ByA Mark

How to Search Court Dockets: Accessing Trial Court Case Information in Massachusetts

If you’re in need of trial court case docket information in Massachusetts, you’re in luck. The Massachusetts Trial Court provides a user-friendly electronic platform called the eAccess Portal, which allows you to access public court docket information with ease. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of accessing this valuable resource and how to effectively search for case information.

Where can I access the portals?

At a courthouse

To access the intranet portal, you’ll need a public terminal computer, which you can find at any Massachusetts courthouse or County Registry of Deeds sites. Trial Court case information is available at designated public access computers located in District, Boston Municipal, Probate and Family, Superior, Housing, and Land Courts and County Registry of Deeds sites.

At home

To access the internet portal, you can use any computer that has access to the internet. Please note that there is also an attorney portal available for Massachusetts attorneys.

Logging in to the eAccess Internet Portal

  1. Go to www.masscourts.org. You’ll be directed to the Massachusetts Trial Court Electronic Case Access home page.
  2. Be sure to read the important notice about eAccess.
  3. Click the button to search public records, which is labeled “Click here to search public records.”
  4. Complete the Search fields:a. In the Court Department box, select your court department.b. In the Court Division box, select your court division.c. In the Court Location box, the court location automatically fills.d. (Optional) In the Number of Results box, change the number of results that you’d like to see on each page.
  5. After you complete the Court fields, the search tabs appear. Each tab gives you different search options.

Using the name search tab (Civil Cases Only)

  1. Complete the following fields: a. Last Name: Enter the last name, formatting it with an initial capital letter followed by lowercase letters. The system requires two characters.b. First Name: Enter the first name, formatting it with an initial capital letter followed by lowercase letters. The system requires one character.c. Company Name: If a company is involved, enter the company instead of the last name and first name of a party.For the quickest search results, do not modify the optional parameters listed below.d. (Optional) Case Type: To limit the search by case type, select the case type from the Case Type selection box.e. (Optional) Case Status: To limit the search by case status, select the case status from the Case Status selection box.f. (Optional) Party Type: To limit the search by party type, select the party type from the Party Type selection box.g. (Optional) Date of Birth Search Range: Click the calendar icons to select dates.h. (Optional) Date of Death Search Range: Click the calendar icons to select dates.i. (Optional) File Date Search Range: Click the calendar icons to select dates.
  2. Click Search. Skip to the Accessing Public Case Information section on this page.

Using the case type search tab (Tip: To search for cases initiated between certain dates, choose the Case Type tab)

  1. Click the Case Type Search tab.
  2. Complete the following fields:a. Begin Date field: Click the calendar icon to select the desired starting date.b. End Date field: Click the calendar icon to select the desired ending date.The date range cannot exceed one month.c. Case Type: In the Case Type selection box, select the desired case type.d. City/Town: In general, leave “All Cities” as the selection. Land Court users can optionally select a city or town.
  3. Click Search. Skip to the Accessing Public Case Information section on this page.

Using the case number search tab (Tip: If you know the case number (also known as the docket number), clicking the Case Number tab to search by case number is the easiest way to find your case.)

  1. Click the Case Number Search tab.
  2. Complete the Case Number field. If you enter this number, it must be an exact match, with correct capitalization, spacing, and leading zeros. For example:Land 07 TL 134560Probate & Family PL14E0125QCDistrict 1153CV000005Housing 08H77SP000890BMC 1504CV000002Superior 1473CV00213

Click the hyperlinks to see more examples of case numbers for each court.

  1. Click Search.

Accessing public case information

The search results look similar to the screenshot pictured below.

If you don’t see your case immediately, take the following steps.

  1. In the lower left, find the total results retrieved and the number of items displayed per page.

Please note that the system displays a maximum of 100 records for each search, so you’ll need to narrow your search criteria if you can’t see all of the records in the selected range.

  1. In the lower right, you see a navigation bar.

Use the navigation bar to navigate through the pages.

  1. Click the column headers to sort the search results.

Tip: The red up/down arrows next to the column headers indicate ascending/descending order.

Each retrieved record represents a party in a case. Therefore, case numbers may appear multiple times in the search results.

To get more information about the case, click the case hyperlink.

Printing

In the upper-right, click the print icon.

Reporting errors

If you see an error in the case data, please:

  1. Click Request for Correction, complete the Request for Correction form, and save the form as a PDF.
  2. Email the Request for Correction PDF to the court department email address.

You can also print the Request for Correction form and mail it to the court or bring it to the court in person. See Courthouse Locator.

Conclusion

Accessing trial court case docket information in Massachusetts has never been easier thanks to the eAccess Portal. Whether you’re at a courthouse or in the comfort of your own home, you can access the information you need efficiently and conveniently. If you encounter any errors, the court provides a straightforward process for correction.

FAQs

  1. Is eAccess available to the general public?Yes, eAccess is available to the general public for accessing trial court case information.
  2. Can I access case documents through eAccess?Depending on the court department and case type, you may be able to see case documents. For the official public record of the Trial Court, including hard copies of case documents, visit the Clerk, Register, or Recorder’s office where the case was filed.
  3. Are there any limitations to remote access to court records?Yes, there are limitations outlined in the Uniform Rules on Public Access to Court Records Rule 5: Remote access to electronic court records. Be sure to review these rules for details.
  4. How can I report errors in the case data?To report errors, click “Request for Correction” and follow the provided process.
  5. Is there a dedicated portal for attorneys?Yes, Massachusetts attorneys have access to a dedicated attorney portal known as the eAccess Attorney Portal.