How it works in Massachusetts

  1. Request your Record

    Submit your application through the Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) iCORI portal to request a personal CORI check — the statewide criminal-history record kept under Massachusetts' CORI law. Make sure your CORI request is fingerprint-supported so the result captures the complete record.

    Record request fee: $25.00 — Personal CORI request; $50.00 for open-access (third-party) requests. Indigency-based fee waiver available via Affidavit of Indigency.

  2. Review your Record

    Confirm there is no disqualifying information in your history. If there is something incorrect, follow the process to challenge the issue. If everything is accurate, make a copy for your file and keep the original somewhere safe.

  3. Request Certified Documents

    Collect certified copies of relevant documents. These include a copy of the disposition of the case from the clerk of court that handled the original case and the arrest record from the arresting agency. If you had probation or parole, had to take classes, had to pay fees, or had any other obligations, you also need certified proof that you completed those requirements.

    Certified copy fee: — MA does not publish a separate certified-copy fee; certification is bundled into the $25 personal CORI request (see recordrequestFee).

  4. Verify the Final Documents

    Review each document for accuracy. Confirm each one is certified and clearly shows you completed your obligations. Make copies of every original.

  5. Prepare your Petition

    Complete the petition based on the type of charge and outcome you are seeking. Note the timing restrictions under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276 § 100A: certain misdemeanor records require three years to pass after disposition, and certain felony records require seven years to pass, before the record is eligible for sealing.

  6. Finalize your Petition

    Take the completed petition from Step 5, the documents collected in Step 3, and the background check from Step 1, and put them together in a complete package. Double-check every file in the package is the original and ensure you have a copy of the complete package for your personal file.

  7. File your Expeal Request

    If you are pursuing the sealing path under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276 § 100A, mail the completed petition to the Commissioner of Probation. If you are pursuing the expungement path under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276 § 100F, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276 § 100G, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276 § 100H, or Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276 § 100K, file the petition with the court that handled the original case.

    Filing fee: $0.00 — G.L. c. 276 §100A administrative sealing path: mailed petition to Commissioner of Probation, not a court filing — no court filing fee applies.

  8. Work with the Court

    If you filed the expungement petition with the court, watch for the next instructions after the court confirms receipt — typically a hearing notice or a request for additional information. Respond promptly to anything the court asks for. If you mailed a Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276 § 100A sealing request to the Commissioner of Probation, the Commissioner reviews administratively and notifies you of the decision by mail; no court hearing is involved on the sealing path.

  9. Receive the Court's Order

    On the expungement path, once the court rules, it issues a written order either granting or denying the petition. On the sealing path, the Commissioner of Probation sends you a written notice of the decision. Review the order or notice carefully — it spells out which records are covered. Keep a certified copy for your own files.

  10. Verify the Record Update

    Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276 § 100L, the clerk of court and the Commissioner of Criminal Justice Information update or remove records covered by an expungement order; under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276 § 100D, sealed records are subject to limited disclosure. Confirm with the arresting agency and the DCJIS that their records reflect the sealing or expungement. If a background-check provider later produces an outdated report, your certified copy of the order or the Commissioner of Probation's notice is your authoritative reference. Under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276 § 100M, you may lawfully decline to acknowledge an expunged record in most contexts.

If you have to mail anything, remember to keep a copy of whatever you send and to use a method with a tracking number like the USPS Flat Rate Envelope.

Official agencies

Court forms

Massachusetts record-clearing statutes

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