Access Cambridge Public Records

Cambridge public records are maintained by the City Clerk, the Assessing Department, the Police Department, and other city agencies. Cambridge is a densely populated city in Middlesex County, home to major universities and thousands of residents who need access to city documents every year. This page explains where Cambridge public records are held, how to submit a request, and what to expect from each office.

Cambridge City Clerk

The Cambridge City Clerk is located at City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. This office holds vital records going back to 1635. The range of documents kept here includes birth, marriage, and death certificates, business certificates, dog licenses, voter registration files, public meeting minutes, City Council records, and election records. The Clerk's office is one of the most useful places to start when searching Cambridge public records.

Cambridge City Hall is well served by the MBTA Red Line. The Central Square station is close to City Hall. Bring a valid photo ID when visiting in person, especially for vital records requests.

Cambridge Public Records Requests

Cambridge has a dedicated public records portal at cambridgema.gov/publicrecords. You can use this portal to submit a request, track its status, and receive responsive documents. You can also email publicrecords@cambridgema.gov directly. All requests must receive a response within 10 business days under MGL Chapter 66, Section 10.

Cambridge is a municipality with over 20,000 residents, which means the first two hours of staff time on a records request are free. After that, the rate is capped at $25 per hour. Paper copies cost $0.05 per page. Electronic documents are often provided at no extra cost. If your request is denied in whole or in part, you can appeal to the Supervisor of Records at One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, MA 02108.

The screenshot below shows the Cambridge public records request portal, where you can submit and track requests online.

Cambridge's online portal lets you submit requests to any city department, check response status, and download released documents.

Note: Cambridge often responds faster than the 10-day limit for simple document requests submitted through the online portal.

Cambridge Vital Records

The Cambridge City Clerk issues certified copies of birth, marriage, and death records dating back to 1635. Each certified copy costs $15. You can order records in person at City Hall, by mail, or online. The city's vital records ordering page is at cambridgema.gov. Online orders may carry an additional processing fee depending on the delivery method.

Access to certified copies is limited to the individual named, immediate family members, legal representatives, and people with a documented legal need. Genealogy researchers can often access records over 100 years old under state guidelines. For records outside the scope of what the city holds, the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics at mass.gov/orgs/registry-of-vital-records-and-statistics is the state-level resource.

Cambridge Assessing and Property Records

The Cambridge Assessing Department is at City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway. The phone number is (617) 349-4343, and the email is assessing@cambridgema.gov. The office holds property assessments, ownership records, and tax information for all Cambridge parcels. You can look up property data online at cambridgema.gov/assess. The database is free and open to the public.

The screenshot below shows the Cambridge Assessing Department's online property lookup tool.

The Cambridge assessing database allows searches by address, parcel ID, or owner name, with current and prior year values shown for each property.

For deed records and other recorded instruments, Cambridge falls under Middlesex South Registry of Deeds. You can search deeds, mortgages, liens, and other documents at no charge through MassLandRecords.com. The registry covers all recorded land documents in Middlesex County.

Cambridge Police Records

The Cambridge Police Department is at 125 Sixth Street and can be reached at (617) 349-3300. Accident reports are available through the Records Division at cambridgema.gov/police/records. Other incident reports and police records follow the standard public records process under state law. Submit a written request identifying the incident, date, and parties involved.

For court records, Cambridge residents can access case information through MassCourts.org. Cambridge District Court and Middlesex Superior Court are the primary courts serving Cambridge. The free MassCourts portal lets you search by name or case number. Criminal background checks are handled separately through the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services at mass.gov/orgs/dcjis.

Middlesex County Public Records

Cambridge is located in Middlesex County, the most populous county in Massachusetts. County-level records, including the Middlesex Registry of Deeds and Middlesex County courts, are central to understanding the full public records landscape for Cambridge. For details on county resources, visit the Middlesex County public records page.

View Middlesex County Public Records

Nearby Qualifying Cities

Cambridge is surrounded by several qualifying cities in the Boston metro area, each with its own city clerk and public records office.