Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, with about 95,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are split between the city and the county. The city keeps council records and its own licenses and permits; court cases, jail bookings and deeds are county or state records. This guide names the Fall River offices SearchSystems verified, links to each one's own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 3 city office pages for Fall River, every one opened and checked.
In this guide: City or county, City Clerk, City Hall, Records requests, Other cities and Questions.
City or county record: where Fall River records are kept
- Kept by the City of Fall River: council and board meeting records; ordinances; the city's own licenses and permits; birth, death and marriage records; and property assessments.
- Kept by Bristol County or the state: court cases, jail bookings and deeds. These are not city records; they are in the Bristol County public records guide under court records, jail lookups and property records.
Fall River City Clerk: council records and vital records
The City Clerk keeps the official records of the city government: council and board agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions, and the city's contracts and other official documents. In Massachusetts, the city clerk also keeps birth, death and marriage records for events in the city. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for Fall River.
- Website: fallriverma.gov/departments/city_clerk/public_records/index.php (page title: Welcome to Fall River, Massachusetts)
- Phone: 508-324-2732
- Address: 140 Commerce Drive Fall River, MA 02720
- Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Fall River City Hall: departments, licenses and permits
Business licenses, building permits, code enforcement cases and the city's other records are kept by the department that issued them. The city's own website below lists its departments and how to reach them.
- Website: fallriverma.gov/how_do_i/contact.php (page title: Welcome to Fall River, Massachusetts)
- Phone: (508) 324-2000
- Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Fall River
Massachusetts public records law applies to the city government of Fall River. The city runs one records request page for its departments; it is the page below, verified by SearchSystems. A request that names a date, an address, or a report or case number is the easiest to answer.
- Website: fallriverma.gov/departments/city_clerk/public_records/rao_contact_i... (page title: Welcome to Fall River, Massachusetts)
- Phone: 508-324-2650
- Address: 140 Commerce Drive Fall River, MA 02720
- Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
A record the request page does not cover is asked for from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records.
Other cities and towns in Bristol County
SearchSystems has a guide like this one for these other cities and towns in Bristol County. The Bristol County public records guide covers the records the county keeps for all of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Fall River website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Fall River offices listed above, and the city's own website is fallriverma.gov; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
Where do I find Fall River city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at fallriverma.gov, phone 508-324-2732. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions, and birth, death and marriage records for events in the city.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Fall River?
Fall River cases are heard by the courts that serve Bristol County, and people arrested in Fall River are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the Bristol County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from Fall River?
Through the city's records request page at fallriverma.gov, phone 508-324-2650. A record it does not cover is requested from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records.