Barnstable County Arrest Records

Barnstable County arrest records are held by local police departments across Cape Cod, not by the Sheriff's Office. The Barnstable County Sheriff operates the county jail only and does not maintain arrest records. For any arrest in the county, you need to contact the police department in the town where the arrest happened. This page covers each major department, the county courts, and how to use state online tools to search Barnstable County arrest data.

Barnstable County Sheriff's Office: What They Do and Don't Have

The Barnstable County Sheriff's Office is at 6000 Sheriff's Place, Bourne, MA 02532. The main phone is (508) 563-4300. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Sheriff Donna D. Buckley, elected in November 2022 and the first female sheriff in Barnstable County history, leads the office. Their Records Division is at extension 3400, and you can fax requests to (508) 563-4511. Public records are also accessible at bsheriff.net, including an inmate lookup tool.

The Sheriff's Office inmate lookup on their website shows current and recent inmates held at the jail. This can help confirm whether someone is or was in custody, but the booking record itself stays with the arresting police department. If the person was released without being held at the county jail, the Sheriff's records will have nothing on the case.

Local Police Departments and Arrest Logs on Cape Cod

Barnstable County has more than a dozen independent police departments, one for each town. Under MGL c. 41, § 98F, all of them must make their police logs public. Logs must show the time, location, and nature of each incident. This is the fastest way to check recent arrest activity in any Cape Cod town without filing a formal request. Here are the key departments you are likely to need.

Barnstable Police cover the largest town on the Cape, including Hyannis. Their address is 1200 Phinney's Lane, Hyannis, MA 02601, phone (508) 778-3870. Their website is at town.barnstable.ma.us/police. Falmouth Police are at 750 Main Street, Falmouth, MA 02540, phone (774) 255-4527, and online at falmouthmass.us/police. Yarmouth Police are at 340 Higgins Crowell Road, West Yarmouth, phone (508) 775-0445, at yarmouth.ma.us/police.

Dennis Police are at 90 Bob Crowell Road, South Dennis, phone (508) 394-1311. Bourne Police are at 130 Canal Street, Buzzards Bay, phone (508) 759-4451. Sandwich Police are at 8 Jan Sebastian Drive, phone (508) 888-1212. Mashpee Police are at 19 Frank Hicks Road, phone (508) 539-1480. Each of these departments handles its own public records requests and must reply within 10 business days.

Outer Cape and Lower Cape Police Contacts

For arrests in the lower and outer Cape towns, you need to go to the specific town department. These smaller departments handle fewer total arrests but remain the only source of arrest records for incidents in their jurisdiction.

Harwich Police are at 183 Sisson Road, phone (508) 430-7541. Orleans Police are at 90 Main Street, phone (508) 255-0117. Chatham Police are at 249 George Ryder Road, phone (508) 945-1213. Eastham Police are at 2550 State Highway, phone (508) 255-0584. Provincetown Police are at 247 Commercial Street, phone (508) 487-1212. Brewster, Truro, and Wellfleet each have their own departments as well. When in doubt, call the town hall and ask which department handled the matter.

One thing to keep in mind on the Cape: population swings dramatically between seasons. The county's year-round population of about 224,000 can spike to well over two million in peak summer. Police departments handle a much heavier workload from June through September. Record request response times may be slower during those months, though the 10-business-day legal deadline still applies under MGL c. 66, § 10.

Barnstable County Courts and Case Records

The Barnstable County Superior Court is at 3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630, phone (508) 375-6684. This is the same address as the District Attorney's office. The Superior Court handles serious felony charges, jury trials, and civil matters above the District Court threshold. District Courts in Barnstable County serve three areas: Barnstable, Falmouth, and Orleans. The Orleans District Court covers the outer Cape towns.

You can search cases from all three District Courts and the Superior Court through the MassCourts Electronic Case Access system. The portal is free and does not need an account. Search by name or case number to pull up docket entries, charges, and scheduled dates. This is a good first step before contacting any specific court office, since it tells you which court filed the case and lets you see what stage the matter is in.

District Attorney Robert Galibois leads the Cape and Islands DA's Office at 3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630, phone (508) 362-8116. The DA handles prosecution across Barnstable County and also covers Dukes and Nantucket counties. The DA's office does not hold arrest records directly but may have information about cases their office has prosecuted.

Online Searches and CORI Access for Barnstable County

Massachusetts maintains the iCORI system for formal criminal record checks. Under MGL c. 6, § 167, CORI covers arrests, charges, pre-trial proceedings, sentencing, and incarceration for people 18 and older across the state, including Barnstable County. You can request your own CORI through the iCORI portal at no cost. Authorized agencies and employers can also use iCORI, subject to rules from the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services.

MGL c. 6, § 172 controls access levels based on record type. Non-conviction records are available to the subject right away and to some authorized parties. Misdemeanor conviction records carry a 5-year wait before broader access applies. Felony records have a 10-year wait. These limits reflect state policy on how long older records should remain broadly visible. If you want to check your own record or confirm a Barnstable County case is no longer showing, iCORI is the right tool.

The Barnstable County arrest records database aggregates publicly available information and can be useful for initial searches. For anything official, go to the relevant police department or court directly. The Massachusetts State Police also hold records for incidents handled by the State Police barracks on Cape Cod, including Highway 6 enforcement activity.

Sealing and Expungement of Cape Cod Arrest Records

Old Barnstable County arrest records can sometimes be sealed or expunged. MGL c. 276, § 100A lets you petition a court to seal a misdemeanor conviction after 3 years from the end of your sentence, and a felony conviction after 7 years. The petition goes to the court where the case was heard, which for most Cape Cod cases means Barnstable District Court, Falmouth District Court, Orleans District Court, or Barnstable Superior Court.

MGL c. 276, § 100C provides automatic sealing for non-conviction records, including dismissed cases and not-guilty verdicts. These should seal without any action on your part. It is worth pulling your own CORI to check, though, since system errors do happen. For full expungement, MGL c. 276, §§ 100E-100U sets out the rules. Expungement destroys the record entirely rather than just sealing it, but eligibility is narrower than for sealing. The CORI laws page at Mass.gov gives a plain-language breakdown of both options and who qualifies.

Towns in Barnstable County

Barnstable County is made up entirely of towns rather than incorporated cities. None of the Cape Cod towns meet the population threshold for a dedicated city arrest records page. For records in any specific town, use the police department contacts listed above or the MassCourts portal to find court filings. The county's 15 towns are: Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, and Yarmouth.

Nearby Counties

Cases near the county line or involving people from neighboring areas may involve these counties.