Dukes County Court Records Search
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Dukes County, Massachusetts — made up entirely of Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands — has a compact but fully functioning court system centered in Edgartown. The county courthouse at 81 Main Street houses most of its judicial functions, including the Superior Court, the District Court, the Probate and Family Court, and the Registry of Deeds. Because of the county's island geography and small population, the courts handle a manageable caseload, but they follow the same public access and record-keeping standards required throughout the Commonwealth. Whether you're researching a pending criminal matter, verifying a property title, or tracing a family estate, the key is knowing which office maintains the records you need and how to reach them.
If you're trying to identify the right court and its contact details, MassachusettsCourts.us is a useful navigational resource. Massachusetts also provides its own official case search tool at masscourts.org, where you can search dockets and calendars for cases across the Trial Court system, including Dukes County. Public access terminals at the Edgartown courthouse offer the same lookup capabilities for anyone who prefers researching in person.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Dukes County?
Court records in Dukes County can be located through three main channels: online databases, in-person visits to clerk's offices, and written or mail-based requests.
Online Search
The Massachusetts Trial Court maintains the masscourts.org eServices portal for public case searches. You can search by docket number, case type, date range, and — for civil cases — by party name. Name-based searches are not available for criminal matters through the online portal. The Mass.gov website also provides guidance on how to search court dockets, calendars, and case information across the Superior Court, District Court, Housing Court, Probate and Family Court, and other divisions.
In-Person Access
Each court maintains a clerk's office at the Edgartown courthouse where public access terminals are available. Staff can help you identify case files, but they cannot provide legal advice or act as an attorney.
| Court | Address | Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dukes County Superior Court | 81 Main Street, P.O. Box 1267, Edgartown, MA 02539 | (508) 627-4668 | Mon–Fri, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
| Edgartown District Court | 81 Main Street, P.O. Box 1284, Edgartown, MA 02539 | (508) 627-3751 | Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| Dukes Probate and Family Court | 81 Main Street, P.O. Box 237, Edgartown, MA 02539 | (508) 627-4703 | Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| Edgartown Juvenile Court | 12 Mariner's Way, Unit 4, P.O. Box 550, Edgartown, MA 02539 | (508) 627-8983 | By appointment/scheduled hearings |
Mail and Written Requests
Physical copies of court documents can be requested by mailing a written request to the appropriate clerk's office at the addresses listed above. Include the case number, the names of the parties, the approximate date of filing, and the specific documents you need. Fees apply for reproduced copies; attested (certified) copies from the Probate and Family Court cost $2.50 per page, while unattested copies are $0.05 per page.
Are Court Records Public in Dukes County?
Massachusetts law presumes that government records — including most court filings — are accessible to the public. The Massachusetts Public Records Law (M.G.L. Chapter 66 and Chapter 4, Section 7(26)) requires custodians to provide access to records unless a specific statutory exemption applies. Requests must be acknowledged and fulfilled within defined timeframes, and agencies generally cannot charge a fee unless they responded within 10 business days and the request required extraordinary effort under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10.
Records Restricted from Public Access
Despite the default openness of Massachusetts courts, several categories of records are shielded by statute or court rule:
- Juvenile records — all case records and reports in Juvenile Court are confidential; disclosure requires a court order from a Juvenile Court judge
- Sealed criminal records — criminal records sealed by court order are not accessible to the general public
- Adoption records — adoption case files are sealed; access requires a judicial order
- Mental health and commitment records — records related to involuntary civil commitments carry confidentiality protections
- Child welfare records — Care and Protection cases and CHINS (Child in Need of Services) filings are restricted
- Personal identifiers — Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and similar sensitive data are redacted from publicly produced documents
- Trade secrets and proprietary business information — protected under the exemptions to the Public Records Law
Where a record falls within a restricted category, the party seeking access must obtain a court order authorizing release. The applicable clerk's office can direct you to the correct petition process.
Dukes County Criminal Court Records
Criminal jurisdiction in Dukes County is split between the Edgartown District Court and the Dukes County Superior Court, depending on the severity of the offense. The District Court handles misdemeanors, ordinance violations, domestic violence matters, and the arraignment stage of felony cases. The Superior Court has general jurisdiction over felonies, serious criminal trials, and grand jury proceedings. The Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office prosecutes criminal cases in the county; its local office is at the Edgartown Courthouse, P.O. Box 455, reachable at (508) 627-7780.
Criminal Records Maintained by the Sheriff's Office
Arrest records and incident reports generated by law enforcement are held by the Dukes County Sheriff's Office. Public records requests should be directed to the Records Access Officer:
Special Sheriff Kayla Pachico
Mailing: P.O. Box 252, Edgartown, MA 02539
Physical: 149 Main Street, Edgartown, MA 02539
Phone: (508) 627-5173
Fax: (508) 627-8496
Email: records@dcsoma.org
Requests may be submitted in writing by mail, email, phone, or in person. Written requests are strongly recommended so the office can accurately identify and produce the specific records you need. Allow adequate processing time, and be aware that fees may apply depending on the nature and volume of the records.
Statewide Criminal History — CORI
The Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) system, administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS), provides statewide criminal history data compiled from court filings across all Massachusetts counties, including Dukes County Superior Court and Edgartown District Court. Individuals can request their own CORI through the iCORI self-service portal using a valid Massachusetts driver's license or state ID. Employers, landlords, and authorized organizations must register separately for iCORI access. Standard CORI requests from individuals carry a $25 fee by money order, or can be processed online.
Sealed Records
Sealed criminal records are not accessible through any standard public request. A sealed record in Massachusetts means it has been removed from public view by court order. Requests to unseal records require a separate court motion.
Dukes County Civil Court Records
Civil litigation in Dukes County may be filed in either the Edgartown District Court or the Dukes County Superior Court, depending on the amount in controversy and the nature of the claim. The District Court handles civil claims and small claims matters, while the Superior Court handles larger civil disputes, equity matters, and complex contract or property litigation.
Small Claims
Small claims in Massachusetts District Courts are available for monetary disputes. Filing fees are structured by the amount of the claim:
- Claims of $500 or less: $40
- Claims of $501 to $2,000: $50
- Claims of $2,001 to $5,000: $100
- Claims of $5,001 to $7,000: $150
Civil Case Access
Civil case dockets in both the District and Superior Courts can be searched by party name through the masscourts.org eServices portal. The Superior Court also offers a civil court date text reminder sign-up for registered parties through Mass.gov. Filing fees for civil actions in the Superior Court vary by action type; current Superior Court filing fee schedules are published at mass.gov court filing fees.
Property Records
Property records — including deeds, mortgages, liens, and related documents — are maintained separately from court case files by the Dukes County Registry of Deeds. The Registry is accessible online through Massachusetts Land Records (masslandrecords.com), which allows free searches of registered property indices by business name or individual last name, with results linked to digitized document images. For in-person access:
Dukes County Registry of Deeds
81 Main Street, P.O. Box 5231
Edgartown, MA 02539
Phone: (508) 627-4025
Office hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Dukes County Family Court Records
The Dukes Probate and Family Court (First Justice: Hon. Susan Jacobs; Register: Daphne Devries) handles divorce, child custody and support, parenting time, spousal support, adoption, guardianship of minors, and abuse prevention orders. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Divorce Records
Divorce filings are public records in Massachusetts. To get copies of divorce case documents, complete the Request for Copies form (PFC0003) and deliver or mail it to the Dukes Probate and Family Court at 81 Main Street, P.O. Box 237, Edgartown, MA 02539. Include the full names of both spouses and, if you have it, the case number and approximate filing year. Attested copies cost $2.50 per page; unattested copies are $0.05 per page. Filing fees for divorce complaints start at $200 plus a $15 surcharge.
Marriage Records
Marriage records are public records in Massachusetts. Certified copies can be obtained through the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) by in-person, mail, or online request:
Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mount Vernon Street, 1st Floor
Dorchester, MA 02125
Phone: (617) 740-2600
Vital Records Fees (RVRS):
| Method | Fee (per copy) |
|---|---|
| In-person (cash, check, or money order) | $20.00 |
| Standard mail (check or money order) | $32.00 |
| Expedited mail | $42.00 |
| Online/phone via VitalChek (first copy) | $54.00 |
| Online/phone via VitalChek (additional copies) | $42.00 each |
| Expedited online/phone via VitalChek (first copy) | $62.50 |
A $0.50 state surcharge is added to all mail-in and VitalChek orders. Records can also be ordered online through VitalChek using a credit or debit card.
Birth and Death Records
Access to birth records is restricted; eligible requesters include the person named on the certificate, parents, legal guardians, and legal representatives. Death records are available to a broader class of requesters with proper identification. Applications for both must include government-issued photo identification. Requests may be submitted to the RVRS at the Dorchester address above. For historical records — births more than 100 years old and deaths more than 50 years old — older records in Massachusetts are held by the Massachusetts State Archives, where photocopies cost $3.00 per certificate.
Abuse Prevention Orders
Abuse prevention (restraining order) petitions are filed in the Probate and Family Court at no filing fee. Domestic violence matters with a criminal component are handled concurrently by the District Court's criminal division. The Edgartown District Court also operates an Adult Drug Court as an additional specialty service.
Dukes County Probate Court Records
The Dukes Probate and Family Court handles all matters related to the administration of decedents' estates, including informal and formal probate of wills, appointment of personal representatives, intestacy proceedings, guardianships and conservatorships for incapacitated adults and minors, name changes, and vital record corrections. These proceedings are generally public, with the exception of adoption files, which remain sealed by statute.
Estate and Probate Filings
To open a probate estate, you'll need to file a petition with the Clerk of the Probate and Family Court. Filing fees vary by petition type:
| Probate Action | Filing Fee | Surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| Informal Probate of Will / Appointment of Personal Representative | $375 | $15 |
| Formal Probate of Will / Adjudication of Intestacy | $375 | $15 |
| Voluntary Administration (small estates) | $100 | $15 |
| Appointment of Conservator | $240 | $15 |
| Appointment of Guardian | No fee | No fee |
| Change of Name Petition | $150 | $15 |
| General Probate Petition | $150 | $15 |
Each citation issued in a probate proceeding carries an additional $15 fee; each summons costs $5. Checks should be made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The full Probate and Family Court filing fee schedule is published on Mass.gov and covers all petition types in detail.
Searching Probate Records
Probate case information is searchable through the masscourts.org eServices portal by docket number or, for civil matters, by party name. In-person research is also available at the Probate and Family Court clerk's office during business hours. For historical probate records predating electronic indexing, microfilm copies of Dukes County probate records dating from 1690 to 1938 are catalogued through the Family History Library and available through the genealogy resources at FamilySearch.
Guardianship and Conservatorship
Petitions for guardianship over a minor or an incapacitated adult are filed without an initial filing fee, though citation and summons fees apply. Conservatorship petitions carry a $240 filing fee plus a $15 surcharge. The court's probate forms library on Mass.gov provides standardized forms for estates, guardianships, name changes, and other probate matters. Court staff at the Edgartown office can point you to the correct forms but are not permitted to give legal advice.
For parties who prefer an alternative to contested probate litigation, the Martha's Vineyard Mediation Program (15 Merchant's Court, Suite 5, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568; Tel: (508) 693-2999) offers mediation services for a range of family and community disputes. SSW Mediation Collaborative (95 State Road, Suite 203, Vineyard Haven; (508) 693-6090) is also an approved provider for Dukes County's Probate and Family Court proceedings.