Court portal, certified copy fees, and expungement laws for Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, a summary process (eviction) case lives with the court that decided it: either the Housing Court, which runs seven regional divisions, or the local District Court where the rental sits. There is no single, fully searchable statewide database the public can browse end to end. The Massachusetts eCourt Portal offers only limited online access, so confirming a case usually means an in-person visit to the clerk's office or a written records request to the division that handled it.
Sealing is the other half of the picture, and Massachusetts is unusual here. The state created a sealing pathway for pandemic-era cases, and Housing Court judges retain discretion to impound records in other situations. That matters whether you are a tenant trying to clear a filing or a landlord screening applicants. Average rent in Massachusetts runs about $1,641, so a single misread record can cost an applicant a competitive unit. The sections below walk through finding, reading, and sealing these records.
Start by identifying which court heard the case. Most contested tenancies in the seven covered regions go through the Housing Court; elsewhere, summary process is filed in the District Court for that municipality. Because the Massachusetts eCourt Portal provides only limited online access, you often cannot pull a complete file from a browser. The reliable route is to contact the specific division clerk's office, search by party name or docket number, and request the docket in person or in writing.
Ask the clerk for the docket sheet and the judgment, not just the case caption. Certified copies are available at $0.50 per page, which is what you will need if a court, lender, or screening dispute requires an authenticated record rather than an informal printout.
The single most common mistake is treating any docket entry as proof a tenant lost. A filed summary process case is not the same as a judgment for possession. Cases are dismissed, settled through agreements for judgment, mediated, or decided in the tenant's favor every day. Read the disposition line before drawing any conclusion.
On a Massachusetts docket, look for the entry that records how the case ended: dismissal, a stipulated agreement, judgment for the plaintiff, or judgment for the defendant. A case marked open or continued has no final outcome at all. The money figure on an early pleading is a claim, not an adjudicated debt. If the disposition is ambiguous, request the full file from the Housing Court or District Court clerk rather than guessing from a one-line summary.
Massachusetts does provide a sealing pathway. Under M.G.L. c. 186A, the COVID Eviction Moratorium Act of 2020, COVID-related eviction records can be sealed, and Massachusetts courts separately hold discretion to impound Housing Court records in appropriate cases. That means some records that once appeared are no longer lawfully available.
For landlords, this creates a hard compliance line. Tenant screening reports are governed by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which sets accuracy and dispute obligations on the consumer reporting agencies you rely on. Do not base a denial on a record that has been sealed or impounded. Acting on a sealed Massachusetts case, or on a stale filing that never became a judgment, exposes you to FCRA and fair-housing risk. Verify the current docket status before you decide, and document the reason for any adverse action.
If you are a Massachusetts tenant, sealing may be within reach. Cases tied to the pandemic period fall under M.G.L. c. 186A, and beyond that, a Housing Court judge can impound a record where the circumstances justify it. Sealing and impoundment are court actions, so you generally file a motion or request with the same division that heard your case, the Housing Court or District Court, rather than with a private company.
Practical steps: pull your own docket first so you know the exact case number and disposition, confirm whether your case qualifies as a covered COVID-era matter, and submit your request to that division's clerk. If a screening report still shows a case you believe was sealed, you also have the right under the FCRA to dispute it directly with the consumer reporting agency and ask that the inaccurate entry be corrected or removed.
Landlords and screening companies may not use sealed or expunged eviction records as a basis for adverse tenant-screening decisions in Massachusetts. Tenants who believe their records have been improperly used may have a civil claim under the applicable statute. If a tenant discloses an expunged eviction, you may ask for context but cannot deny housing based solely on the expunged record.
This page was prepared by the Eviction Risk Map research team using public guidance from the Massachusetts Trial Court and the statutory sealing framework under M.G.L. c. 186A, the 2020 COVID Eviction Moratorium Act. Last reviewed June 2026. Court access levels, fees, and sealing procedures change, so confirm details with the Housing Court or District Court division handling your case. This is general information, not legal advice; consult a licensed Massachusetts attorney for guidance on a specific situation.
Identify whether the case was heard in the Housing Court (seven regional divisions) or the local District Court, then contact that court's clerk. The Massachusetts eCourt Portal offers only limited online access, so most complete lookups happen in person or through a written records request, searching by party name or docket number.
Summary process records are generally public, but access is limited online, so you often confirm them at the clerk's office rather than through a full statewide search. Some records are not available because they have been sealed under M.G.L. c. 186A or impounded at a judge's discretion, and those should not be relied on.
Yes. Massachusetts allows sealing of COVID-related eviction records under M.G.L. c. 186A, the 2020 COVID Eviction Moratorium Act, and Housing Court judges can also impound records in appropriate cases. Tenants typically file a request with the Housing Court or District Court division that decided the case.
Certified copies run $0.50 per page. You request them from the clerk of the Housing Court or District Court division that handled the case. A certified, authenticated copy is what you will need for a lender, court, or formal screening dispute rather than an informal printout.
Court portal information sourced from the Massachusetts court administrative office official website. Expungement laws from published Massachusetts statutes (see citations above). Last updated August 17, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice.
