Franklin County Traffic Ticket Records

Franklin County traffic ticket records are kept at two district courts: Greenfield District Court for the western and central towns, and Orange District Court for the eastern towns. The county is largely rural, with Route 2 serving as the main east-west corridor and Interstate 91 running north-south through the Connecticut River valley. Citations issued anywhere in Franklin County go to the court covering that town. Knowing which court has your Franklin County traffic ticket record is the first step.

Greenfield District Court

The Greenfield District Court is at 101 Munson Street in Greenfield, MA 01301. Phone: (413) 774-7011. This court handles traffic ticket records for a wide swath of western Franklin County: Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Greenfield, Hawley, Heath, Leyden, Monroe, Montague, Northfield, Rowe, Shelburne, Sunderland, and Whately.

Greenfield is the county seat and the largest community in Franklin County. Interstate 91 runs through Greenfield, and Route 2 intersects at the Turner's Falls area. These two corridors are where most of the county's speeding and moving violation citations originate. Deerfield, Sunderland, and Whately are agricultural towns along Route 116 and Interstate 91, and enforcement on the highway is regular year-round.

The Franklin County Superior Court is also at 101 Munson Street in Greenfield, reachable at (413) 775-7400. Both courts share the same address, so higher-level traffic matters and appeals can be addressed in the same location.

The Greenfield District Court page has current hours, parking details, and contact information.

If your citation lists a town in the northern or western part of Franklin County, your record is at the Munson Street courthouse in Greenfield.

Orange District Court

The Orange District Court is at 1 Court Square, Orange, MA 01364. Phone: (978) 544-8277. This court covers the eastern half of Franklin County: Athol, Erving, Gill, New Salem, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Templeton, Warwick, and Wendell. Route 2 cuts through Erving and Athol in this district, and it is one of the more active stretches for traffic enforcement in the county.

Orange and Athol are the two population centers in the eastern district. Athol sits at the junction of Route 2 and Route 32, a crossing that sees a fair volume of local and through traffic. The rural towns east of Greenfield are sparsely populated, but the roads between them still carry commuter and freight traffic that generates citation activity. Templeton and Phillipston are along Route 2A and are within the Orange court's service area.

The court at 1 Court Square is a small facility but serves a broad geographic region. If you got a ticket anywhere in eastern Franklin County, your citation record is here.

The Orange District Court page has contact details and directions.

Drivers on Route 2 near Erving or Athol who receive citations will find their records at Orange District Court, not at Greenfield. The Route 2 corridor passes through both court districts depending on the specific town.

Responding to a Franklin County Traffic Citation

Massachusetts calls traffic tickets Civil Motor Vehicle Infractions, or CMVIs. You have 20 days from the date on the ticket to respond. If you do nothing, a default is entered and your license may be suspended. Three choices are available: pay the fine, request a Clerk-Magistrate hearing for $25, or request a judge hearing for $50.

Use MassCourts to look up your citation by name or case number. The free system shows the court, case status, and any scheduled hearing dates. New citations may take a few days to appear. If you don't see your ticket right away, check back after 48 to 72 hours.

The state's appeal your traffic ticket page explains how to request either type of hearing. At a Clerk-Magistrate hearing, the officer often does not attend and the ticket is frequently dismissed. At a judge hearing, the officer is required to be present. If the officer does not show at a judge hearing, the case is typically dismissed. Both options preserve your ability to fight the ticket within the 20-day window.

Online payment is available through the pay your traffic ticket page. You can also mail payment or pay in person at the court listed on your citation. For general information see the Massachusetts traffic tickets overview.

Fine Schedule and License Rules

Speeding 1 to 10 mph over the limit costs $50. Going 11 or more mph over costs $50 plus $10 for each mph above 10. Every citation carries an additional mandatory $50 Head Injury Assessment surcharge that cannot be waived. A basic speeding ticket therefore costs at least $100 after the surcharge is added.

The hands-free phone law has been active since February 23, 2020. First violation: $100. Second: $250. Third and each one after: $500. Three speeding tickets within 12 months means a 30-day license suspension under MGL c. 90, section 20. Four or more qualifying convictions can bring a four-year suspension as a habitual offender under MGL c. 90, section 22F. The full rules are on the state's multiple offense suspension page. Massachusetts traffic statutes live under MGL Chapter 90.

Franklin County's low density means many tickets come from state police patrols on Route 2 and I-91 rather than local police. The fine schedule and surcharge rules are the same regardless of who issued the ticket.

Check the surchargeable incidents list to understand which violations affect your insurance rate. Not every infraction triggers a surcharge on your policy. An unattested driving record costs $8 from the RMV.

Cities in Franklin County

No cities in Franklin County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page. Greenfield is the largest town in the county. Use the court details above or search MassCourts to find records for any Franklin County community.

Nearby Counties

Franklin County borders four other Massachusetts counties. Check the town on your ticket to confirm which court and county applies to your citation.