Bristol County Arrest Records

Bristol County arrest records are maintained by the local police department that made the arrest, the Bristol County Sheriff's Office for jail-related records, and state systems like iCORI and MassCourts. The county covers New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, and more than a dozen other communities. This page explains how to find arrest records for each part of the county, which agencies to contact, and what the state's public records law allows you to access.

Bristol County Sheriff's Office

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office is at 400 Faunce Corner Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747. The main phone is (508) 995-6400. Their website is www.bcso-ma.org, and the general email is info@bcso-ma.org. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The sheriff's office operates two facilities: the Bristol County House of Correction in North Dartmouth and the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford. Booking records, inmate records, warrant information, daily logs, and jail-related arrest records are maintained by the Records Division. You can reach them by calling (508) 995-6400, extension 3400, or emailing records@bcso-ma.org. An inmate search tool is available on their website.

To request records, you have four options: submit online through bcso-ma.org, call the Records Division directly, mail a written request to the Records Division at 400 Faunce Corner Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, or visit in person during business hours. If you need an arrest report from a specific incident in a Bristol County community, contact the police department that made the arrest, not the sheriff. The sheriff's records focus on people held in county custody.

New Bedford Police Department

New Bedford is the largest city in Bristol County. The New Bedford Police Department is at 871 Rockdale Avenue, New Bedford, MA 02740. The main number is (508) 991-6300. To reach the Records Division, call extension 27107. Records staff are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

For a specific arrest report, call the Records Division and ask about the public records request process. You can also submit a written request and mail it to the department. Under MGL c. 41, § 98F, police departments must make daily arrest logs public. You can request those logs going back as far as the department's records go. Juvenile records and domestic violence reports are not public. The latter is protected under MGL c. 41, § 97D.

Fall River and Taunton Police

Fall River is the second largest city in the county. The Fall River Police Department is at 685 Pleasant Street, Fall River, MA 02721, phone (508) 676-8511. For records, call the department's main line and ask for the Records Division at extension 222.

Taunton serves as the county seat. The Taunton Police Department is at 23 Summer Street, Taunton, MA 02780, phone (508) 823-5000. Taunton may post daily logs online, though availability can vary. Contact the department directly to ask about current options for online access and public records requests.

Both departments follow the same rules as all Massachusetts law enforcement agencies under MGL c. 66, § 10. Responses are due within 10 days. Paper copies cost $0.05 per page. The first two hours of search time are free, then $25 per hour after. Electronic copies are free when the record exists in digital form.

Other Police Departments in Bristol County

Bristol County has more than a dozen additional towns and cities, each with their own police department. Here are key contact points for several of them.

The Attleboro Police Department is at 12 Union Street, Attleboro, phone (508) 222-1212. Their website is at www.cityofattleboro.us/police. Easton Police is at 46 Ladd Avenue, North Easton, phone (508) 230-1212. Mansfield Police is at 50 West Street, Mansfield, phone (508) 261-7301. North Attleborough Police is at 1 South Washington Street, North Attleborough, phone (508) 695-1212.

For any town not listed here, contact the town hall to get the police department's address and phone number. Each department has a Records Access Officer who handles public records requests. You can also call the department's non-emergency line and ask for the records desk.

iCORI System and CORI Records

The iCORI system covers criminal records from across Massachusetts, including Bristol County. Access it at www.mass.gov/icori. The system is run by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS).

Under MGL c. 6, § 167, Criminal Offender Record Information includes arrests, charges, and incarceration data for people 18 and older. MGL c. 6, § 172 sets rules on access. Non-conviction records are available to authorized users right away. Misdemeanor conviction records have a 5-year waiting period. Felony conviction records have a 10-year waiting period before standard access is granted. Individuals can request their own CORI for free through iCORI. Authorized employers and agencies pay a fee and must register with DCJIS.

Courts Serving Bristol County

Bristol County has three Superior Court locations. The New Bedford Superior Court is at 441 County Street, New Bedford. Fall River Superior Court is at 186 South Main Street, Fall River. Taunton Superior Court is at 9 Court Street, Taunton. Superior Court handles felony cases, major civil matters, and appeals from lower courts.

District courts in the county are in New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, and Easton. Each handles misdemeanor and lower-level felony arraignments. Court records from all of these can be searched through masscourts.org. You can search by party name or case number to find records tied to an arrest in Bristol County.

The Bristol County District Attorney's Office has three locations. The main office is at 7 North 6th Street, New Bedford, MA 02740, phone (508) 997-4511, website at www.bristolda.com. Additional offices are at 139 South Main Street in Fall River and 15 Court Street in Taunton. The DA prosecutes criminal cases across the county. Once charges are filed, the case becomes part of the public court record and can be accessed through the clerk's office at the relevant court.

Sealing and Expungement

Not every arrest in Bristol County stays on a permanent public record. State law gives people options to seal or remove records under certain conditions.

Under MGL c. 276, § 100C, records that did not result in a conviction are automatically sealed. That means dismissed cases, not guilty verdicts, and nolle prosequi entries should not show up in most public searches. You don't need to file anything for this to happen.

For convictions, MGL c. 276, § 100A allows a person to petition for sealing after a waiting period. The wait is 3 years from the end of a misdemeanor sentence or 7 years from the end of a felony sentence. Expungement under MGL c. 276, §§ 100E through 100U is a more permanent option. It applies in limited cases, often for young first-time offenders. The clerk's office at the relevant Bristol County court can provide petition forms and explain current eligibility rules.

Additional Sources

The Massachusetts State Police handle some incidents in Bristol County, including those on state highways. Records requests go through www.mass.gov/public-records-for-the-massachusetts-state-police. State Police records are separate from local police records and need to be requested independently.

The Sex Offender Registry Board database at www.mass.gov/sorb is public and searchable by name or address. For state prison inmates, the Department of Correction has an online lookup at www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-correction. Third-party sites like massachusettscourtrecords.us also compile public arrest record data from Bristol County. These sites can be a useful starting point, but always verify what you find through the official agency or court system. Data from unofficial sites can be outdated or incomplete.

Cities in Bristol County

Three cities in Bristol County have dedicated arrest records pages with more detailed local information.

Other communities in Bristol County, including Attleboro, Easton, Mansfield, and North Attleborough, are covered by the county-level resources on this page.

Nearby Counties

Bristol County borders Plymouth and Norfolk counties in Massachusetts, as well as Barnstable County to the south.