What are New Bedford City Public Records?
According to Massachusetts law, public records include all data notwithstanding its form generated, collated, maintained, or received by any agency of the government or its employees. These data could be in the form of books, photographs, financial statements, maps, or even audio recordings. However, all Bedford City records are not public. The following records are exempt from public access:
- All records whose public disclosure is prohibited by a statute.
- All records relating to internal practices and rules of a government agency whose disclosure would hinder the proper functioning of the agency.
- All personal information whose disclosure will be considered an unwarranted privacy invasion.
- All records pertaining to unfinalized acquisitions and sales by the government.
- All information that is material to ongoing investigations by law enforcement agencies.
- Trade secrets and financial information submitted to the agency in confidence.
- Bids or proposals pertaining to a contract or agreement before such agreements are made public
- Information of individuals applying for firearms
- Library information whose disclosure may reveal the identity of the library users.
- All materials, and scoring keys used in administering an examination or professional licensing.
- Personal information of government employees such as home address and email and personal phone numbers.
- All adoption contact indices and information.
New Bedford City Crime Statistics
The New Bedford Police Department keeps members of the public updated on the City's crime rate by publishing crime statistics which shows the number of crimes reported over a time frame. The New Bedford Police Department recorded a total of 386 reported crimes between May 24 and June 20, 2021. The crime listed in the report included 38 aggravated assault cases, 128 simple assaults, ten rape offenses, 21 burglary incidents, 108 larceny cases, five robbery incidents, one arson incident, seven incidents of vehicle theft, 4 cases of fatal overdose, and 64 cases of non-fatal overdose. This number of reported crimes when compared with the 315 total reported within the same period in 2020, shows an increase in criminal activities within the city.
Are New Bedford City Criminal Records Public?
Pursuant to the provision of the Massachusett Public Records Act, New Bedford criminal records are public. However, public access is restricted to specific criminal records that have been sealed or expunged. Criminal records that have been sealed or expunged may only be attained by the record's subject or official representatives of law enforcement agencies. Information contained in the New Bedford criminal record that is accessible to the public include:
- The full name of the subject of the record
- All known addresses of the subject
- Physical descriptors
- Charges
- Record of past arrests
- Fingerprints
- Past and pending warrants
- Photograph
To inspect and obtain copies of New Bedford criminal records, requesters must complete the request form and submit it to the City's Police Department either in person, via mail, or fax. Requests for criminal records are fulfilled by the New Bedford Police Department within 25 business days. Alternatively, interested persons may also obtain criminal records through the office of the trial court clerk.
How to Obtain New Bedford City Police Reports and Arrest Records
Requesters can gain access to copies of New Bedford Police reports and arrest records by filling the request form and submitting it to the Central Records Bureau division of the Police Department at:
New Bedford Police Headquarters,
871 Rockdale Ave,
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (508) 991-6300
Record seekers will be required to provide detailed information, which includes:
- Case number
- Location of incident
- Name of the subject of the report
- Requester's full name
- Requester's contact details
How to Find Sex Offender Information in New Bedford City
Massachusetts sex offender registry is maintained statewide by the Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB). Interested persons may obtain information on New Bedford sex offenders by making use of the sex offender search tool available on the SORB website. Requesters may either conduct a name search or geographical search. For a name search, requesters are required to provide the offender's full name, registration status, and offense level.
On the other hand, record seekers are required to provide the offender's city, zip code, and address radius to carry out a geographical search. It is worthy of note that only information on level 2 and level 3 registered offenders is available on the sex offender registry. Alternatively, requesters may obtain information on New Bedford sex offenders by checking in with the City's Police Department.
How to Find New Bedford City Inmate Records
New Bedford City inmate records maintained by the jail division of the Bristol County Sheriff's Office and may be obtained by calling the Sheriff's Office or visiting in person at:
Sheriff of Bristol County, Massachusetts
400 Faunce Corner Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747
Phone: (508) 995-6400
Inmate's details available to requesters include first and last names, reason for arrest, house address, booking number, agency that carried out the arrest, and inmate's release date.
How Do I Visit an Inmate in the Bristol County Jail?
Inmates in Bristol County jail are allowed by the sheriff's Office to visit friends and family members. The detention division specifically reserved for adults consists of a correctional house for male inmates and a women's center for female inmates. Both facilities are accessible to visitors. Each inmate is allowed to have a maximum of 2 visits in a week. Additionally, each visit is scheduled to last for a maximum of 30 minutes.
All adult visitors must complete and submit a visitation request form prior to the visitation to have their visits scheduled. Underaged visitors are also required to submit a minor request form which will be approved before the visit. The Sheriff's Office creates allowance for up to two minors to visit inmates at the same time. However, minors visiting the jail facilities must be accompanied by an adult.
All eligible visitors on the visiting list will be subjected to a search before visiting the inmate. Visitors who have contrabands in their possession will have their visit canceled and possibly face prosecution. Items considered as contrabands include:
- Scissors, razor blades, nail clippers, and any sharp objects.
- Tobacco
- Pencils and pen (except for visiting attorneys and legal representatives)
- Jewelry
- All forms of electric equipment
- Drugs and alcohol
- Gifts of any kind
- Food
All intending visitors are required to wear clothes that are not revealing or they will be asked to leave the facility. Any visitor found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be denied entry into the facility. A government-issued ID will also be required from visitors before they are allowed to access the visiting area. The Bristol County jail has designated facilities where all visits take place. Therefore, physical contact with inmates is not allowed. The visitation schedule for Bristol County Jail is as follows:
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 7:00 am - 8:00 pm
- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday - 7:00 am - 4:00 pm
What are New Bedford City Vital Records?
In New Bedford City, vital records refer to the record of all life events that took place in the city, generated and maintained by the government. Events that make the vital records list includes divorce, marriages, births, and deaths. New Bedford City vital records are maintained by different government agencies. Vital records are public records in Massachusetts. Therefore, members of the public are granted access to such records. However, access to certified copies of some vital records is restricted. Record seekers will be required to meet certain eligibility criteria to inspect or obtain copies of such records.
Where and How to Obtain New Bedford City Divorce Records
All divorce records finalized in New Bedford are maintained by the Bristol County Probate and Family Court. Divorce records are issued either as certified copies or informational copies. While informational copies of divorce records may be obtained by the public, access to certified copies is restricted to the following authorized persons:
- Parties to the divorce
- Immediate family members of the parties
- Legal representatives of the parties
Record seekers may obtain copies of the New Bedford City divorce records by completing the request form and submitting it in person or via mail to the office of Register of Bristol Probate and Family Court at:
Bristol Probate and Family Court - Taunton
40 Broadway,
Suite 240,
Taunton, MA 02780
Phone: (508) 977-6040
The court Recorder's office typically fulfills requests within 4 weeks. Additionally, requesters will be required to pay an application fee of $20 payable either by money order, check, bank cashiers or certified check. The required information to be provided by record seekers include:
- Docket number and case name
- The name of the record subjects
- The date the divorce was finalized.
- City of divorce.
- The requester's email address and phone number
- Requester's home address
- Requester's photo identification
Where and How to Get Public New Bedford City Marriage Records
Interested persons may obtain New Bedford City marriage records from the City Clerk's Office. Requests for the records made either in person or via mail are available if the marriage took place in New Bedford City. To order by mail, record seekers are required to complete the application form and send it to Email: elizabeth.marques@newbedford-ma.gov along with a copy of their government-issued ID.
While filling the New Bedford marriage record request form, record seekers will be required to provide the following details:
- The record subjects' name as it appears on the record
- The date of marriage
- The requester's telephone number.
A $15 fee applies for all mail orders. The processing fee is payable by check or money order. It is worthy of note that the Clerk's Office does not accept cash payments for mail orders. For in-person requests, record seekers are required to complete the application form and submit it along with a copy of a government-issued ID at:
New Bedford City Clerk's Office
133 William St - Room 118
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (508) 979-1450
Payment of $15 for an in-person request can be made either by check, cash, money order, or credit/debit card. Typically, all requests are fulfilled in 2-3 business weeks.
While New Bedford City marriage records are public, the Clerk's Office restricts public access to records of individuals who were born to unwed parents. Copies of such records can only be accessed by the following authorized persons:
- The subjects of the record (the couple)
- Their legal guardians or parents (with documentation proving such relationship)
- Their legal representatives (after submitting supporting documents validating the claim)
Where and How to Find New Bedford City Birth Records
New Bedford City residents may obtain birth records from the City Clerk's Office. Birth records may be obtained as certified or non-certified copies. Non-certified copies are issued for informational purposes. To obtain copies of birth records in New Bedford, requesters are required to fill the vital records request form. However, access to certified copies of birth records is restricted to authorized persons. Individuals that are authorized to obtain certified copies of birth records include:
- The subject of the record
- The subject's parents, legal guardian, or family members including grandparents, current spouse, and children.
- An official court representative
- A person with a valid Federal Court order authorizing the request for birth records.
Birth records of children born to unwed parents are confidential in New Bedford and can only be obtained by the following authorized persons:
- The subject of the record
- Parents
- Father (after providing evidence supporting paternity in a situation where they are not listed on the record)
- Legal representative after providing evidence supporting legal representation.
- Legal guardian with proof of legal guardianship
Requesters are to submit the completed request form and pay the application fee of $15. Request forms may be submitted in person or mailed at:
New Bedford City Clerk's Office
133 William St - Room 118
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (508) 979-1450
Email: elizabeth.marques@newbedford-ma.gov
Payments for in-person requests can be made in cash, by check, through Debit/Credit cards, or money order. On the other hand, payments for mail requests are made only by check. The average processing time for all requests is 2 to 3 weeks.
Where and How to Find New Bedford City Death Records
Interested persons can obtain certified copies of New Bedford City death records through the City Clerk's Office. To obtain New Bedford City death records, requesters will be required to complete the vital records request form. The notarized copy of the form is to be submitted in person or via mail, along with the applicable fee of $15 and a copy of the requester's government-issued identification card at:
New Bedford City Clerk's Office
133 William St - Room 118
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (508) 979-1450
Email: elizabeth.marques@newbedford-ma.gov
The City Clerk's Office accepts Cash, Checks, or Debit/Credit cards. However, only Checks are acceptable forms of payment for requests made via mail. All requests are typically fulfilled within 2 to 3 weeks. Alternatively, interested persons may obtain New Bedford City death records by ordering online on the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics website. Requesters ordering online will be required to provide the following details:
- State and City where the death occurred
- Date of death
- Reason for requesting
The applicable fee for online order is $51, inclusive of a $9 processing fee.
