Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Boston, Massachusetts, in Suffolk County, has about 673,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Suffolk County Superior Court and the District Court and Boston Municipal Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of Courts, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Boston public records, Suffolk County court records, Boston arrest records, Boston warrants, Boston inmate search, Boston criminal records, Massachusetts arrest records and Massachusetts inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Boston
Court cases from Boston are filed in the Suffolk County Superior Court, which hears felonies and civil cases over $50,000.
The District Court and Boston Municipal Court take misdemeanors, traffic cases, small claims and civil cases up to $50,000.
Divorces go to the Probate and Family Court, and the file stays with the Register of Probate.
The Clerk of Courts keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Massachusetts Public Records Law.
Looking Up a Case from Boston
For Suffolk County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at mass.gov/locations/suffolk-county-superior-court (page title: Suffolk County Superior Court), phone (617) 788-7794, Monday - Friday: 8:30 am-4:30 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Statewide, masscourts.org is the Massachusetts Trial Court's free online case search.
The Massachusetts court page SearchSystems verified is at mass.gov/info-details/how-to-search-court-dockets.
What Reaches the Court from Boston
Together, the four agencies in Suffolk County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 9,323 arrests to the FBI that year; the District Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Suffolk County Superior Court or the District Court and Boston Municipal Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at suffolkcountyda.org (page title: Suffolk County District Attorney's Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 2, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Boston guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Boston criminal records, Boston divorce records, Boston traffic tickets, Boston DUI and Boston property records.
More Official Court Pages for Suffolk County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Suffolk County and Massachusetts. These court pages from its Suffolk County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Court contact information (mass.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Boston?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at mass.gov, phone (617) 788-7794. Statewide, masscourts.org is the Massachusetts Trial Court's free online case search.
Which court hears felonies in Boston?
The Suffolk County Superior Court, which hears felonies and civil cases over $50,000. The District Court and Boston Municipal Court take misdemeanors, traffic cases, small claims and civil cases up to $50,000.
Who keeps the court records in Boston?
The Clerk of Courts. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Massachusetts?
Yes: masscourts.org, the Massachusetts Trial Court's free online case search.
Is this the official Boston website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.