Massachussetts Background Check


Conduct a thorough criminal background check in Massachussetts by searching criminal history, Massachussetts court records, find current past addresses, check Massachussetts prison, jail inmate records, and Massachussetts department of corrections records. Also check Massachusetts professional licenses and other credentials.



Free Background Check in Massachussetts

Search for personal and corporate assets and property, business and professional licenses in Massachusetts

General Guidelines for Requesting Criminal Records

After the application for CORI access is approved, the certified agency will receive information about how to request CORI. Requests by certified agencies must be submitted electronically through a secure online program known as Web-CORI. For a summary of the Web-CORI program, please see the following presentation: https://www.mass.gov/Eeops/docs/chsb/web_cori_overview_presentation.pdf pdf format of    web_cori_overview_presentation.pdf  No mail, fax or walk-in service is available.

When submitting a CORI request, the requestor (certified agency) is:

  • affirming that CORI is being used as a final step in the process of screening current or prospective staff persons, volunteers, or other applicants; and
  • submitting the request only where such candidates are otherwise qualified in all respects; and
  • attesting that the requests for CORI are being submitted in accordance with the current certification only, and that the appropriate degree of access has been selected for the names submitted, should the organization be certified to receive more than one type of access; and
  • affirming that signed authorizations from those individuals whose CORI is being requested are on file or otherwise available, unless specifically exempted by statute.

Pursuant to new legislation effective July 1, 2004 amending M.G.L.c.6, §172A, the fees for CORI requests are amended to the following:

  • Non-governmental certified agencies: $15.00
  • Personal Requests for CORI: $25.00
  • Third Party Authorization/Advocate: $25.00
  • Public Request for CORI: $30.00
  • Attorney Request (court order) for CORI: $30.00
  • Governmental certified agencies: $ 0.00
  • Fee-waived agencies: $ 0.00

Effective July 1, 2004, CORI requests submitted without the appropriate fee will be returned to the requestor. All fees must be made payable by check or moneyorder to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. All organizations are liable for payment and any late fees that may result from non-payment. All fees collected are deposited into the Commonwealth's General Fund, and are not refundable for any reason.

Fee Exemption Process for Certified Agencies

If the applicant is not a government agency, is already certified, and meets the requirements listed below, a fee exemption may be requested from this agency.The request should be submitted on agency letterhead and specifically address all three of the criteria listed below. Enclose any documentation that supports the request.



What Is an Massachussetts Background Check?

An Massachussetts Background Check offers a comprehensive search in public records for:

  • Vital records, like births, deaths, marriages, and divorces
  • Current contact information and previous addresses
  • Criminal records, convictions and prison records or sex offender registration
  • Civil court filings, like civil judgments
  • Tax liens and bankruptcies
  • Records of real estate ownership and registered assets
  • Professional and business licenses

Massachussetts background check is available through the state or through premium data aggregation services who conduct public record data searches and provide you with a report.. Each state, and sometimes each county, has different rules on how much information is available and who can access background check data. Therefore a background check may still not contain every record about a person, however in most cases it is very thorough. Most premium background check services use multiple databases of public records in order to provide you with their background reports.


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