What Are Quincy City Public Records?
Following the Massachusetts Public Records Law, Quincy City public records refer to all documentary materials or data generated or collected by a governmental entity in the city (except where restricted by court order or statutory exemptions). Public records are available in various physical forms or characteristics, including papers, books, statistical tabulations, video/audio tapes, photographs, films, and maps. Examples of records that are publicly available in Quincy City include:
- Published crime statistics and other published reports
- Unsealed and non-confidential court files
- Quincy City vital records on marriages, births, and deaths
- Sex offender information
- City council open meeting agendas
- Public election records
Exempted information according to the Massachusetts Public Records Law includes:
- Information specifically - or by necessary implication – exempted from disclosure by statute
- Records concerning internal personnel rules and operations that may hinder proper performance if disclosed
- Medical and personnel files or information of a personal nature that may constitute an unwarranted invasion of an individual’s privacy
- Intra-agency and inter-agency letters or memoranda regarding policy positions being developed by a government body, excluding reasonably completed factual reports or studies upon which the policy positions development is based
- Personal notebooks and other documentary materials prepared by a public employee and not kept as part of the governmental unit’s records
- Sensitive investigative materials
- Financial information, trade secrets, and commercial information
- Certain government bidding or proposal information
- Real property appraisals until the final agreement, expired litigation, or terminated litigation
- Firearm records disclosing the names and addresses of persons who applied for firearm possession
- Instruments like scoring keys, question and answer sheets, or other materials used in an examination, assessment, or test.
Government agencies shall withhold exempted records or information from unauthorized members of the public. However, if exempt and nonexempt information is available in a record, the custodian may delete or redact the exempted portions from the document given to the public.
Alongside government agencies, public city records may also be accessible from third-party websites. Record seekers may either opt to use these non-governmental platforms to search for a specific record or multiple city records. However, users will need to provide enough information to assist with the search such as:
- The address of the requestor
- A case number or file number (if known)
- The location of the document or person involved
- The name of the subject involved in the record (not juvenile)
- The last known or current address of the registrant
Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
Quincy City Crime Statistics
According to the recent FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data, there were 375 violent crimes and 1,146 property crimes in 2019, as reported by the Quincy Police Department. In order of frequency, violent crimes consisted of one murder case, 31 rape offenses, 61 robberies, and 282 aggravated assaults. Likewise, property crimes were broken down into two arson offenses, 55 motor vehicle thefts (MVT), 216 burglaries, and 875 larceny-theft crimes.
In comparison with the 2018 crime report, violent crimes increased by 6.5%, and property crimes reduced by 3.7%. Murder, robbery, aggravated assault, and larceny-theft offenses had increased crime rates between 2018 and 2019, whereas rape, burglary, MVT, and arson offenses witness varying levels of decrease.
Are Quincy City Criminal Records Public?
Quincy City criminal records are public information except if access is otherwise restricted by law. These records often contain non-expunged details of an individual's arrest, prosecution, and conviction as gathered from local and statewide law enforcement agencies and courts. The Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Services maintains these statewide criminal records and provides access to individuals and authorized entities through the iCORI or SAFIS system. Alternatively, interested persons may obtain separate arrest or disposition information from local law enforcement agencies or criminal courts where the case was filed.
How to Obtain Quincy City Police Reports and Arrest Records
The Quincy Police Department maintains records of accidents, arrests, and other criminal incidents that happen within its jurisdictions. However, not all of these records are available for public viewing, inspection, or duplication, especially information relating to ongoing investigation or litigation.
The Records Department is the division of the Quincy Police Department in charge of filing records and processing requests. Individuals interested in incident reports may contact the Records Department at the police station during work hours. For crash reports, interested persons should send filled requests forms to the Records Department at:
1 Sea Street,
Quincy, MA 02169
Phone: (617) 479-1212
Additionally, interested persons may send public records requests to the designated Records Access Officer for the Quincy Police Department. Mail, email, or make walk-in requests by filling and providing the request form to:
Lieutenant Terence McDonnell
Inspector of Divisions
One Sea Street,
Quincy, MA 02169
Phone: (617) 745-5744
Email: qpdrecordsrequest@quincyma.gov
How to Find Sex Offender Information in Quincy City
Residents and non-residents may obtain information on Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders in Quincy City by using the search tool available on the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry. Users may conduct the following categories of searches on the public database:
- Offender details search: Users may input specific offender information like name, initials, offender level, and registration search
- City, county, zip search: This provides offender listing according to the municipality
- Geographical/neighborhood search: A more advanced search compared to the city/county/zip code search and requires users to provide a specific street address
Individuals may obtain the following information on a sex offender registered on the site:
- Offender name
- Photograph
- Other demographics such as year of birth, aliases, race, sex, height, weight, eye color, and hair color
- Offender level
- Registration status
- Location and address
- Conviction/adjudication details
Alternatively, persons may send requests to the Sex Offender Registry Board via mail, online, phone call. Furthermore, residents may visit or send request forms to the Quincy Police Department.
How to Find Quincy City Inmate Records
Persons arrested by the Quincy Police Department and other arresting agencies in the county may be detained at the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office/Jail. The facility houses inmates who are awaiting trial and those serving sentences not exceeding two and half years. Interested persons may obtain inmate information should make public records requests by contacting the Sheriff’s Office at:
200 West Street,
P.O. Box 149
Dedham MA 02026
Email: records_request@norfolksheriffma.org
Requesters should note that information on case dispositions or arrests may not be available in the Sheriff's Office but at the respective court or arresting agency.
For inmates not housed in the facility but under the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, interested persons may conduct online inmate searches using the inmate’s commitment number or first and last name.
How Do I Visit an Inmate in Quincy City Jail?
The Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office/Jail serves Quincy City and other areas in the county. All visitors into the facility must be pre-approved, and intending visitors should submit a filled visitor pre-approval form and minor consent form (if necessary) and send to:
Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office
200 West Street,
P.O. Box 149
Dedham, MA 02027
Attention: Records Division
Email: visits@norfolksheriffma.org
An inmate can only have five persons listed on the approved visitor's list, and this can only be changed quarterly. Hence, if the inmate's list is complete, an individual may not be approved to visit until the next application quarter. Processing usually takes about 10 days, and requesters may call (781) 329-3705 to confirm application status or email visits@norfolksheriffma.org for further information.
All approved visitors should visit the facility at 200 West Street, Dedham, following the inmate visiting schedule. However, inmates' housing units and visiting hours are subject to change, so persons should call (781) 329-3705 for the latest information. Adult and child visitors should arrive at the jail at least 15 minutes ahead of schedule for check and follow the jail’s visitation guidelines.
What Are Quincy City Vital Records?
Quincy City vital records are a type of public records that provide information on important life events like births, divorces, death, adoptions, and marriages recorded within its jurisdiction. These records are available at different city, county, or state-run depositories, depending on the location, time, and type of event. For instance, birth, death, and marriage records are obtainable from the City Clerk and the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. On the other hand, divorce records – like other court records – are available in the court where parties obtained the divorce.
Where and How to Obtain Quincy City Divorce Records
Interested persons can get divorce records from the court where the parties filed and obtained the divorce. Hence, individuals should confirm the divorce court or contact the Norfolk Probate and Family Court since it serves all the cities and towns in the county. If the divorce occurred in this court, persons should visit the clerk's office to make requests in person or send request forms containing divorce details, fees, and other requirements to:
Norfolk Probate and Family Court
35 Shawmut Road,
Canton, MA 02021
Requesters have to provide the docket number, approximate filing date, case name, and other known details related to the birth. Additionally, requesters have to pay $20 for the first page of a divorce judgment, $1 for each extra page, and $20 per certificate of absolute divorce.
Note: Interested persons may access court archives to find older Quincy City divorce records.
Where and How to Get Public Quincy City Marriage Records
The Quincy City Clerk maintains records of marriages filed in the city since 1792, the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics since 1926, and the Massachusetts Archives Division from 1841 to 1925. Locally, individuals may request copies of Quincy City marriage certificates for $12 by mailing request and making an online request, while submitting request forms in-person costs $10, as long as the exact marriage date is known. The clerk charges an additional $10 search fee if the requester does not provide the exact event date.
For walk-in requests, interested persons should call (617) 376-1135 to confirm record availability before visiting the City Hall Clerk's Office at 1305 Hancock Street, Quincy, Massachusetts, along with $10 fees in check or money order. Requesters have to provide the record subject’s name, marriage date, and other known details related to the marriage. Alternatively, individuals may order copies online or mail the completed request forms, $12 fees in check or money order fees, and a self-addressed envelope to:
City Clerk’s Office
1305 Hancock Street
Quincy, MA 02169
Fees should be payable to the City of Quincy. For further information on genealogy search or record availability, visit the Quincy City Clerk website, mail bfernandez@quincyma.gov or call (617) 376-1136.
Individuals interested in marriage certificates from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) may also make direct requests in person or via mail for $20 or $32, respectively. In-person requesters should visit the RVRS counter to provide the necessary information and fees, while mail requesters should fill and mail the application form and fees in money order or check payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to:
Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mt. Vernon Street
First Floor
Dorchester, MA 02125
Where and How to Find Quincy City Birth Records
Quincy City birth records from 1792 till date are available at the Quincy City Clerk. Moreover, the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics keeps birth certificates filed since 1926, while the Massachusetts Archives Division may have birth records from 1841 to 1925. These certificates are publicly available unless the parents mentioned in the record were not married at the time of birth. In this case, only the record subject, parents, and legally authorized person can apply, and these persons also have to provide a valid government-issued photo ID.
Interested persons may request copies of Quincy City birth certificates for $12 by mailing request and making an online request, while requests made in person cost $10, as long as the exact date of birth is known. The clerk charges an additional $10 search fee if the requester does not provide the specific birth date.
For walk-in requests, interested persons should visit the City Hall Clerk's Office at 1305 Hancock Street, Quincy, Massachusetts, along with $10 fees in check or money order. Requesters have to provide the record subject’s name, date of birth, and other known details related to the birth. Alternatively, individuals may order copies online or mail the completed request forms, $12 fees in check or money order fees, and a self-addressed envelope to:
City Clerk’s Office
1305 Hancock Street
Quincy, MA 02169
Fees should be payable to the City of Quincy. For further information on genealogy search or record availability, visit the Quincy City Clerk website, mail bfernandez@quincyma.gov or call (617) 376-1136.
Individuals interested in birth certificates from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) may also make requests directly in person or via mail for $20 or $32, respectively. In-person requesters should visit the RVRS counter to provide the necessary information and fees. On the other hand, mail requests involve filling and mailing the application form and $32 fees in money order or check payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to:
Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mt. Vernon Street
First Floor
Dorchester, MA 02125
Where and How to Find Quincy City Death Records
Interested persons can obtain Quincy City death records from the Quincy City Clerk and the state’s Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The City Clerk maintained records of deaths in the city from 1792 till date, while the RVRS has records from 1926 to the present. Older death records from 1841–1925 may also be obtainable from the Massachusetts Archives Division.
Locally, individuals may request copies of Quincy City death certificates for $12 by mailing request and making an online request, while submitting request forms in-person costs $10, as long as the exact date of death is known. The clerk charges an additional $10 search fee if the requester does not provide the specific death date.
For walk-in requests, interested persons should take along filled request forms City Hall Clerk's Office at 1305 Hancock Street, Quincy, Massachusetts, along with $10 fees in check or money order. Alternatively, order copies online or mail the completed request forms, $12 fees in check or money order fees, and a self-addressed envelope to:
City Clerk’s Office
1305 Hancock Street
Quincy, MA 02169
Fees should be payable to the City of Quincy. For further information on genealogy search or record availability, visit the Quincy City Clerk website, mail bfernandez@quincyma.gov or call (617) 376-1136.
Individuals interested in death certificates from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) may also make requests directly in person or via mail for $20 or $32, respectively. In-person requesters should visit the RVRS counter to provide the necessary information and fees. Mail requests involve filling and mailing the application form and $32 fees in money order or check payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to:
Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mt. Vernon Street
First Floor
Dorchester, MA 02125
