Search Traffic Ticket Records in Suffolk County
Suffolk County traffic ticket records cover civil motor vehicle infractions issued anywhere in Boston, Revere, Chelsea, and Winthrop. The Boston Municipal Court system handles the bulk of these cases, with eight divisions spread across the city. You have 20 days from the ticket date to respond or the case goes to default, so knowing where to look matters.
Suffolk County at a Glance
Boston Municipal Court System
Suffolk County is the only county in Massachusetts where traffic tickets go through the Boston Municipal Court rather than a standard district court. The BMC has eight divisions, each covering a specific part of the city. Which court handles your case depends on where the ticket was issued, not where you live. Get that wrong and you may end up at the wrong building on your hearing date.
The Boston Municipal Court was established by its own act of the legislature and has a distinct structure from the rest of the Trial Court. Each division has its own clerk's office and traffic hearing schedule. The Central Division at 24 New Chardon Street is the administrative hub, but it only handles tickets issued in its specific service area: downtown Boston, Chinatown, the North End, South End, West End, and Beacon Hill.
The full list of BMC locations shows which neighborhoods each division serves. If you got a ticket in Dorchester, you go to the Dorchester Division. A ticket from East Boston goes to the East Boston Division. The system is geographic, so check your ticket paperwork for the court name if it is listed, or match the street address where you were stopped to the right division.
The Central Division sits at 24 New Chardon Street in the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse, Boston, MA 02114. Phone: (617) 788-8600. The building is accessible by MBTA Blue Line (Bowdoin stop) and Orange Line (Haymarket stop). It also houses the Court Service Center on the second floor, where court staff help self-represented people fill out forms and understand the process.
The Suffolk County Superior Court at 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108, phone (617) 788-8160, handles appeals from lower court decisions and any cases that get elevated beyond the district/BMC level.
The Chelsea District Court at 120 Broadway, Chelsea, MA 02150, phone (617) 660-9200, covers the eastern part of Suffolk County. It handles traffic tickets from Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. If you received a ticket in any of those three cities, Chelsea District Court is your court, not the BMC.
BMC Divisions and Service Areas
Each BMC division handles civil motor vehicle infractions from its own service area. Here is where each one is located and who it serves.
Brighton Division: 52 Academy Hill Road, Brighton, MA 02135, phone (617) 782-6540. Serves the Brighton and Allston neighborhoods. Charlestown Division: 3 City Square, Charlestown, MA 02129, phone (617) 242-5400. Serves Charlestown. Dorchester Division: 510 Washington Street, Dorchester, MA 02124, phone (617) 288-9500. Serves Dorchester. East Boston Division: 37 Meridian Street, East Boston, MA 02128, phone (617) 569-7550. Serves East Boston. Roxbury Division: 85 Warren Street, Roxbury, MA 02119, phone (617) 427-7000. Serves Roxbury and Mission Hill. South Boston Division: 535 East Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127, phone (617) 268-9292. Serves South Boston and the Seaport. West Roxbury Division: 445 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, phone (617) 971-1200. Serves West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, and Hyde Park.
The BMC also runs special programs not found at most district courts. These include a Mental Health Court, a Veterans' Treatment Court, a Lawyer for the Day program at most divisions, and the Court Service Center at the Central Division. None of these programs affect routine traffic ticket hearings, but they show the scope of operations at this court system.
The MassCourts case search tool covers all BMC divisions and Chelsea District Court. You can look up a case by name or case number. The system shows docket entries, hearing dates, and case status. Results for traffic cases are generally public, though some details on cases involving minors may be restricted.
The BMC locations page at mass.gov lists hours for each division. Most run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Some divisions have limited counter hours for traffic matters, so call ahead before you go in person.
Looking Up BMC Traffic Cases Online
The state's free case search system covers all Boston Municipal Court divisions. You can find a case without visiting the courthouse. Search by the defendant's name or by the case number printed on your ticket.
The BMC locations page lists each division with its address, phone number, and the neighborhoods it serves.
The locations page is a useful starting point when you need to confirm which division covers the street where a ticket was issued.
The Central Division page on mass.gov shows hours, directions, and available services at the main BMC courthouse.
The Central Division at the Brooke Courthouse handles downtown Boston tickets and also hosts the Court Service Center for self-represented litigants.
Responding to a Suffolk County Traffic Ticket
Massachusetts traffic tickets are officially called Civil Motor Vehicle Infractions (CMVIs). You have three options when you get one: pay it, request a Clerk-Magistrate Hearing, or request a Hearing Before a Judge. You must act within 20 days or the Registry of Motor Vehicles will receive notice of a default and your license may be suspended.
Paying the ticket is the fastest option. You admit to the infraction and pay the stated fine. This closes the case but adds a surchargeable incident to your driving record. For most moving violations, that means a rate increase with your auto insurer. The state payment portal at mass.gov accepts online payments for most Suffolk County tickets.
A Clerk-Magistrate Hearing costs $25. You are not admitting anything by requesting one. The clerk magistrate reviews the evidence and decides whether to dismiss the case, find you responsible, or schedule a further hearing. This is an informal proceeding, but you can bring documents, photos, or a witness. Many people use this level to contest tickets before deciding whether to appeal.
If the clerk magistrate finds you responsible and you disagree, you can appeal to a judge for $50. This is a more formal hearing before a District Court or BMC judge. The judge reviews the matter fresh. You can present your case and the officer may appear to give their account. The judge issues a final decision at the end of the hearing.
Details on what to expect at each stage are on the mass.gov hearing guide. The appeal instructions walk through the steps to request a judge hearing after a Clerk finding.
Fines, Surcharges, and Suspensions
Speeding fines in Massachusetts start at $50 for going 1-10 mph over the limit. Going 11 or more mph over costs $50 plus $10 for each mph above the limit. On top of that, there is a $50 Head Injury surcharge added to every speeding ticket. That means a 15-mph-over ticket costs at least $150 before any fees for a hearing.
The Hands-Free Law fine is $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second, and $500 for any offense after that. This covers using a handheld phone while driving, not just texting. The law applies to all drivers at all times when the vehicle is in motion.
Three speeding tickets within 12 months triggers a 30-day license suspension under MGL c. 90, section 20. Under MGL c. 90, section 22F, a driver with a pattern of violations can be classified as a habitual offender, which carries a four-year suspension. Suffolk County's high traffic volume means these accumulation rules come up often, particularly on major corridors like Route 1, the Southeast Expressway, and the Sumner Tunnel approach.
Which incidents count as surchargeable is spelled out at mass.gov. Not every traffic violation results in a surcharge. Minor equipment violations, for instance, are often not surchargeable. Knowing this distinction matters when you decide whether to pay or contest a ticket.
Suspension rules from multiple offenses are detailed at mass.gov. If your license has already been suspended once, a second pattern of violations can lead to a longer revocation period.
Chelsea District Court
Chelsea District Court covers traffic tickets from Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. It operates under the same CMVI rules as the BMC but is part of the District Court department rather than the BMC.
The Chelsea District Court page on mass.gov shows the court's hours, address, and services.
Chelsea District Court is at 120 Broadway, Chelsea, MA 02150. Call (617) 660-9200 for information. Residents of Revere or Winthrop who receive traffic citations should direct all correspondence and hearing requests to this location.
Suffolk County Superior Court
The Superior Court handles appeals and elevated matters. It does not take routine traffic ticket hearings, but it is the venue for any case appealed beyond the BMC or Chelsea District Court.
The Suffolk County Superior Court is located at 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108, phone (617) 788-8160.
Most traffic ticket matters in Suffolk County are fully resolved at the BMC or Chelsea District Court level and never reach the Superior Court.
Your Driving Record and the RMV
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) keeps your official driving record. It shows all surchargeable incidents, suspensions, and license actions. Your insurer uses this record to set rates. You can request your own driving record at the RMV website. Instructions for requesting a driving record are at mass.gov.
Each surchargeable incident stays on your record for six years from the date of the incident, not the date of the conviction. That six-year window is important for insurance rate purposes. Winning a hearing at the BMC or Chelsea District Court means the incident does not appear as a surcharge on your record. Paying the ticket or losing the hearing means it does.
If your license is suspended following a Suffolk County traffic case, the RMV sends a notice to your address on file. You must complete the suspension period and pay any reinstatement fee before you can drive legally. The mass.gov traffic tickets page explains how the process works from ticket to record entry.
Cities in Suffolk County
Suffolk County includes Boston and several surrounding communities. Traffic ticket cases from each city are assigned to the BMC division or Chelsea District Court that covers that area.
Chelsea and Winthrop are also part of Suffolk County. Traffic cases from those communities are handled at Chelsea District Court, but neither city has a dedicated records page on this site.
Nearby Counties
Suffolk County borders four other Massachusetts counties. If a ticket was issued near a county line or you need to confirm which court has jurisdiction, check the address on your citation against these neighboring county pages.