Massachusetts's CORI System - What Sealing and Expungement Actually Do
Massachusetts uses the term CORI - Criminal Offender Record Information - to refer to the state's criminal record system maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS). Understanding how CORI sealing and expungement interact with the public court portal, online databases, and Google is essential before deciding which legal pathway to pursue.
CORI Sealing - M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A
Sealing is the primary and most broadly available form of record relief in Massachusetts. When a record is sealed under § 100A, it is removed from DCJIS's publicly accessible CORI database - meaning most employers, landlords, and members of the public who request a standard CORI check will no longer see the record. You may legally deny the existence of the sealed offense on most applications that ask about prior criminal records. Learn more about expungement vs. record sealing on our blog.
However, sealed records are not destroyed. They remain in the DCJIS system and are accessible to criminal justice agencies, certain licensing boards, and some regulated employers. More critically for online purposes: the Massachusetts Trial Court's public docket at masscourts.org is not the same as the DCJIS CORI database. Sealing may restrict the CORI record without automatically removing the case from the public court portal.
Expungement - M.G.L. c. 276, § 100E through § 100U
Massachusetts's expungement statute, added by the 2018 Criminal Justice Reform Act, provides a more complete form of relief - it permanently destroys the court and criminal justice agency records. But eligibility is narrow: expungement is available only for offenses committed before age 21 (or age 28 for certain offenses), and only if specific criteria are met. The offense must not be a sex crime, crime of violence, or offense involving a firearm. Learn more about court record removal on our blog.
| Relief Type | Legal Authority | Destroys Record? | Restricts CORI Access? | Google Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CORI Sealing (misdemeanor) | M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A | No | Yes (3yr wait) | None automatically |
| CORI Sealing (felony) | M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A | No | Yes (7yr wait) | None automatically |
| Expungement (youth offender) | M.G.L. c. 276, § 100E | Yes | Yes - record destroyed | None automatically |
| Third-party aggregators | Opt-out / CCPA | No legal mechanism | Case-by-case opt-out | Removable with effort |
CORI Sealing Eligibility in Massachusetts
Massachusetts CORI sealing under § 100A is available to most individuals with a criminal record, subject to waiting periods and eligibility criteria. For more information, visit the Massachusetts Trial Court.
Misdemeanor Sealing - § 100A
A misdemeanor conviction may be sealed three years after the last conviction, sentence completion, or release from incarceration (whichever is latest), provided there are no subsequent convictions during the waiting period. The application can be submitted to the DCJIS by mail - no court filing is required for standard misdemeanor sealing. Most misdemeanor offenses are eligible, with limited exceptions for certain sex offenses and crimes against children. Learn more about background check reports on our blog.
Felony Sealing - § 100A
A felony conviction may be sealed seven years after the last conviction, sentence completion, or release, with no subsequent convictions during the waiting period. Unlike misdemeanor sealing, felony sealing typically requires a petition to the Superior Court or District Court where the conviction occurred. The court has discretion to deny petitions if it finds sealing is not in the interests of justice.
Expungement - § 100E Through § 100U
Massachusetts expungement is available only if: (1) you were under 21 when the offense was committed (or under 28 for misdemeanors); (2) the offense is not a sex crime, crime of violence, or offense involving a firearm; (3) the required waiting period has elapsed; and (4) you have no subsequent convictions. A petition must be filed with the court of original jurisdiction.
A critical Massachusetts-specific distinction: the DCJIS CORI database is different from the public court docket at masscourts.org. CORI sealing under § 100A restricts the DCJIS record - but the court's own case management system may still display the case in the public docket. This means that even after successful CORI sealing, your case may still be visible on masscourts.org and indexable by Google unless the court separately restricts the docket entry.
Why Massachusetts Court Records Persist Online After Sealing
The CORI sealing process addresses the criminal history record maintained by DCJIS - but the online visibility of your case involves multiple separate systems. For more information, visit the Massachusetts Legislature.
masscourts.org - Massachusetts Trial Court Portal
The Massachusetts Trial Court operates masscourts.org, which provides public access to court dockets. CORI sealing under § 100A does not automatically remove a case from the public masscourts.org docket. The court may separately restrict the docket entry upon entry of a sealing or expungement order, but this is not guaranteed without specific follow-up. Data brokers that have indexed masscourts.org docket entries before any restriction is applied will retain that data.
DCJIS CORI Records
The DCJIS maintains the official CORI database. After sealing, most employers and background check companies that request CORI reports through the official DCJIS system will not see the sealed record. However, commercial background check companies that maintain their own databases - compiled from historical scrapes of public records - are not updated when the DCJIS record is sealed. These are different systems.
CourtListener and Legal Aggregators
CourtListener indexes published opinions from the Massachusetts Appeals Court and Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. If your case resulted in a published appellate opinion, that record persists independently of any trial court sealing order. The appellate opinion is part of the public legal record.
Data Broker Sites
Data brokers - Spokeo, BeenVerified, Intelius, TruthFinder - compile Massachusetts court records from public portals. These platforms are not updated when DCJIS seals a CORI record. Each must be individually contacted with opt-out requests, and for Massachusetts residents seeking to maximize removal success, documentation of the sealing or expungement order strengthens the opt-out request.
Massachusetts residents are often surprised to learn that CORI sealing - which they understand to mean their record has been "cleared" - does not protect them from a Google search that surfaces the original court docket entry or a data broker profile. The CORI system and the online ecosystem are separate. We address both layers: confirming the DCJIS and court portal have been updated, then pursuing data broker opt-outs and Google de-indexing for all remaining online sources.
How to Remove Massachusetts Court Records from Google and Data Broker Sites
The following steps address the online dimension of your Massachusetts court record. This requires systematic effort across each source - no single submission reaches all platforms simultaneously.
Most people in your position reach out right here.
You've already done the hard part - finding out what's out there. We handle the rest: every platform removal, Google de-indexing, and background check site. No upfront cost. Completely confidential.
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1
Obtain your sealing or expungement order
For misdemeanor CORI sealing, submit your application to DCJIS and retain the confirmation. For felony sealing or expungement under § 100E, file your petition with the appropriate trial court and obtain a signed order. Request certified copies - you will need them for data broker submissions and Google removal requests. -
2
Confirm DCJIS has updated the CORI record
After sealing, you can request a copy of your own CORI report from DCJIS to confirm the record no longer appears. This self-request is available online through the DCJIS iCORI system. If the sealed record still appears in your self-request, contact DCJIS directly. -
3
Check masscourts.org and follow up with the court
Search masscourts.org for your name and case number. If the case still appears after your sealing or expungement order, contact the clerk of the originating court. Request that the court docket entry be restricted consistent with the sealing or expungement order. This step is critical because masscourts.org visibility is independent of DCJIS CORI sealing. -
4
Submit comprehensive data broker opt-out requests
Submit opt-out requests to Spokeo, BeenVerified, Intelius, TruthFinder, PeopleFinder, Whitepages, and all other aggregators showing your record. Include your sealing or expungement order documentation. Re-check all sites at 90-day intervals as profiles can be repopulated. -
5
Use Google's Personal Information Removal Tool
Once source pages have been restricted or removed, submit Google Personal Information Removal Tool requests for any URLs still appearing in search results that reference the sealed or expunged record. Use the outdated content removal tool for pages that have already been de-indexed at the source but remain cached in Google. -
6
Address news coverage and legal aggregators
If Boston Globe, MassLive, local newspapers, or legal aggregators are surfacing your record, contact them directly with documentation of your sealing or expungement order. Many Massachusetts news publishers have evolved policies for reviewing removal requests related to old or minor offenses, particularly following expungement.
Frequently Asked Questions - Massachusetts Court Records
More Resources on Court Record Removal
Understanding your options means looking at the full picture - legal relief, online removal, and what actually shows up on background checks. These guides cover the details:
- Expungement vs. Record Sealing - What's the Difference? - How the two forms of legal relief differ in scope, accessibility, and effect on background checks.
- Can Court Records Be Removed? - A frank breakdown of what can and cannot be removed from public record systems.
- How Court Records Appear on Background Checks - Why some records show up even after legal relief, and how to address each source.
- How to Remove Court Records from Spokeo - Step-by-step guide for one of the most common data broker sources.
Official Massachusetts Court Record Resources
These authoritative sources provide the most current information on Massachusetts CORI sealing, expungement eligibility, and court record access. Always verify current statute language directly with the court or a licensed attorney.
- Massachusetts Trial Court - Official portal for court docket access, CORI sealing forms, and expungement petition procedures.
- Massachusetts Legislature (malegislature.gov) - Full text of M.G.L. c. 276 §100A through §100U - the governing statutes for CORI sealing and expungement.
- U.S. Federal Courts (uscourts.gov) - Federal court records are governed separately and are not affected by Massachusetts state sealing or expungement orders.
- FTC: What to Know About Background Checks - Consumer guidance on how background check companies use public records and your rights under the FCRA.
Even after successful removal, new sources can pick up your record and re-publish it. Our monitoring service tracks your name across 200+ platforms and alerts you the moment a new result appears - so you can address it before it gains search visibility.
Learn about record monitoring →Is Your Massachusetts Record Still Showing Online?
CORI sealing restricts employer access but doesn't clear the online footprint. We help Massachusetts residents address every source - masscourts.org, data brokers, and Google - in one coordinated effort.
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