Public Records
Under Massachusetts law, every person has a right to access public government records. Not all records are public, and you may need to pay a fee to get them.
Contact publicrecords@boston.gov if you have any questions, or if you need help getting records from the City of Boston.
Contact
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 615Boston, MA 02201 -
Office hoursMonday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Public records resources
ResourcesAnalyze Boston: Boston's Open Data Hub
Appealing a denial of access to public records
Boston Police public records requests
City of Boston birth, death, and marriage records
Guide to Mass. public records law
Making a request for public records in Mass.
Public records law: MA General Law Chapter 4, Section 7
Department contacts
Assessing
617-635-4287
BOS:311
311 or 617-635-4500
Boston Planning & Development Agency
617-722-4300
City Council
Contact: Christine O'Donnell
617-635-1185
Fire Department
617-343-3550
Inspectional Services
617-635-5300
Parks and Recreation
617-635-4505
Police Department
617-343-6660
Public Health Commission
617-534-5395
Public Works
617-635-4900
Registry: Birth, death, and marriage records
617-635-4175
Transportation
617-635-4680
Water and Sewer Commission
617-989-7000
Cost of public records requests
Paper copies of records
City of Boston departments assume you would like electronic copies of records if we have them. The cost of black and white paper copies of documents is $.05 per page.
Research cost
There is no cost for the first two hours of time we need to find records. After two hours, the fee is usually no more than $25.00 per hour. When we review a request, we will provide you an estimate of how much the research will cost.
Contact
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 615Boston, MA 02201 -
Office hoursMonday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
