How Do I Get a Copy of My CORI?

To get a copy of your CORI, you must fill out and submit the Personal CORI Request Form, You can download a pdf version of this file from the CHSB website or call the Criminal History Systems Board at 617-660-4600 (for TTY, call 617-660-4606) and ask them to mail it to you.

Important:

You need to have the form notarized (that is, have a person certified as a notary public witness your signing of the form). Fill out the form, but wait until you go to the notary to sign it. You can find a notary public in city and town clerks’ offices, local banks, real estate offices, lawyers’ offices, and travel agencies. In Massachusetts, notaries may charge no more than $1.25 for notarizing a document.

There is a $25 fee for your CORI. If you cannot pay the $25 fee, then you can fill out an Affidavit of Indigency . You can get a free CORI report if:

• You receive certain public benefits; or
• Your income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines; or
• Paying the fee would deprive you or your family of food, shelter, clothing or other necessities of life.

After you have filled out the form and had it notarized, mail it (along with a check for $25 or your completed Affidavit of Indigency) to the Criminal History Systems Board at the address that is near the top of the form.

You should get a copy of your CORI in the mail in about two or three weeks.

How do I read my CORI?

CORI reports were originally made to be used by police, courts, probation officers, and other law enforcement agencies. Now, lots of people have access to CORI reports. But the reports are still written using law enforcement codes instead of plain language.

The Criminal  History Systems Bureau has a list of Disposition Codes and a list of Status Codes that explain what happened while the case was in court.

• You will find the status codes in the right-most column of your CORI report. 
• The disposition codes are listed on the left for each stage of a case and will tell you what happened in the case at that stage. 

You can also look at a sample CORI.

The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute has produced a list of some abbreviations used for different crimes.

The lists might not explain all the codes on your CORI. If you cannot understand something on the CORI, you can call the probation office at the court where the case was heard and ask if one of the probation officers can explain the entry.

Affidavit of Indigency