Plymouth County Court Records

Plymouth County court records are official documents that give detailed accounts of the judicial processes of cases filed in the county courts. These records contain key information, such as:

• Transcripts
• Motions
• Orders
• Pleadings
• Exhibits
• Judgment

Plymouth County court records promote the public’s trust in the judiciary system by providing evidence that legal proceedings were conducted in a fair and impartial manner.

Are Court Records Public in Plymouth County?

Per Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 66, the public has the right to access public records created and maintained by all governmental entities, including court records. Plymouth County court records, which are in the custody of various court clerks, are accessible to the public upon request. As required by the law, court clerks are tasked with providing copies of court records within 10 days of receiving a request.

Additionally, clerks of courts in Plymouth County are responsible for providing publicly available records to the public under the Massachusetts Trial Court Rules. While most court records are accessible and can be reproduced, the trial court rules exempt the following court records from public inspection:

• Adoption records
• Juvenile delinquency records (excluding records of youthful offender proceedings conducted pursuant to an indictment)
• Mental health examination and commitment records
• Probation records

Plymouth County Court Records Search

Plymouth County court records are available both at courthouses and remotely. It is important to note that certain records may only be provided to the requester at the courthouse, while others are accessible online. For courthouse access, requesters may visit the offices of the respective court clerks or use designated computer kiosks located at courthouses. Also, court records are available online through the Massachusetts Trial Court Case Access website.

Plymouth County Court Records Search by Name

Searching Plymouth County court records by name is a free service provided through the Massachusetts Trial Court Case Access website. This option permits the record seeker to view court records by providing the names of the parties involved in a case. To begin the search, the record seeker may select either the Plymouth District Court or Superior Court in the “Court Department” drop-down menu, then select Plymouth County as the “Court Division”. Next, select the “Name” tab, and enter the last name, first name, or company name in the required field.

Plymouth County Courts

The Plymouth County court system comprises five court departments. The county’s Superior Courts and District Courts both hear criminal and civil cases, but with different jurisdictions. Plymouth County Superior Courts handle serious criminal matters, complex civil cases, and revise the decisions of lower courts. On the other hand, District Courts hold hearings for less severe criminal cases, civil cases involving small amounts of money, and mental health cases.

Other court departments, such as the Probate and Family Court; Juvenile Courts; and Housing Courts, have more tailored jurisdictions. The Juvenile Courts focus on cases involving minors, such as truancy, abuse, and neglect. The Housing Courts handle residential housing matters, while the Probate and Family court presides over probate and family law matters including adoption, paternity, will, trust, and parenting time.

For the effective management of the county’s judicial workload, Plymouth County courts are located across multiple municipalities. Below are the locations of the courts in Plymouth County:

District Court
Brockton Trial Court
215 Main Street, Brockton, MA 02301
Phone: (508) 587-8000
Fax: (508) 583-3118

Hingham District Court
28 George Washington Blvd., Hingham, MA 02043
Phone: (781) 749-8580
Fax: (781) 749-9601

Plymouth District Court
52 Obery Street, Plymouth, MA 02360
Phone: (508) 322-4500
Fax: (508) 322-4555

Wareham District Court
2200 Cranberry Highway, West Wareham, MA 02576
Phone: (508) 295-5200
Fax: (508) 295-3198

Superior Court
Brockton Superior Court
72 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA 02301
Phone: (508) 584-8120
Fax: (508) 586-3578

Plymouth Superior Court
located inside the Plymouth Trial Court
52 Obery Street, Plymouth, MA 02360
Phone: (508) 322-4500
Fax: (508) 322-4555

Juvenile Court
Brockton Juvenile Court
215 Main Street, #270, Brockton, MA 02301
Phone: (508) 987-4900

Hingham Juvenile Court
28 George Washington Blvd., Hingham, MA 02043
Phone: (781) 741-6007

Plymouth Juvenile Court
52 Obery St., Plymouth, MA 02360
Phone: (508) 747-0858

Wareham Juvenile Court
2200 Cranberry Highway, West Wareham, MA 02576
Phone: (508) 291-8407

Housing Court
Metro South Housing Court - Brockton Session
215 Main St., Suite 160, Brockton, MA 02301
Phone: (508) 894-4170
Fax: (508) 894-4168

Southeast Housing Court - Plymouth Session
52 Obery St., Plymouth, MA 02360
Phone: (508) 747-8550
Fax: (508) 747-2017

Probate and Family Court
Register’s Office
52 Obery St., Plymouth, MA 02360
Phone: (508) 747-6204
Fax: (508) 746-6846

Plymouth County Superior Court Case Search

Cases filed in the Plymouth County Superior Courts are accessible through the Massachusetts Trial Court Access portal. Interested individuals can search for these by case number, case type, ticket number, or party name. By filling out the required fields, Plymouth County residents can search superior court cases, including:

• Equitable remedies
• Business litigations
• Torts
• Real property
• Actions involving the state or municipality
• Contract

Plymouth County District Court Records

Plymouth County District Courts have jurisdiction over certain types of criminal and civil matters. These courts are limited to handling all misdemeanors, civil actions where the amount in dispute is up to $50,000, small claims cases involving amounts up to $7,000, landlord-tenant disputes, and felony cases with the potential punishment of up to 5 years of incarceration.

To access District Court records, individuals may use the Massachusetts Trial Court Access website. This online resource provides case information for a limited number of case types, including:

• Criminal
• Civil
• Summary process
• Supplementary process
• Small claims

However, individuals visiting the courthouse can make use of designated public terminals to access the records of more cases, such as:

• Inquest
• Abuse protection order
• Environmental civil infractions
• Municipal ordinance infractions
• Marijuana/THC possession infractions

Plymouth County Criminal Records

Unlike Plymouth County arrest records, criminal records are accessible exclusively through the Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS). This is in compliance with Chapter 6, Section 167 of the Massachusetts General Laws, which defines criminal offender records information. Due to privacy protections, the Plymouth Police Department Records Division and the Sheriff’s Office are prohibited from furnishing the public with criminal records.

Name-based and fingerprint-supported criminal record checks are the two methods used to look up criminal records in Plymouth County. Name-based criminal record check, also known as Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI), allows a record seeker to access criminal records by providing the name and the date of birth of the party involved in a case. A CORI request can be made online by registering or logging into iCORI, a service provided by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Service (DCJIS). Additionally, Plymouth residents can request their own personal CORI information from the DCJIS by submitting a personal request form. Fingerprint-supported criminal record check, on the other hand, allows for matching a person’s fingerprints against those acquired by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or other states.

Plymouth County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Plymouth County residents can look up a criminal case by searching the Massachusetts Trial Court Case Access website or contacting the office of the relevant district or superior court clerk where the case was filed.

Get Plymouth County Civil Court Records

Civil court records in Plymouth County encompass documents related to civil cases heard in the county’s superior and district courts. These cases do not involve criminal charges and are simply legal disputes between two individuals or entities. In Plymouth County, civil court records are generated from cases involving:

• Contract disputes
• Family law
• Personal injury claims
• Small claims
• Evictions
• Foreclosure
• Property disputes

Plymouth County civil court records are accessible online on the Massachusetts Trial Court Access website. You may search these records with a case number, party name, or case type. Otherwise, you may visit the office of the relevant court clerk to access additional records.

Plymouth County Family Court Records

Plymouth County family court records refer to the documents generated during the legal proceedings of family law cases filed within the county. The Plymouth County Probate and Family Court maintains court records for the following family law cases:

• Adoption
• Child support
• Child custody
• Paternity
• Divorce

Plymouth County family court records are open for public inspection at the office of the probate and family court clerk from mondays through fridays during regular business hours. Also, these records are accessible on the MassCourts.org website. Interested parties can carry out their searches by following these steps:

• Select probate and family court in the court department drop-down menu
• Select Plymouth Probate and Family Court in the court division drop-down menu
• Provide a case number, case type, or party name
• Complete the required fields

Besides providing precedents on how family law cases were solved in the past, family court records provide useful insights into a county’s social history and also aid in establishing legal rights and responsibilities.

Plymouth County Marriage and Divorce Records

Plymouth County marriage records are legal documents that confirm a legal marriage between two people. Typically, they include the couple’s names, the wedding date, and the officiant’s name. In Plymouth County, city or town clerks maintain official marriage records that can only be obtained by persons who had their marriage licensed in those municipalities. However, the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) can issue certified copies of marriage records that can be received anywhere within the county.

Visiting the RVRS office during business hours is the fastest method to obtain Plymouth County marriage records. The requester can obtain each copy for a fee of $20, payable by money order, check, or cash. It is worth noting that alternative methods may take up to 20 days to fulfill record requests and may incur higher fees.

Divorce records in Plymouth County are divorce decrees and divorce certificates. While divorce certificates are issued by the state’s Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, a divorce decree refers to the court documents that finalize a divorce and is maintained by the Plymouth County Probate and Family Court. For divorces finalized after 1922, the requester can complete and submit a Request for Copies form (PFC18) with the applicable fees either in person or by mail to the courthouse.

Plymouth County historical divorce records (prior to 1922) are maintained in the state’s judicial archives and can be obtained by:

• Submitting a Court Archives Information Request Form
• Contacting the judicial archives at (617) 557-1087

Plymouth Birth and Death Records

Plymouth County birth and death records are vital records that certify births and deaths within the county. Death records contain important information about a person’s place and date of death, personal information, and cause of death, while birth records state a person’s date and place of birth, parents’ names, and their addresses. Both records are essential for maintaining accurate population statistics, aiding genealogical research, and preserving the county’s cultural and historical heritage.

Birth and death records are primarily maintained by the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS), although some records may be in the custody of town or city clerks within Plymouth County. The RVRS may only grant certain birth records to eligible persons. To obtain certified copies of Plymouth County birth and death records, the requester must be able to provide the subject’s name, place of the event, date of the event, driver’s license (even if expired), or any other government-issued photo ID. The options available for accessing any of these records include:

• Ordering records from the counter of the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in person
• Sending a completed vital records mail order form and a check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to:
  Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
  150 Mount Vernon Street
  1st Floor
  Dorchester, MA 02125

Depending on urgency and convenience, the requester may choose their preferred means of receiving records and pay the applicable fees. Additionally, the RVRS permits the research and viewing of vital records on-site at a rate of $4.50 per person for 30 minutes.

Plymouth County Probate Court Records

Plymouth County probate court records are generated from the cases administered in the Plymouth Probate and Family Court. These records document cases, including:

• Trust administration
• Estate administration
• Will contests
• Guardianship
• Conservatorship

The first step to obtaining Plymouth County probate court records is to determine whether the records are historical or recent. For in-person access to recent records, visit the office of the clerk in the probate and family court. For remote access or to get a copy of a will, simply visit the Massachusetts Trial Court Case Access website, select “probate and family court" as the court department, and select “Plymouth County" as the court division.

Most Plymouth County historic probate court records are available online. Interested parties can search indexes (1633-1967), docket books (1685-1987), file papers (1686-1881), and record books (1686-1903) by creating an account on FamilySearch. If record seekers cannot find their historic probate records online, they may contact the probate and family court or fill out and submit the Court Archives Information Request Form.

Plymouth County Property Records

The Plymouth County Registry of Deeds is the recording office in charge of property records and transactions affecting the 27 municipalities in the county. A property record in Plymouth County contain various information such as:

• Owner name(s) and mailing address
• Year built
• Lot size and building area
• Property address
• Tax information
• Encumbrances
• Assessed value
• Sales history
• Property type
• Zoning information

The Plymouth County Registry of Deeds search allows users to search property records by providing a party type, business name, or owner’s name. It also allows for an advanced search, where the user can search by town, document type, record date, and register.

Plymouth County Court Records Online

Plymouth County court records are accessible through third-party online resources such as Massachusettscourtrecords.us. These resources save time by eliminating the need to visit record custodians’ offices. They also allow users to search by additional parameters, such as cities. It is worth noting that records provided on third-party online resources may require cross-verification as they might not be up-to-date.