Find Arrest Records in Franklin County
Franklin County arrest records are created by local police departments across the county's 26 towns and are separate from the county Sheriff's Office, which runs a jail and house of correction but does not serve as a police agency. Greenfield is the county seat and home to most of the county's courts and government offices. To find arrest records here, you will work directly with local police departments, state court tools, and the state's iCORI system.
Franklin County Overview
Franklin County Sheriff's Office - Jail Records Only
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is a jail and house of correction, not a police agency. This is an important distinction. The Sheriff does not make arrests and does not hold arrest reports from local police. What the office does hold are jail booking records for people brought in after arrest by local police or the State Police. If someone was detained at the Franklin County Jail, the Sheriff can confirm that custody information.
The jail is at 160 Elm Street in Greenfield, MA 01301. The main phone is (413) 774-4014. The email address for records is records@fcso-ma.us. The Records Access Officer is Captain Jason Yuryan, reached at extension 2191. The Sheriff's website is at www.fcso-ma.us.
The Sheriff's Office can provide inmate custody information, jail booking records, and visitation details. It cannot provide the original arrest report from the police department that made the arrest. For those records, you go to the arresting agency directly. This two-step process is standard in Franklin County.
Local Police Departments
Because the Franklin County Sheriff does not make arrests, local police are the first stop for arrest records. Each town maintains its own police logs and arrest records. Under MGL c. 41, § 98F, police logs are public records and must be made available on request. These logs list who was arrested, the date, and the charge. They do not include full narrative reports.
Greenfield Police is the largest department in the county. The department is at 321 High Street, Greenfield, MA 01301, phone (413) 774-5511. The website is at www.greenfield-ma.gov. Greenfield is the county seat and handles a significant share of the county's criminal activity, so its logs are often the most active in the area.
Montague Police serves the Turners Falls area at 1 Avenue A, Turners Falls, phone (413) 863-7272. Orange Police is at 1 Maple Street, Orange, phone (978) 544-6366 and covers the eastern part of the county. Sunderland Police at 12 School Street, (413) 665-1441, Deerfield Police at 23A Main Street, South Deerfield, (413) 665-4446, and Erving Police at 12 East Main Street, (413) 423-3336, each cover their respective communities.
For towns without their own police department, the Massachusetts State Police handle calls and make arrests. State Police records from Franklin County are available through the State Police public records page. Submit your request in writing with the name, approximate date, and incident location.
Note: Under MGL c. 41, § 97D, police reports related to domestic violence are exempt from public disclosure. These reports will not be released to the public regardless of case outcome.
Franklin County Courts
Franklin County Superior Court is at 101 Munson Street in Greenfield, MA 01301, phone (413) 775-7400. This court handles felony cases and can provide certified copies of case records. Greenfield District Court shares the same address and phone number and handles misdemeanors, arraignments, and lower-level criminal cases. Orange District Court at 1 East Main Street in Orange covers the eastern towns.
The Franklin County District Attorney's Office at 13 Conway Street, Greenfield, phone (413) 774-5100, prosecutes all criminal cases in the county. The DA's office does not maintain public records, but it can sometimes confirm case details that are already part of the court record.
The fastest way to search court records is the MassCourts online portal. You can search by name or case number and see charges, arraignment dates, and case outcomes without paying a fee. Sealed cases do not show up. Under MGL c. 66, § 10, agencies must respond to public records requests within 10 days. Copy fees are $0.05 per page, with two hours of staff time free before an hourly rate of $25 kicks in.
iCORI and Statewide Criminal Records
The state's iCORI system is the most thorough tool for checking criminal records in Massachusetts. The iCORI portal lets you search the Criminal Offender Record Information database for arrests, charges, and dispositions across all counties. Under MGL c. 6, § 167, the system covers anyone 18 or older who has been arrested, charged, or incarcerated in the state.
Who can see what depends on the record type. Under MGL c. 6, § 172, non-conviction records are available to the subject right away. Misdemeanor records carry a five-year waiting period after the case ends. Felony records carry a ten-year wait. Courts, prosecutors, and certain licensed entities have broader access. Anyone running a check on themselves sees the full record with no waiting period.
You can also search statewide arrest data through the state records directory. The directory is a reference tool and does not replace iCORI, but it is a useful place to start if you are not sure where to look.
Sealing and Expungement in Franklin County
Massachusetts gives people with arrest records a path to seal or expunge them. Sealing hides a record from public searches while keeping it accessible to courts and law enforcement. Expungement removes the record from the state system entirely. These are different processes and have different rules.
Under MGL c. 276, § 100A, you can petition to seal a misdemeanor after three years from the end of the case and a felony after seven years. The waiting period starts from the last date of incarceration, probation, or parole. Under MGL c. 276, § 100C, records from dismissed cases and not guilty findings seal automatically, without a petition, once the case closes.
Expungement is available under MGL c. 276, §§ 100E-100U for narrow categories of cases, particularly those involving people who were under 21 at the time of the offense. The Franklin County District Attorney's Office and the court clerk's office can both answer questions about what qualifies and how to file.
Note: After sealing, a record will not appear in public iCORI searches or MassCourts results. If you believe a record should have sealed automatically but still appears, contact the Office of the Commissioner of Probation.
Other State Resources
The Sex Offender Registry Board maintains a public list of Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders. You can search it by name or location. Franklin County residents who are required to register and live or work in the county appear on this list. The registry is updated as offenders register, move, or are reclassified.
The Department of Correction manages records for people serving sentences over two and a half years at state prisons. If someone from Franklin County received a sentence longer than what the county jail can hold, their records are with DOC, not the Sheriff. These are two entirely separate record systems.
For a full overview of what records exist and who can see them, the state's CORI information page is the clearest reference. It covers access rules, waiting periods, the appeals process for errors, and the distinction between sealed and expunged records. It is worth reading before you make a formal request.
Towns in Franklin County
Franklin County includes 26 towns: Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Monroe, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, and Whately. None of these towns currently qualify for dedicated city pages based on population. For arrest records from any of these communities, contact the local police department or use the statewide tools above.