Essex County, MA Courts and Public Records

The Essex County Superior Court Clerk's Office in Salem keeps the county's Superior Court records and handles felonies and larger civil cases. Probate and Family Court, District Court, and Juvenile Court also handle matters arising in Essex County, as departments of the Massachusetts Trial Court.

Have the full name, the case number if you know it, and the approximate dates ready before you search. Superior Court records are kept by the Superior Court Clerk's Office in Salem.

Essex County courts handled an estimated 83,131 new cases in FY 2024 and disposed of an estimated 80,822. The estimate scales Massachusetts statewide totals by the county's share of state population.

The largest category movement was in civil filings. Figures marked with ~ are estimates: Massachusetts statewide figures scaled by Essex County's 11.55% share of the state population.

Estimated total filings in Essex County moved up over the last five years; dispositions are estimated at a similar level.

Estimated filings changed +0.4% between FY 2020 and FY 2024, from 82,769 to 83,131. The largest annual change was -24.7% in FY 2021. The latest change of +2.9% reflects statewide Massachusetts trends. Figures marked with ~ are estimates: Massachusetts statewide figures scaled by Essex County's 11.55% share of the state population.

District Court filings were the largest category in fiscal year 2024, at 76.6% of the 86,180 filings in Essex County.

District Court filings grew fastest at +14.2%, while Juvenile Court filings fell fastest at -8.3%.

Essex County is estimated to account for about 11.55% of the 720,000 cases filed in Massachusetts courts in FY 2024.

These county values are estimates built from statewide Massachusetts figures, so they track the state mix by design. Actual county dockets may differ. Figures marked with ~ are estimates: Massachusetts statewide figures scaled by Essex County's 11.55% share of the state population.

These figures are Massachusetts statewide totals reported to the FBI by state agencies, and county-level crime counts are not included, so they do not describe Essex County alone. Statewide violent crimes fell 1.1% to 22,601 in 2024 and property crimes fell 0.1% to 80,142.

Rates use the 2024 Massachusetts population of 7,136,171 for both years. Only violent and property totals are available, so offense detail such as homicide or burglary is not shown. No county rate is available here, so the county cannot be compared with the state on crime rates.

Essex County has 5 listed court locations in Salem, Lawrence, and Newburyport. Check your notice or summons for the department and courtroom before you go.

Each Trial Court department handles different matters in Essex County, and federal cases go to the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts.

Yes, most court records in Essex County are public, with exceptions set by Massachusetts Trial Court rules and state law.

Public records

Most civil, criminal, and family court case information held by the Trial Court is open to the public, subject to the court's access rules. Court records can be requested from the clerk's office that keeps them.

Restricted or confidential records

Sealed and impounded records, juvenile delinquency and care and protection cases, adoption records, and criminal offender record information (CORI) are not publicly available through the court. Ask the clerk before assuming a record is open.

Online access

MassCourts is the statewide public case search. It shows basic case information and scheduled court dates, but it is not complete court files and it is not limited to Essex County.

In-person access

Visit the Superior Court Clerk's Office at 56 Federal St., Salem, MA 01970, to ask about records it keeps. Call (978) 744-5500 to confirm which office holds your record, since Probate and Family Court records are kept by that court.

Fees

The sources for this county do not list record or copy fees, so ask the clerk before you request copies.

Search Essex County court cases online through MassCourts, and ask the court for documents that are not available online.

1. Identify the case type, such as criminal, traffic, civil, small claims, family law, probate, or juvenile.
2. Open MassCourts (masscourts.org), the statewide public case search.
3. Search by party name or case number and note the case number in the results.
4. Review the case information and scheduled court dates shown.
5. Call (978) 744-5500 for documents or records that are not online.

The payment routes below are the ones the available court information supports for Essex County.

1. Online: Use ePay in the Courts, the Trial Court's payment service named on mass.gov. Search mass.gov for ePay in the Courts to find it.
2. Phone: Call (978) 744-5500 for the Superior Court Clerk's Office and ask how to pay. Ask which payment types are accepted.
3. In person: Visit the clerk's office at 56 Federal St., Salem, MA 01970, and ask how to pay before you go.

Parking tickets are handled by the city or agency that issued them, not by the Trial Court. Traffic citations are heard in District Court, and fines in criminal cases are paid through the court where the case is pending.