How Background Checks Work in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is an open-check state: anyone can run a name-based search of Massachusetts records through Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) — the iCORI, for a fee, without the subject's consent.

  • Your own record: every state, Massachusetts included, lets you obtain your own criminal history from Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) — usually by fingerprints — to review or correct it before an employer sees it.
  • Checking someone else: use the public name-search — it returns Massachusetts convictions to any requester for a fee.
  • Employment screening: a hiring background check is a consumer report under the federal FCRA — it requires the applicant's written consent, uses a consumer reporting agency (not this state lookup), and gives the applicant dispute rights. Official state checks and FCRA reports are different tools.
  • Federal layer: the FBI's Identity History Summary covers records reported nationwide — fingerprint-based, for your own record only. Federal court cases live separately on PACER.

Massachusetts opens standard iCORI access to anyone who registers — results are tiered by who's asking, an unusual design. Content reviewed July 29, 2026 by the SearchSystems editorial team.

Official Channels

Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) — iCORI
Official
The state's public name-search: anyone can check Massachusetts conviction records for a fee.
🌐 mass.gov
FBI — Identity History Summary Check
Official
Your own nationwide record, fingerprint-based, direct from the FBI or an approved channeler. The only check that crosses every state line.
🌐 fbi.gov
PACER — Federal Court Records
Official
Federal criminal cases never appear in state checks. PACER covers every US District Court; small per-page fees, waived under $30 a quarter.
🌐 pacer.uscourts.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run a background check on someone else in Massachusetts?
Yes — the state's name-search is open to any requester for a fee. For employment decisions, though, federal law requires an FCRA process with the person's written consent.
What shows up — arrests or convictions?
Depends on the channel. Public-facing checks lean toward convictions and pending cases; non-conviction arrests are increasingly restricted, and the FCRA bars them from employment reports after seven years.
How far back do checks go?
Convictions generally stay on the record unless sealed or expunged. What a given Massachusetts check *shows* can be narrower than what exists — sealed and expunged records are removed from public results.
Are the free 'instant background check' websites accurate?
They're data brokers reselling scraped records — often stale, often mismatched on common names, and unlawful to use for hiring. Official sources on this page are the record.

Related Massachusetts Records

The Massachusetts criminal records page lists every official database behind these checks, the Massachusetts inmate search covers who's in custody now, and Massachusetts court records hold the case files themselves.