Reviewed and updated October 11, 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.
Essex County is a county in Massachusetts with about 824,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values, vital records and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 5 county office pages for Essex County, every one opened and checked, and lists 1 more whose site blocks automated checks.
In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, District Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.
Where Essex County public records live
Each kind of Essex County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.
- Arrests and jail bookings: essexsheriffma.org (details)
- Court cases: mass.gov/locations/essex-county-superior-court (details)
- County records: essexma.org/1205/Town-Clerk (details)
- Deeds and recorded documents: salemdeeds.com/masearches (details)
- Criminal prosecutions: essexcountyda.com (details)
- Public records requests: essexsheriffma.org/public-records-requests (details)
Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Essex County
A person arrested in Essex County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Essex County.
- Website: essexsheriffma.org (page title: Essex County Sheriff’s Department | Essex County, MA)
- Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.
Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.
Court records and case lookups in Essex County
Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Essex County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Essex County.
- Website: mass.gov/locations/essex-county-superior-court (page title: Essex County Superior Court)
- Phone: (978) 744-5500
- Address: 56 Federal St., Salem, MA 01970
- Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00 am-4:30 pm
- Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.
- Statewide court case search: mass.gov/info-details/how-to-search-court-dockets
County Clerk of Essex County
The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Essex County.
- Website: essexma.org/1205/Town-Clerk (page title: Town Clerk | Essex, MA)
- Phone: 978-768-7111
- Address: 30 Martin Street Essex, MA 01929
- Hours: Monday through Thursday 7:30 am to 3:30 pm
- Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.
Deeds, land records and property values in Essex County
Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Essex County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.
Recorded documents: Registry of Deeds
- Website: salemdeeds.com/masearches
- Checked: October 2, 2026, the site blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), and the page was found in a live search index on October 2, 2026; open it directly in a browser.
Property assessments in Massachusetts are kept by each city and town, not the county.
Birth, death and marriage records in Essex County
In Massachusetts, birth, death and marriage records are kept by the clerk of the city or town where the event happened, not the county. The state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.
- Massachusetts state vital records office: mass.gov/ordering-a-certificate
District Attorney for Essex County
The District Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Essex County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.
- Website: essexcountyda.com (page title: Office of Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker)
- Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Essex County
Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Essex County.
- Website: essexsheriffma.org/public-records-requests (page title: Request Public Records | Essex County Sheriff)
- Phone: (978) 750-1900
- Address: 20 Manning Avenue P.O. Box 807 Middleton, MA 01949
- Checked: October 11, 2026, the page answered.
Statewide Massachusetts sources
Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the Massachusetts state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.
- Statewide court case search: mass.gov/info-details/how-to-search-court-dockets
- State prison inmate locator: mass.gov/how-to/find-someone-housed-in-a-massachusetts-prison
- Sex offender registry: mass.gov/information-about-sex-offenders
- State vital records office: mass.gov/ordering-a-certificate
- State criminal history records: mass.gov/massachusetts-criminal-offender-record-information-cori
- Business entity search: corp.sec.state.ma.us/corpweb/CorpSearch/CorpSearch.aspx
- Unclaimed property search: findmassmoney.gov
More Essex County links from the SearchSystems directory
These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Essex County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.
Cities and towns in Essex County
Essex County has 10 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city. SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of each linked city; the linked names open them.
Other counties in Massachusetts
SearchSystems has a guide like this one for every county in Massachusetts.
Essex County Arrest Records
The Essex County arrest records guide names the 42 agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 10,140 arrests the 32 agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.
Essex County Records Guides
SearchSystems has nine more guides to Essex County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Essex County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Essex County inmate search (the jail page of the Essex County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Essex County criminal records (the court file, the Massachusetts criminal history and the local arrest records), Essex County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Essex County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the Massachusetts Public Records Law requires), Essex County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Essex County DUI (the OUI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Essex County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Essex County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Essex County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
How do I find out if someone is in jail in Essex County?
Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Essex County at essexsheriffma.org. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.
Where do I look up a court case in Essex County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for Essex County is at mass.gov, phone (978) 744-5500. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.
How do I request a public record from Essex County?
Through the records request page at essexsheriffma.org/public-records-requests. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.