows who has looked at your CORI and why.

The iCORI portal from DCJIS is where most people start when they want to check Massachusetts busted mugshots through official state channels.

CORI records contain court data only. They show felony convictions from the last 10 years and misdemeanor convictions from the last 5 years. Murder, manslaughter, and sex offenses show up no matter how old they are, unless a court sealed them. Pending charges also appear, including cases continued without a finding. But CORI does not hold arrest reports, mugshots, restraining orders, or DCF reports. For those, you need to go to the police department or court that handled the case.

How to Get Busted Mugshots in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has a strong public records law. Under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10, every person who holds public records must let anyone look at them within a fair time frame. That includes mugshots. Agencies must reply within 10 business days. The first two hours of search time are free. After that, they can charge up to $25 per hour. Black and white copies cost $0.05 per page. Color copies are $0.10. Electronic copies go out at the actual cost of the media, like a CD or USB drive.

In 2020, the Supreme Judicial Court made a big ruling about busted mugshots in Massachusetts. The case was Boston Globe Media Partners v. DCJIS. The court said mugshots are public records. Police cannot hold them back just by pointing to the CORI Act. The CORI exemption only covers data compiled by a criminal justice agency that ties to the nature or outcome of a charge. Mugshots taken before charges start are public. This means you can request booking photos from the agency that took them.

To get busted mugshots, you need to know which agency made the arrest. Send a written request to their Records Access Officer. Give the name, date of birth, date of arrest, and location. If they deny your request, you can appeal to the Supervisor of Public Records. The law backs you up here. M.G.L. c. 4, § 7(26) defines what counts as a public record and lists the exemptions. Most busted mugshots in Massachusetts do not fall under any exemption.

Massachusetts Busted Mugshots Court Records

The Massachusetts Trial Court electronic case access system is free to use. No sign-up needed. You can search by case number, case type, or citation number. It covers District Courts, Superior Courts, Boston Municipal Court, Housing Court, Land Court, and Probate and Family Court. The system shows real-time docket data. But there is a catch. You cannot search criminal cases by name. That is a privacy rule. You need the case number to pull up a criminal case online.

Case numbers follow set formats. District cases look like 1153CV000005. Superior cases use 1473CV00213. Boston Municipal uses 1504CV000002. If you have the case number, you can track the full docket. Full documents are not online though. Juvenile cases and sealed records stay out of the system. For the actual documents tied to busted mugshots in Massachusetts, you need to visit the court clerk in person or send a written request.

The court search guide on mass.gov walks through how to use the system step by step.

Sealing and Expunging Busted Mugshots Records

Massachusetts lets people seal or expunge criminal records under certain rules. Sealing hides the record from most searches. The record still exists, but access is cut off. Misdemeanor convictions can be sealed 5 years after conviction or release under M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A. Felonies take 10 years. You file a petition with the court that heard the case. Non-conviction records like dismissals and acquittals now seal on their own under M.G.L. c. 276, § 100C, which took effect in March 2024. That means if charges were dropped, busted mugshots tied to those charges may no longer show in most searches.

Expungement is different. It wipes the record out for good. But it is hard to get. Massachusetts only allows expungement when the arrest involved false identification, a law enforcement error, identity theft, or an offense that is no longer a crime. Marijuana possession cases got special treatment. Governor Healey issued a one-time pardon in March 2024 for simple possession convictions before that date. Most of those records were updated on their own. Pardon papers are available on request.

Massachusetts State Police Busted Mugshots

The Massachusetts State Police keep their own arrest records and mugshots separate from local departments. If a state trooper made the arrest, the records sit with MSP, not the local police. You submit a public records request to the State Police Records Access Officer. The same 10-day rule applies. MSP handles arrests on highways, at state properties, and in cases that cross city or county lines.

For busted mugshots from a personal CORI check, you can submit a request through the mass.gov individual CORI request page. You need a valid Massachusetts driver's license or state ID to use the online system. The fee is $25. Results show your complete criminal history in Massachusetts. This is useful if you want to see what shows up under your name before someone else runs a check.

How Long Massachusetts Keeps Busted Mugshots

Record retention rules in Massachusetts set clear time frames under M.G.L. c. 66, § 8. Felony arrest reports stay on file for good. Misdemeanor arrest reports last 10 years. Booking photos are kept at least 10 years. Fingerprint cards last 100 years. Police daily logs stick around for 7 years at minimum. Court records follow their own rules. Felony case files are kept forever. Misdemeanor case files stay for 20 years after the case closes. Search warrants last 10 years past their execution date.

These time frames matter when you search for busted mugshots in Massachusetts. Older misdemeanor records may no longer exist. Felony records almost always do. Each agency follows these rules, but some keep records longer than required. If you are looking for an old arrest, check with the specific department. They can tell you if the record is still on file.

Requesting Busted Mugshots by Mail

You can send a written public records request to any agency in Massachusetts. Address it to the Records Access Officer. State what you want clearly. Give the type of record, the name of the person, the date of the arrest, the location, and the case number if you have it. Say how you want to get the records back. Pick from email, mail, or in-person pickup. Mention M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 in your letter. Ask for a fee estimate if charges will pass $50. The agency must respond within 10 business days.

Many agencies now take requests online too. Boston uses an email system through their public records office. Springfield has a NextRequest portal. Other cities accept email or walk-in requests at their records division. For busted mugshots in Massachusetts, the process is the same no matter which agency holds the file. Put your request in writing, be specific, and give them time to respond.

Browse Massachusetts Busted Mugshots by County

Each county in Massachusetts has a sheriff's office and multiple courts that handle arrest records. Pick a county below to find local contact info, mugshot request details, and resources for that area.

View All 14 Counties

Busted Mugshots in Major Massachusetts Cities

City police departments keep their own arrest records and booking photos. Pick a city to learn how to search for busted mugshots in that area.

View Major Massachusetts Cities