Worcester Felony Records
Worcester felony records are filed and maintained at the Worcester Superior Court and Worcester District Court, both located at 225 Main Street in the heart of the city. As Massachusetts' second-largest city and the county seat of Worcester County, Worcester processes a substantial volume of criminal cases each year, and most of those records are available to the public through the state court system and the CORI program.
Worcester Overview
Worcester Courts That Handle Felony Cases
Two courts sit at 225 Main Street in Worcester and handle criminal cases at different levels. The Worcester District Court at that address, phone (508) 831-2000, handles arraignments, misdemeanors, and lower-level felonies. More serious felony charges move to the Worcester Superior Court, also at 225 Main Street, reachable at (508) 770-1880. The Superior Court is where felony trials and sentencing happen for the most serious charges.
The Worcester District Court handles arraignments, bail hearings, and preliminary proceedings for all criminal matters. If a case involves a felony charge carrying a sentence of more than two and a half years, it will generally transfer to Superior Court for trial. The distinction matters when you search for records because each court maintains its own docket.
| Worcester Superior Court | 225 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 |
|---|---|
| Superior Court Phone | (508) 770-1880 |
| Worcester District Court | 225 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 |
| District Court Phone | (508) 831-2000 |
| Court Records Online | masscourts.org |
The Worcester County Superior Court page on mass.gov has current hours, directions, and contact details. The Worcester District Court page does the same for district-level matters. Both pages are maintained by the Massachusetts Trial Court.
Searching Worcester Felony Records Online
The official online source for Worcester court records is masscourts.org. This free state portal covers both Worcester courts. You can search by party name or case number. The system returns charging information, docket entries, scheduled hearing dates, and final dispositions. Most felony cases from recent years appear in the database, though older paper records may require an in-person visit.
Beyond the state portal, you can also search records at the Worcester District Court clerk's office in person. The clerk can pull up case files that may not yet be digitized. For the most complete picture of someone's criminal history in Worcester, combining an online search on masscourts.org with a direct clerk inquiry is the best approach.
Below is an image from the Worcester District Court page, the official starting point for district-level criminal record searches in Worcester.
The District Court handles first appearances in nearly all Worcester felony cases, making its docket an important starting point for any criminal records search.
Worcester Police Records and Arrest Information
The Worcester Police Department is at 9-11 Lincoln Square, Worcester, MA 01608. The main line is (508) 799-8600. The Records Division is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. To get a copy of a police report or arrest record from WPD, you can visit in person, submit a public records request form, provide valid ID, and pay any applicable fees.
Worcester also offers an online records portal for public records requests. Submitting a formal written request is the standard method for obtaining police reports connected to felony investigations. State law requires a response within 10 business days. If records are withheld in whole or in part, the agency must explain why and cite the applicable exemption under Massachusetts public records law.
The Worcester City Clerk is at 455 Main Street, Room 102, Worcester, MA 01608. Phone: (508) 799-1127. The City Clerk handles certain municipal records but is not the primary office for criminal case records. For criminal history, the courts and DCJIS are the right places to go.
CORI Access for Worcester Criminal Records
Massachusetts maintains criminal history through the CORI system, run by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services. DCJIS is at 200 Arlington Street, Chelsea, MA 02150, phone (617) 660-4600. CORI records cover statewide criminal history, including all Worcester felony convictions and pending charges. The system is the authoritative source for official criminal background information.
Under MGL Chapter 6, you have the right to request your own CORI for $25, with a waiver available if you cannot afford the fee. The standard felony lookback is 10 years. Murder and sex offense convictions have no time limit and will always appear. Non-convictions and dismissed charges may show up in some circumstances depending on how much time has passed.
The county records image below shows a Worcester County felony records resource used by the court system and sheriff's office.
The Worcester County Sheriff and court system work together to process and document the full lifecycle of felony cases from arrest through final disposition.
Sealing Worcester Felony Records
If you have an old Worcester felony conviction, you may be able to seal it. MGL Chapter 276, Section 100A allows sealing after seven years from the conviction or release date, whichever is later. Once sealed, the record no longer shows up in most CORI checks. However, sealed records can still be seen by courts, law enforcement, and certain state agencies.
To petition for sealing a Worcester felony case, you file at the court where the case was decided. That means filing at Worcester Superior Court if the case went to trial there, or at Worcester District Court for matters that stayed at the district level. There is no fee to petition for sealing. After court approval, DCJIS updates the state record.
MassLegalHelp has guides on the sealing process and CORI rights that apply throughout Worcester and the rest of the state. Greater Boston Legal Services also covers CORI issues and can point Worcester residents to local legal aid organizations that handle record-sealing petitions.
Worcester In-Person Records Access
You can visit either courthouse at 225 Main Street to access Worcester felony records in person. The clerk's offices at both the Superior Court and District Court can look up cases by name or case number and provide copies from the case file. Bring a valid photo ID. Fees apply for copies. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. Call ahead to the relevant clerk's office to find out current fees and what documents are available for the case you're researching.
For older Worcester felony cases that predate the online docket system, in-person visits are often the only practical option. The clerks can tell you whether a specific old case is in the physical archive and what it would take to retrieve it. Processing time for older record requests can be longer than for recent digital cases.
Nearby Cities
These nearby Massachusetts cities also have felony records resources and court access information.
Worcester County Felony Records
Worcester is the county seat of Worcester County, and the county-level page covers court resources, sheriff information, and county-wide felony record details.