Find Middlesex County District Court Locations

Middlesex County District Court Overview

The Massachusetts Trial Court runs District Court as a statewide department. Middlesex County falls inside this department and has twelve local divisions. Each one is a state court, not a county court. The county is a geographic venue, not an administrative owner. That means there is no Middlesex County District Court clerk who holds all the files. Each division has its own clerk-magistrate, its own docket, and its own case numbering.

District Court handles a large share of public-facing records. Criminal matters that start here include misdemeanor complaints, arraignments, bail hearings, and preliminary probable-cause hearings for felony charges. Civil cases within the statutory dollar limit, small claims, restraining orders, mental-health commitments under G.L. c.123, and most motor-vehicle and traffic citations are also District Court matters. When a felony goes to grand jury, the case transfers to Superior Court, so the District Court may hold early-stage entries even when the Superior Court holds the main file.

The District Court department page on Mass.gov lists the department's full case-type scope and links to all divisions. It is a good orientation before you pick a specific division.

All Middlesex District Court Divisions

The table below lists every Middlesex District Court division with its address, phone, and the towns it serves. The right division for your case depends on where the incident, filing, or citation occurred, not where you live. Use town names to locate your division, then contact that clerk-magistrate's office for record requests or case status.

Note: Natick District Court has no listed direct phone separate from the Framingham address. Contact the Natick District Court Mass.gov page for current contact details and any updates.

Courthouse Name Mismatch Warning

Three Middlesex District Court divisions sit in a different city than their name suggests. This is one of the most common search errors in Middlesex County. A person who drives to Cambridge looking for the Cambridge District Court will not find it there. The same goes for Natick. Check the address in the table above before you travel to any courthouse.

The Mass.gov location page for Cambridge District Court confirms the Medford address and notes free parking at the courthouse. The research file describes this as a local-color detail that trips up many first-time visitors. When in doubt, look up the court's official page before you go.

The official Mass.gov page for the Cambridge District Court confirms both its Medford location and its role as the Third District Court serving Cambridge, Arlington, and Belmont.

That screenshot illustrates exactly why searching by city name alone can send you to the wrong building. The court's legal name says Cambridge, but the building is in Medford.

District Court vs. Superior Court in Middlesex

Middlesex County has both District Court and Superior Court operating in the same geographic area, but they handle different cases. Many people confuse the two or assume one is a branch of the other. They are separate departments of the Massachusetts Trial Court. Choosing the wrong court to call or search is a common mistake that wastes time. The table below lays out the key differences.

If you are looking for a felony indictment or a major civil judgment, start with Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn. If the record involves a misdemeanor, small claim, traffic citation, or a restraining order, the right place is one of the twelve District Court divisions. Some case histories will show entries in both courts if a felony started at District Court and moved to Superior after grand jury action.

Lowell District Court Records and Access

Lowell District Court at 370 Jackson Street is one of the busiest divisions in Middlesex County. It serves Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury, and Tyngsboro, which together cover a large share of the northern county population. The clerk-magistrate is William A. Lisano, and the First Justice is Hon. John F. Coffey. The phone is (978) 459-4101.

Parking near this courthouse is more involved than at some other divisions. Daily-rate garages sit on Chelmsford Street, Middlesex Street, and Thorndike/Gallagher Street near the train station. Overflow is at the Lower Locks municipal garage at 90 Warren Street. Metered and non-metered street parking is also available. The Route 2 Belvidere bus stops near the garage and courthouse on the inbound trip, with an outbound stop one block up on Appleton Street. The ADA coordinator is Aimee Soy, reachable at (978) 442-3206. If you need an accessible entrance, interpreter, or assistive device, contact the courthouse before you go.

The Mass.gov location page for the Lowell division is the official source for current hours and any closures.

That page also confirms the parking notes that make the Lowell courthouse unusual among Middlesex divisions. Knowing your garage options ahead of time is worth the extra step.

Woburn District Court and Northern Middlesex

Woburn District Court sits at 30 Pleasant Street in Woburn and handles Burlington, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Wilmington, Winchester, and Woburn itself. The courthouse offers free public parking. The phone is (781) 935-4000. Acting Clerk-Magistrate Julie M. Veno runs the clerk's office. First Justice Hon. Jane D. Prince presides.

Note that Woburn also hosts Middlesex Superior Court, but at a completely different address: 200 Trade Center. These are two separate buildings and two separate courts. A person who calls or visits the wrong one will be turned away or redirected. The Woburn District Court handles lower-level cases while the Superior Court at TradeCenter handles felony indictments and major civil matters. If you are not sure which Woburn court to contact, start with the case type: misdemeanor or small claim goes to District Court on Pleasant Street, felony indictment goes to Superior Court at Trade Center.

The official Mass.gov page for Woburn District Court shows the courthouse address, officials, and parking details for this division.

That location page is also where to check current hours and ADA contact information before you visit in person.

Framingham and Natick District Courts

Two divisions share a physical courthouse at 600 Concord Street in Framingham. Framingham District Court serves Ashland, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Sudbury, and Wayland. Natick District Court serves Natick and Sherborn. Both divisions operate from the same building, but they are separate courts with separate dockets and case numbering. The Framingham division phone is (508) 875-7461. The Framingham clerk-magistrate is Robert L. Jubinville and First Justice is Hon. David W. Cunis.

If your citation, small claim, or misdemeanor charge comes from Natick or Sherborn, the case is physically in Framingham even though the official division name is Natick District Court. The Natick District Court Mass.gov page confirms this arrangement. Searching MassCourts eAccess under the Natick division should pull up records assigned there, but in-person visits or certified-copy requests go to the Framingham building.

The Mass.gov Framingham District Court location page shows courthouse details, parking, and the full service-area list for both Framingham and its metro-west neighbors.

This page is worth checking before any visit, since two courts share the same building at 600 Concord Street.

The official Mass.gov page for the Natick division also confirms the Framingham address and notes that Natick matters are filed there.

A Natick resident looking for a traffic citation or small-claims case should expect to deal with the Framingham building, not a separate Natick courthouse.

What Middlesex District Court Cases Cover

District Court in Massachusetts handles a wide range of matters. The short version: if it is not a serious felony indictment, a family or estate matter, or a housing eviction, it is probably here. The high-volume work falls into a few clear buckets.

• Criminal misdemeanors – complaints, arraignments, bail hearings, pre-trial conferences, and bench or jury trials for crimes that do not carry state prison as the maximum sentence.
• Civil small claims – money disputes up to $7,000, heard on an informal schedule with no pleading requirements; no lawyers required.
• General civil – contract, tort, and other civil claims up to the statutory dollar limit; service is more formal than small claims.
• Traffic and motor-vehicle – criminal citations (operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, leaving the scene) and civil infractions (speeding, red light). See traffic court records for more on how to look up citations.
• Restraining orders – abuse prevention orders under G.L. c.209A and harassment prevention orders under G.L. c.258E.
• Mental health – civil commitment petitions under G.L. c.123, involuntary treatment, and Rogers orders.

Preliminary felony hearings also start in District Court. The arraignment, bail hearing, and probable-cause hearing for any charge happen at the district level, even when the case is later indicted and moved to Superior Court. The full Middlesex County court records page covers what types of records are publicly accessible and how to request copies.

How a Case Moves Through the Middlesex System

Understanding the flow helps you search in the right place at the right time. A case does not stay in one court from start to finish. Where a case sits on the docket depends on what stage it has reached. Criminal and civil cases follow different paths, but both are traceable through MassCourts eAccess if you know the department and division to check.

Criminal flow (misdemeanor or felony):
Arrest or complaint › District Court arraignment › Bail hearing › Pre-trial conference › For misdemeanors: trial in District Court › Sentence › Appellate Division review
For felonies: District Court probable-cause hearing › Grand jury at Superior Court › Superior Court arraignment › Pre-trial › Trial › Sentence › Massachusetts Appeals Court › Supreme Judicial Court

Civil flow (small claims or general civil):
Complaint filed at District Court › Service on defendant › Answer or default › Pre-trial conference › Trial or settlement › Judgment › Execution › Appellate Division (District Court appeals) or Superior Court (if jury-claimed)

Appeals from District Court criminal and civil decisions typically go to the Appellate Division of the District Court, not directly to the Appeals Court. The Massachusetts Appeals Court handles cases that come up from Superior Court or in certain direct transfers. The Supreme Judicial Court sits at the top. Federal cases, bankruptcy, and immigration matters are entirely outside this flow and must be searched through federal portals. For docket-level detail on how records look at each stage, see Middlesex County court dockets.

Clerk-Magistrates and What They Do

Each Middlesex District Court division has a clerk-magistrate. The title is not the same as a county clerk or a register of probate. Clerk-magistrates in Massachusetts have a specific role: they run the clerk's office, issue civil process, conduct show-cause hearings before criminal complaints are issued, set bail in some circumstances, and maintain the docket. When a private citizen wants to file a criminal complaint, the clerk-magistrate holds the show-cause hearing to decide whether to issue it.

The show-cause function matters for searches. A case may have a show-cause hearing entry in the docket even if a complaint was never issued. Those entries are part of the public record unless impounded. When you call a division to ask about a case or request records, you are dealing with the clerk-magistrate's office, not a judge's chambers. The clerk's office is the right first contact for docket printouts, certified copies, and procedural questions.

Current Middlesex District Court clerk-magistrates from the research file:

• Ayer: Damian N. Riddle
• Cambridge (in Medford): Sharon S. Casey
• Concord: Ann T. Colicchio
• Framingham: Robert L. Jubinville
• Lowell: William A. Lisano
• Malden (in Medford): Erica Colombo
• Marlborough: Jennifer Lennon
• Newton: Henry H. Shultz
• Somerville: Katherine Barkowski
• Waltham: Elizabeth Cerda
• Woburn: Julie M. Veno (Acting)

The Clerk of Court page covers the full picture of clerk offices across all Middlesex Trial Court departments, including the difference between a District Court clerk-magistrate and the Superior Court Clerk of Courts or the Probate Court Register.

District Court Criminal Records in Middlesex County

Criminal dockets in Middlesex District Court are generally public under Massachusetts common-law and Trial Court public access rules. The docket shows the charge, the case number, the parties, hearing dates, bail status, plea, and disposition. The actual pleadings, police reports, and other documents attached to the file are not always visible online and may require a clerk copy request.

Massachusetts uses the CORI framework (Criminal Offender Record Information) alongside the court docket. These are not the same thing. A CORI report is a controlled dissemination of criminal history through iCORI, with access rules set by statute. A court docket is a public judicial record. Seeing a docket entry for a charge does not mean that charge will show up on a CORI report in the same way, because CORI rules govern what is disseminated and to whom. People often conflate the two when researching their own records or someone else's.

For arrest-level records such as booking entries and police reports, see Middlesex County arrest records. For sealed or expunged criminal records, access is by court order only. M.G.L. c.276, § 100C allows sealing of matters that ended in dismissal, acquittal, no bill, or no probable cause. Sealed records do not appear in public docket searches.

Note: A dismissal or a continuance without a finding (CWOF) is not a conviction. Both can appear on a public docket. Reading the disposition field carefully is essential before drawing conclusions about a person's record.

Small Claims and Civil Cases

Small claims in Massachusetts District Court are for money disputes up to $7,000. No lawyer is needed, and the process is designed to be simple. The plaintiff fills out a form at the clerk's office or by mail, pays the filing fee, and the court schedules a hearing date. The defendant is notified. Both sides show up and explain their case to a judge or a magistrate. There is no formal complaint and no discovery.

General civil cases in District Court follow a more formal process and can involve claims up to the statutory limit. Service of process, answers, motions, and discovery apply. The clerk-magistrate issues process and maintains the docket. Most general civil cases involve contract disputes, property damage, or collections. Personal injury cases above the dollar limit would go to Superior Court instead.

Both small claims and civil records are public dockets searchable through MassCourts eAccess. For a step-by-step search walkthrough, the Middlesex County court records page covers the search fields and how to read results. For docket schedules and calendar lookups, try court dockets.

Appeals from Middlesex District Court

When a case is appealed from a Middlesex District Court division, it does not go to a county appeals body. Massachusetts uses the Appellate Division of the District Court for civil and certain criminal appeals from District Court. That division is a statewide body, and it issues written decisions that can be further appealed to the Massachusetts Appeals Court in some situations.

For criminal cases, a defendant who is convicted at a jury-waived trial in District Court can claim a jury trial in the District Court itself, or appeal on legal grounds to the Appellate Division. For jury-claim appeals to Superior Court, the case moves to Superior Court for a full de novo trial, which means the case starts fresh rather than reviewing the District Court record.

The Massachusetts Appeals Court handles cases that come from Superior Court as well as certain direct cases from the Trial Court under statute. The Supreme Judicial Court is the state's highest court. Appellate case searches are available through a separate portal: Massachusetts Appellate Courts public case search. That search is separate from MassCourts eAccess and covers Appeals Court and Supreme Judicial Court dockets.

Related Middlesex County Resources

District Court is one part of a larger network of Middlesex courts and offices. The full Trial Court picture includes Superior Court, Probate and Family Court, Housing Court, Juvenile Court, and Land Court. Each has its own records, its own clerk, and its own access rules.

• Middlesex County court records – how to search MassCourts eAccess and what types of records each department holds.
• Court dockets – how to read a docket, what the entries mean, and where to find calendar and case status information.
• Clerk of Court – how to request certified copies, the difference between clerk-magistrates and the Clerk of Courts, and how to reach each office.
• Arrest records – booking records, police blotter, CORI, and arrest information separate from the court docket.
• Traffic court records – how to find a citation, pay or contest a ticket, and get a copy of a traffic case record.
• Probate & Family Court – divorce, custody, estates, and guardianship matters handled separately from District Court.