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 9, 2026.
Barnstable County, Massachusetts, has about 233,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Barnstable 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, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Barnstable County public records, Barnstable County arrest records, Barnstable County warrants, Barnstable County inmate search, Barnstable County criminal records, Massachusetts arrest records and Massachusetts inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Barnstable County
In Barnstable County, the Barnstable County Superior Court hears felonies and civil cases over $50,000.
Below it, 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 Barnstable County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at mass.gov/locations/barnstable-district-court (page title: Barnstable District Court), phone (508) 375-6778, 3195 Main St., Barnstable, MA 02630, Monday - Friday: 8:30 am-4:30 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 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 Barnstable County
Together, the 14 agencies in Barnstable County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,650 arrests to the FBI that year; the District Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Barnstable County Superior Court or the District Court and Boston Municipal Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at capeandislandsda.gov/m/directory/department?did=6 (page title: Staff Directory, Cape & Islands District Attorney's Office (CIDAO)), phone (508) 362-8113, 3231 Main Street Barnstable, MA 02630, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 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 Barnstable County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Barnstable County criminal records, Barnstable County divorce records, Barnstable County traffic tickets, Barnstable County DUI and Barnstable County property records.
Cities in Barnstable County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Barnstable County Superior Court or the District Court and Boston Municipal Court.
The one city in the county is Barnstable Town.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Barnstable County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at mass.gov/locations/barnstable-district-court, phone (508) 375-6778. Statewide, masscourts.org is the Massachusetts Trial Court's free online case search.
Which court hears felonies in Barnstable County?
The Barnstable 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 Barnstable County?
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 Barnstable County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.