Lowell Busted Mugshots
Lowell busted mugshots are kept by the Lowell Police Department at 1 JFK Plaza. The city has about 115,000 people and sits in the northern part of Middlesex County near the New Hampshire border. All booking photos and arrest reports from Lowell go through the police Records Division. Criminal cases move to the Middlesex County court system after the arrest. You can search for Lowell busted mugshots by contacting the police, checking state court records online, or running a CORI record check through the state portal.
Lowell Overview
Lowell Police Department Records
The Lowell Police Department handles all busted mugshots and arrest records for the city. The Records Division at (978) 937-3254 is the main contact for booking photo requests. You can submit your request in person at the station, by mail, or by email. Include the full name of the person, the arrest date, and any case number you have. Specific requests get faster results.
Under M.G.L. c. 66 § 10, the department must respond within 10 business days. Copies cost $0.05 per page. The first two hours of search time are free, and anything beyond that can be charged at up to $25 per hour. The 2020 Supreme Judicial Court ruling confirmed that busted mugshots are public records in Massachusetts. Police cannot refuse to release them by citing the CORI exemption. This applies to Lowell just like every other city in the state.
| Department | Lowell Police Department |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 JFK Plaza Lowell, MA 01852 |
| Phone | (978) 937-3200 |
| Records | (978) 937-3254 |
| Website | lowellma.gov/police |
The Lowell Police website has details on their services. For walk-in requests, bring a valid photo ID. The front desk can help you start the records request process during business hours.
Lowell Court Records and Case Lookup
After an arrest in Lowell, the case goes to court in Middlesex County. Lowell District Court handles most misdemeanors and preliminary hearings. Felony cases may move to Middlesex Superior Court. The Massachusetts Trial Court eCourt system lets you search case dockets for free online. You need a case number for criminal lookups. Name searches only work on civil cases.
Court records show charges, hearing dates, and case outcomes. They do not include busted mugshots. For the booking photo, go through the Lowell Police Records Division. The court search guide explains how to use the eCourt system. If you have a case number from a Lowell arrest, the docket will tell you what charges were filed and how the case ended.
The Middlesex County Sheriff's Office handles the county jail. People detained after arrest in Lowell may go through the county facility in Billerica. The Middlesex Sheriff website has more info. The sheriff keeps separate booking records from the police.
Lowell Daily Arrest Logs
Under M.G.L. c. 41 § 98F, Lowell police must keep a daily log of all arrests. The log shows the name of the arrested person, the date, the charge, and the location. It is public. You can view it at the police station during normal hours. The log does not have busted mugshots, but it gives you the details you need to file a request for the booking photo.
The daily log is a good starting point when you know an arrest happened in Lowell but do not have a case number or exact date. Staff at the front desk can help you find what you need. If you want more than just the log entry, submit a formal public records request for the full arrest report and booking photo.
Note: Lowell police daily logs must be available for public inspection during regular business hours at the station.
Lowell CORI Checks
The iCORI portal covers Lowell arrests as part of the state criminal records system. Public access costs $25 per check. It shows recent felonies and misdemeanors from court data. CORI does not have busted mugshots. It only includes charges and case outcomes. Under M.G.L. c. 6 §§ 167 through 178B, the system is managed by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services.
You can also request your own CORI for $25. A self-audit is free once every 90 days. Lowell residents who want to seal old records can petition the court under M.G.L. c. 276 § 100A. Misdemeanors need five years from conviction or release. Felonies need ten. Non-conviction records now seal automatically for cases after March 2024. The state sealing page has the forms and steps.
Sealing Lowell Busted Mugshots
People with arrests in Lowell can petition to seal their criminal records including busted mugshots. Under M.G.L. c. 276 § 100A, misdemeanors can be sealed five years after conviction or release. Felonies take ten years. Once sealed, the busted mugshot and arrest data no longer appear in public searches or standard CORI checks. There is no fee to file a sealing petition with the court.
Non-conviction records from after March 2024 seal automatically under § 100C. For older dismissals and acquittals in Lowell, you still need to file a petition with the court where the case was heard. Expungement is only for cases involving false identification, law enforcement error, identity theft, or offenses that are no longer crimes. If a record is expunged, all files including the busted mugshot are destroyed permanently. The state sealing page has all the forms you need to get started.
Note: Lowell District Court handles sealing petitions for misdemeanor cases heard in that court.
Middlesex County Busted Mugshots
Lowell is in Middlesex County, the most populated county in Massachusetts. The county court system processes criminal cases from Lowell and dozens of other cities and towns. For countywide arrest records and court resources, visit the Middlesex County busted mugshots page.
Nearby Cities
Lawrence is north of Lowell in Essex County, and both cities have their own police departments with separate arrest records and busted mugshots.