Find Suffolk County Traffic Court Records
Suffolk County traffic court records are handled through the Boston Municipal Court system, which covers eight neighborhood divisions across Boston, plus the Chelsea District Court for the city of Chelsea. Suffolk County operates differently from every other county in Massachusetts. Instead of standard district courts, most of the county uses the BMC structure. If you need to find a case, pay a ticket, or request a hearing anywhere in Suffolk County, this guide explains how the system works and where to start.
Suffolk County Overview
The Boston Municipal Court System
Suffolk County does not use the standard district court system that most Massachusetts counties rely on. Instead, most of Boston and the surrounding area within the county is served by the Boston Municipal Court, which has eight geographic divisions. Each division handles traffic cases for the Boston neighborhood or area it covers. Chelsea, which is a separate city in Suffolk County, has its own District Court that operates independently from the BMC.
All BMC and Chelsea District Court records are available through the MassCourts public portal. Search is free and requires no account for basic lookups. You can search by name, date of birth, or docket number. The portal shows hearing dates, case status, disposition, and whether any fines remain open.
The court docket search guide explains how to narrow your search by court location. This is useful in Suffolk County because multiple BMC divisions have overlapping geographic names that can cause confusion.
BMC Divisions and Their Locations
Each of the eight BMC divisions serves a specific part of Boston. Knowing which division covers the location where you were cited is the first step to finding your case or scheduling a hearing. Here are all eight divisions with their addresses.
BMC Central Division
24 New Chardon St, Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 788-8600
Serves the downtown core, North End, and Beacon Hill areas.
BMC Brighton Division
52 Academy Hill Rd, Brighton, MA 02135
Serves Brighton and Allston.
BMC Charlestown Division
3 City Square, Charlestown, MA 02129
Serves Charlestown.
BMC Dorchester Division
510 Washington St, Dorchester, MA 02124
Serves Dorchester.
BMC East Boston Division
37 Meridian St, East Boston, MA 02128
Serves East Boston and the Logan Airport area.
BMC Roxbury Division
85 Warren St, Roxbury, MA 02119
Serves Roxbury and parts of Jamaica Plain.
BMC South Boston Division
535 East Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127
Serves South Boston.
BMC West Roxbury Division
445 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Serves West Roxbury, Roslindale, and Jamaica Plain.
The Boston Municipal Court overview page on mass.gov has the full list of divisions with links to each court's location details.
Boston Municipal Court Traffic Records
The Boston Municipal Court handles the bulk of Suffolk County traffic cases. The BMC system processes civil motor vehicle infractions from across Boston's neighborhoods plus criminal traffic matters including OUI, reckless driving, and negligent operation. Traffic enforcement in Boston is heavy. The city has dense streets, major highways running through it, and significant commercial vehicle activity. Citations volume across the eight divisions is among the highest in the state.
The BMC main page on mass.gov links to each division and provides general information on how the court operates for traffic and other matters.
The Boston Municipal Court is the main traffic court system for Suffolk County and handles cases across eight Boston neighborhood divisions plus oversight of specialty programs like Veterans Court and Mental Health Court.
BMC Central Division Records
The Central Division at 24 New Chardon St is the administrative hub of the BMC system. It handles traffic cases for downtown Boston, the Government Center area, the North End, Waterfront, and Beacon Hill. It also hosts the Veterans Treatment Court, which is available to veterans facing criminal charges including criminal traffic offenses. The Central Division is the busiest of the eight BMC courts.
The BMC Central Division location page has current hours, phone numbers, and any notices affecting court access.
BMC Central Division at New Chardon Street is the primary court for downtown Boston traffic cases and the home of the BMC Veterans Treatment Court program.
Chelsea District Court
Chelsea has its own separate District Court that operates outside the BMC system. The Chelsea District Court at 120 Broadway handles all traffic matters for the city of Chelsea. Cases from Revere and Winthrop, while also within Suffolk County, may be processed through BMC divisions rather than Chelsea District Court. Check your citation carefully for the specific court listed.
Chelsea District Court also runs a drug court program. The Massachusetts recovery courts page has eligibility information for those programs. Chelsea is a densely populated urban city with significant commercial traffic. The court handles a steady volume of civil and criminal traffic matters year-round.
The Chelsea District Court location page has current hours and contact information for the court at 120 Broadway.
Chelsea District Court handles all traffic matters for the city of Chelsea and operates separately from the BMC system that covers the rest of Suffolk County.
Civil and Criminal Traffic Cases in Suffolk County
Massachusetts law separates traffic cases into civil and criminal. Civil Motor Vehicle Infractions (CMVIs) are non-criminal tickets under MGL Chapter 90C. These are the most common. You can pay, request a clerk-magistrate hearing for $25, or appeal a clerk ruling to a judge for $50. You must request a hearing within 20 days of the citation date.
Criminal traffic offenses fall under MGL Chapter 90. OUI is the most frequent criminal traffic charge and is covered under Chapter 90, Section 24. A first OUI offense may qualify for the 24D program, which involves alcohol education and can result in a reduced outcome. Reckless driving, negligent operation, and leaving the scene of an accident also carry criminal charges. These cases go through the BMC criminal process, not the civil infraction system.
At judge-level CMVI appeals, the issuing officer must appear. If the officer does not show, the ticket is dismissed. The ticket appeal guide and the hearing guide both explain the steps in detail.
Specialty Courts at Suffolk County BMC Divisions
The BMC system runs several specialty court programs across its divisions. These programs are available to defendants who qualify and may offer alternative outcomes in place of traditional criminal prosecution. Veterans Treatment Court operates at the Central Division. Mental Health Courts operate at Central, Roxbury, and West Roxbury. Drug Courts operate at Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, and Chelsea. A Homeless Court program also operates at West Roxbury.
The specialty courts department page gives an overview of these programs statewide and how referrals work. The recovery and drug courts page covers the drug court programs specifically. These programs are primarily relevant for criminal traffic offenses, not civil infractions. If you face an OUI or other criminal traffic charge in Suffolk County, speak with an attorney about whether specialty court might be a better path than traditional prosecution.
The Suffolk District Attorney's office prosecutes criminal traffic matters across the county. The DA's office has information on court locations and can be reached at (617) 619-4000 for case-related questions from attorneys.
Paying a Suffolk County Traffic Ticket
To pay a ticket online, use the official Massachusetts ticket payment page. You can also pay by mail or in person at the relevant BMC division or Chelsea District Court clerk's office. Paying means you accept the violation. Points go to your RMV driving record under the Safe Driver Insurance Plan. Higher point totals raise your insurance rates.
To fight the ticket, request a hearing within 20 days. The clerk-magistrate hearing costs $25. If the clerk rules against you, a judge appeal costs $50 more. At the judge hearing, the officer must appear or the ticket is dismissed. Urban enforcement officers in Boston and Chelsea have heavy caseloads and do not always appear for all hearings. This makes contesting a ticket in Suffolk County worth considering for some citations.
You can check your current driving record by submitting a driving record request through the RMV. Standard records cost $20. Certified copies cost more. You can also request a police crash report if your stop involved an accident.
Suffolk County Court Fees and Records Access
The BMC and district court filing fees page lists the current cost schedule for filings in Suffolk County courts. The $25 and $50 hearing fees are standard statewide. Certified copies of court records carry separate fees. The Massachusetts court system overview explains how the BMC fits into the statewide Trial Court structure.
Cities in Suffolk County
Two qualifying cities in Suffolk County have dedicated traffic court records pages.
Nearby Counties
Suffolk County is bordered by Middlesex and Norfolk counties by land, and Essex County is accessible via Chelsea to the north.