Berkshire County Court Records

Berkshire County occupies the westernmost edge of Massachusetts, stretching along the borders with New York and Connecticut. Pittsfield is the county seat, and its primary courthouse handles criminal, civil, family, and probate matters. Whether you need to confirm the outcome of a past lawsuit, get a copy of a divorce decree, look into a probate estate, or check criminal case dispositions, Berkshire County's clerk offices and the Massachusetts Trial Court system have the tools to help you find what you need.

For those starting a search for court records in Massachusetts, several official resources can make the process much easier. Clerk offices at each courthouse maintain physical case files and help with copies and certifications at the counter. Public-access terminals at courthouse locations let you look up case information at no charge. The Massachusetts Trial Court also offers electronic tools for remote searching, and the statewide judicial website MassachusettsCourts.us can help you identify the right court division, find forms, and understand filing requirements before you visit in person or submit a written request.

How to Look Up a Court Case in Berkshire County?

Berkshire County cases are spread across several Trial Court departments, each with its own clerk's office. Identifying the correct department is always the first step.

Court Locations

Court	Address	Phone
Berkshire Superior Court	76 East Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201	(413) 442-6941
Central Berkshire District Court	76 East Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201	(413) 442-5468
Northern Berkshire District Court	111 Holden Street, North Adams, MA 01247	(413) 663-5339
Southern Berkshire District Court	9 Gilmore Avenue, Great Barrington, MA 01230	(413) 528-3520
Berkshire Probate and Family Court	44 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201	(413) 442-6941
Berkshire Juvenile Court	76 East Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201	(413) 443-3637

Clerk offices are generally open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., though specific divisions may vary. Call ahead before visiting the satellite courthouses in North Adams or Great Barrington.

Online Case Lookup

The Massachusetts Trial Court Case Search (commonly called the eCourts portal) lets you search case records across District Court, Superior Court, Boston Municipal Court, and Housing Court departments for free. Search by party name, case number, or attorney name. Results show case type, filing date, parties, scheduled events, and docket entries — though the availability of viewable documents varies by case.

For Probate and Family Court matters, Massachusetts uses a separate electronic system. The Probate and Family Court eFiling and Case Access system allows registered users to search probate and family dockets.

Steps for an In-Person Record Search

Determine which court department has jurisdiction over the case type you're researching — Superior Court handles major civil and criminal matters, District Court covers misdemeanors and smaller civil disputes, and Probate and Family Court manages estate and domestic relations cases.
Visit the appropriate clerk's office at one of the locations listed above during business hours.
Provide the case docket number if you have it, or give the clerk the full names of the parties and an approximate filing date.
Review case information at the public terminal, or ask the clerk to pull the physical file.
Request copies of the specific documents you need and pay the applicable fees at the counter.

Mail and Written Requests

You can submit record requests by mail to the appropriate clerk's office. Include your name and return address, as much identifying case information as possible (docket number, party names, case type, year filed), a description of the specific documents you need, and a check or money order for estimated copy fees made payable to the clerk's office. Including a self-addressed stamped envelope helps speed up the return of documents.

Are Court Records Public in Berkshire County?

Massachusetts operates under a strong presumption that court records are open to the public. The Superintendence Rule of the Trial Court, Rule 1:15 — formally titled the Uniform Rules on Public Access to Court Records — sets out the framework for inspecting, copying, and sharing case files across all Trial Court departments.

Generally Accessible Records

Under Rule 1:15, the following records are presumptively available to any member of the public:

Criminal complaints, indictments, and disposition records
Civil complaints, answers, motions, and judgments
Probate petitions, inventories, accounts, and decrees
Family court pleadings (with certain redactions)
Court dockets and calendars
Appellate briefs and decisions

Categories of Restricted or Confidential Records

Massachusetts law and court rules restrict access to certain categories of information:

Impounded records: A judge may impound case files or specific documents upon motion and a finding of good cause under Trial Court Rule VIII. Impounded records are not available to the public.
Juvenile proceedings: Delinquency and Child in Need of Services (CHINS) cases heard in Juvenile Court are confidential under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 119, §60A.
Sealed criminal records: Individuals may petition to seal criminal records under M.G.L. c. 276, §100A, after which those records are removed from public view.
Adoption records: Adoption case files are sealed by statute and accessible only by court order or through the adoption records search process.
Guardianship medical reports: Clinical evaluations filed in guardianship and conservatorship cases may be restricted from public inspection.
Personal identifiers: Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and certain other sensitive data must be redacted from publicly accessible filings under Rule 1:15.

If you're denied access to records you believe should be public, you may file a written request with the clerk. If access is still denied, you can petition the court for review under the procedures outlined in Rule 1:15.

Berkshire County Criminal Court Records

Criminal cases in Berkshire County are handled across multiple court divisions depending on the severity of the charges and where the alleged offense occurred.

Jurisdiction by Offense Type

Superior Court: Felony cases carrying potential state prison sentences — including homicide, armed robbery, major drug trafficking, and other serious offenses. The Berkshire Superior Court at 76 East Street in Pittsfield handles these matters, and the Superior Court Clerk maintains all associated files.
District Court: Misdemeanor charges, motor vehicle offenses, and certain felonies within concurrent jurisdiction. The three District Court locations — Central Berkshire (Pittsfield), Northern Berkshire (North Adams), and Southern Berkshire (Great Barrington) — each serve designated geographic areas within the county.
Juvenile Court: Criminal matters involving defendants under the age of 18 are adjudicated in the Berkshire Juvenile Court.

Searching Criminal Records

The Trial Court eCourts case search includes criminal docket entries from both Superior and District Courts. Results show charges, arraignment dates, continuance dates, and dispositions. Sealed or impounded cases will not appear in public search results.

In-person searches at the clerk's offices give you the most complete access to criminal files, including documents that may not yet be digitized. Visitors can ask to review files at the counter or use a public-access terminal.

Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI)

Massachusetts regulates access to criminal history records through the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) system, administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS). CORI reports compile criminal case data from across the state and are available in several ways:

iCORI (online self-service): Individuals and organizations registered with DCJIS can obtain CORI reports online. The standard fee for a name-based search is $25.00 per request.
Personal CORI: Any individual may request their own CORI report at no charge by visiting a designated DCJIS office or participating community organization.
Employer access: Employers certified under the CORI law may access reports under M.G.L. c. 6, §§167–178B.

Sealing Criminal Records

Under M.G.L. c. 276, §100A, eligible individuals may petition the Commissioner of Probation or the court to seal certain criminal records. Misdemeanor convictions may be eligible for sealing three years after disposition; felony convictions generally require a seven-year waiting period. Acquittals, dismissals, and nolle prosequi dispositions may be sealed immediately upon petition.

Arrest Records

Arrest and booking information may be available through the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office or the law enforcement agency that made the arrest. The Pittsfield Police Department, North Adams Police Department, and Massachusetts State Police barracks in the area each maintain their own arrest records. These are separate from court case files and are subject to their own access rules under the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. c. 66, §10.

Berkshire County Civil Court Records

Civil litigation in Berkshire County spans a wide range — from major contract actions and property disputes to small claims and housing matters.

Court Divisions Handling Civil Cases

Berkshire Superior Court: Civil actions where the amount in controversy generally exceeds $50,000, as well as cases involving injunctive relief, land title disputes, and other matters within Superior Court's broad jurisdiction. The Superior Court Clerk's office files and maintains these records.
Central Berkshire, Northern Berkshire, and Southern Berkshire District Courts: Civil cases involving claims up to $50,000, small claims up to $7,000, summary process (eviction) actions, and supplementary process proceedings. Each District Court clerk maintains its own civil docket.
Housing Court: The Western Division of the Housing Court may hear certain housing-related civil matters arising in Berkshire County, including code enforcement actions, discrimination claims, and landlord-tenant disputes.

Common Civil Filing Fees

Filing fees are set by statute under M.G.L. c. 262, §4. Representative fees include:

Civil entry fee (Superior Court): $240.00
Civil entry fee (District Court): $195.00
Small claims filing fee: $40.00 to $150.00 depending on the claim amount
Summary process (eviction) entry fee: $195.00
Appeal from District Court to Appellate Division: fees vary
Copies of court documents: $2.50 per page for the first four pages, $1.25 per additional page (certified copies carry additional charges)

Fees are subject to change — contact the relevant clerk's office for current amounts.

Electronic Filing

Massachusetts has expanded electronic filing across many court departments. The Massachusetts eFiling system (operated through Tyler Technologies) accepts civil filings in Superior Court and certain other departments. Registration is required, and the system is available around the clock. Attorneys and self-represented litigants should verify which case types and courts are active for eFiling before submitting documents.

Requesting Civil Case Copies

You can get copies of civil judgments, pleadings, and other documents by visiting the appropriate clerk's office, submitting a mail request, or — in some cases — downloading documents through the eCourts portal. Certified copies, which are often needed to enforce judgments, record liens, or file in another jurisdiction, require a certification fee on top of the standard per-page copy charge.

Berkshire County Family Court Records

All family law matters in Berkshire County go through the Berkshire Probate and Family Court, located at 44 Bank Row in Pittsfield. This single courthouse handles every domestic relations and family law proceeding for the entire county.

Berkshire Probate and Family Court
44 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201
Phone: (413) 442-6941

Case Types

The Probate and Family Court handles a broad range of family-related matters:

Divorce (contested and uncontested, including 1A joint petitions and 1B contested complaints)
Legal separation
Annulment
Child custody and parenting time
Child support establishment, modification, and enforcement
Paternity actions
Adoption
Termination of parental rights
Abuse prevention orders (209A) — protective orders in domestic violence cases
Name changes
Gestational carrier agreements

Searching Family Court Records

The eCourts case search covers Probate and Family Court dockets. Search by party name or docket number to find filing dates, scheduled hearings, and docket entries. Physical case files are kept at the Pittsfield courthouse and can be reviewed in person during business hours.

Confidentiality in Family Cases

Most family court files are accessible to the public, but several categories receive heightened protection:

Abuse prevention orders (M.G.L. c. 209A): Certain details may be impounded to protect the plaintiff's safety, particularly address information.
Adoption files: Sealed upon entry of the adoption decree. Access requires a court order or use of the state's post-adoption search and reunion services.
Financial statements: The Court's Supplemental Probate and Family Court Rule 401 requires parties to file financial statements in divorce and support cases; these are treated as confidential and are not available for general public inspection.
Guardian ad litem reports: Investigative reports filed in custody disputes may be restricted from public access.

Marriage Licenses and Vital Records

Marriage licenses in Massachusetts are issued by the city or town clerk where the marriage is intended to take place — not by the Probate and Family Court. In Berkshire County, applicants should contact the relevant municipal clerk (for example, the Pittsfield City Clerk, North Adams City Clerk, or Great Barrington Town Clerk). Birth and death certificates are maintained by the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics and by local city and town clerks.

Berkshire County Probate Court Records

Probate matters in Berkshire County are adjudicated by the Berkshire Probate and Family Court, which shares its courthouse at 44 Bank Row in Pittsfield with the family law division. The Register of Probate serves as the clerk for all probate proceedings filed in the county.

Types of Probate Proceedings

The court's probate docket covers a wide range of proceedings:

Formal and informal probate of wills under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code (M.G.L. c. 190B)
Intestate estate administration
Voluntary and involuntary administration
Small estate proceedings (voluntary administration for estates under statutory thresholds)
Appointment of personal representatives
Trust proceedings, including trust modifications, accountings, and trustee appointments
Conservatorship of adults
Guardianship of incapacitated persons
Guardianship of minors
Accounts and distributions
Petitions to partition real estate
Foreign will filings (ancillary probate)

How to Search Probate Records

Online: Use the eCourts portal to search by the decedent's name, the docket number, or the name of the personal representative or guardian. Probate docket entries, scheduled hearings, and some filings are available electronically.
In person: Visit the Berkshire Probate and Family Court at 44 Bank Row during regular business hours. The Register's office maintains physical case files, will deposits, and accounting records that you can review at the counter.
By mail: Send a written request to the Berkshire Probate and Family Court at 44 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Include the decedent's full legal name, date of death (if known), docket number, and a description of the documents you need. Include payment for estimated copy fees.

Guardianship and Conservatorship

Guardianship petitions for incapacitated adults require a medical certificate from a licensed physician, a clinical team report (for certain cases), and a proposed care plan. These filings are governed by M.G.L. c. 190B, Article V. The court appoints a Rogers monitor or reviews treatment plans when the incapacitated person faces extraordinary medical decisions. Annual reports from guardians and conservators are filed with the Register and become part of the case record, though medical evaluations may carry restricted access.

Probate Fees

Filing fees for probate matters are set by M.G.L. c. 262, §40. Common fees include:

Petition for probate of will with or without administration: $150.00
Petition for administration (intestate): $150.00
Petition for appointment of guardian: $150.00
Petition for appointment of conservator: $150.00
Voluntary administration (small estate affidavit): $150.00
Annual account of fiduciary: $50.00
Certified copies of probate documents: fees vary by page count

Fee waivers may be available for individuals who qualify based on income. An Affidavit of Indigency form can be submitted with your filing to request a waiver of court costs.

Wills on Deposit

Massachusetts law allows individuals to deposit their original wills with the Register of Probate for safekeeping during their lifetime, under M.G.L. c. 190B, §2-515. A deposited will is kept in a sealed envelope and is not opened until after the depositor's death or upon court order. After death, whoever holds a will must deliver it to the court within 30 days.