New Bedford Phone Directory

The New Bedford phone directory lists direct contact numbers for city offices, courts, and public agencies that serve this South Coast city. New Bedford is the largest city in Bristol County with about 101,000 residents, and its city hall handles a wide range of services from vital records to tax payments. Finding the right phone number here can save you a long trip downtown. Whether you need the clerk, the police, or the registry of deeds, this directory puts all the key New Bedford phone numbers in one spot. Use the search tool or scroll through the listings below to find what you need.

New Bedford City Hall Phone Numbers

New Bedford City Hall is at 133 William Street in the downtown area. Most city departments are housed in this one building, which makes it a good starting point if you are not sure who to call. The main switchboard can route you to the right office. Hours run Monday through Friday, and the building typically opens at 8:30 AM.

The City Clerk's office sits in Room 118 on the first floor. Dennis Farias serves as City Clerk and handles vital records, marriage licenses, business certificates, and dog licenses. If you need a birth, death, or marriage certificate, this is who you call. You can also order vital records online through the New Bedford Vital Records portal.

The New Bedford city website shows the full list of departments, forms you can download, and online payment options for taxes and other bills.

The site also has links to pay bills, look up property data, and submit service requests through SeeClickFix for non-emergency issues like potholes or streetlight outages.

New Bedford Department Directory

Several city departments in New Bedford have their own direct phone lines. Calling the right one saves time. The police and fire departments each have separate non-emergency numbers, and the assessor's office handles property valuation questions. Here are the main department contacts for the New Bedford phone directory.

The New Bedford Police Department runs patrol, investigations, special operations, and a finance division. For non-emergency matters, call their main line at (508) 991-6300 during business hours. The fire department at 868 Pleasant Street handles fire calls, EMS, inspections, and fire prevention services.

The Treasurer-Collector's office is in Rooms 101 through 104 at City Hall. Call (508) 979-1430 for questions about tax bills, payments, or past due accounts. You can also pay taxes online through the city website.

The City Clerk's office page shows current fees, forms, and hours for all the services they offer in New Bedford.

Keep in mind that some departments close earlier on Fridays, so it is best to call before you visit.

New Bedford Public Records Contacts

Public records requests in New Bedford go through the Records Access Officer. Lisa A. Presby handles general requests from the City Solicitor's Office. Each department also has its own designated records contact, so it helps to know which office holds the records you want.

The main public records contact for New Bedford is:

• Lisa A. Presby, Executive Finance Operations Specialist
• Phone: (508) 979-1460
• Fax: (508) 979-1515
• Office: Room 203, 133 William Street, New Bedford

You can submit requests in person, by mail, email, fax, or phone. The city has 10 business days to respond. For clerk-specific records like vital records and business certificates, contact Dennis Farias directly at (508) 979-1450 or by email. The public records request page on the city solicitor's website explains the process and lists all department-level records officers.

Property data can be searched through the New Bedford property lookup tool. The assessor's database covers more than 27,000 parcels in the city. You can look up valuations, owner names, and tax info without filing a formal records request.

Note: Public records fees vary by department, so ask about costs before you submit a large request.

Southern District Registry in New Bedford

The Bristol County Registry of Deeds Southern District is based right in New Bedford. This registry handles land records for five communities: New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Westport, and Acushnet. SherriLynn M. Mello serves as the current Register.

You can search land records online for free at newbedforddeeds.com or through the Massachusetts Land Records portal. The online system includes grantor and grantee searches going back to 1837. Viewing documents costs nothing. Printing runs $1 per page. Certified copies also cost $1 per page.

The Southern District has had 13 registers since 1837. The registry building dates to 1908. Before 1912, all deeds in this office were copied by hand. You can also use the search system guide if you need help with the online tools.

Note: The registry closes at 4:00 PM for recording, but the building stays open until 4:30 PM.

New Bedford Court Phone Numbers

New Bedford has several court locations. The city hosts a District Court, a Superior Court session for civil matters, a Juvenile Court, a Housing Court session, and a Probate and Family Court satellite. Each court has its own phone number and handles different case types.

The New Bedford District Court serves Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, New Bedford, and Westport. It handles criminal cases, small claims, and civil disputes under $50,000. The Superior Court session in New Bedford deals only with civil matters. Criminal cases from Bristol County go through the Taunton or Fall River Superior Court sessions instead.

The Probate and Family Court satellite at 505 Pleasant Street handles family cases for all 20 towns in Bristol County. You can file at any of the three Bristol County probate locations, so the New Bedford office is an option even if you live elsewhere in the county. The Housing Court at 139 Hathaway Road covers landlord-tenant disputes for New Bedford and nearby towns.

How to Search New Bedford Phone Numbers

The fastest way to find a New Bedford phone number is to check the city website. The contact page lists departments with phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses. You can also call the main city hall line at (508) 979-1400 and ask to be transferred.

For court-related phone numbers, the Massachusetts Trial Court website at mass.gov lists every court location in the state with current phone numbers and hours. The Bristol County District Attorney's office in New Bedford can be reached at (508) 997-6333 for questions about criminal cases.

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office has a public records line at (508) 995-1311 ext. 2406. Their main switchboard is at (508) 995-6400. The civil process division for serving court papers is at (508) 992-6631. These numbers cover all of Bristol County, not just New Bedford.

If you need to look up property records, the online tools at New Bedford's payment portal let you search by address or owner name. For deed records, use the free search at newbedforddeeds.com. Both are available around the clock from any computer.

Bristol County Phone Directory

New Bedford is in Bristol County, which has 20 cities and towns and a unique three-district registry system. The county seat is in Taunton. For a full list of county offices, court phone numbers, and registry contacts across all three districts, visit the Bristol County phone directory page.

View Bristol County Phone Directory