Berkshire County Phone Directory

The Berkshire County phone directory includes contacts for public offices across 32 municipalities in the far western part of Massachusetts. Pittsfield is the county seat. Berkshire County is one of only two counties in the state with three separate Registries of Deeds, split into Northern, Middle, and Southern districts. County government was abolished in July 2000, so all court and registry functions now run through the state. You can look up phone numbers for the sheriff, three district courts, the superior court, and the probate court from this page. The county spans 946 square miles of mostly rural and mountainous land, which is why it needed three registry offices in the first place.

Berkshire County Registry Phone Contacts

Berkshire County runs three separate Registries of Deeds. This is rare. Only Bristol County has the same setup in Massachusetts. The split dates back to the 1800s when the mountain terrain and long distances between towns made it hard for people to travel to a single office. Each registry handles property records for its own set of towns, and each has its own Register, phone number, and mailing address.

The Northern Berkshire District is based in Adams. The Register is Maria T. Ziemba. This office covers 11 towns including Adams, North Adams, Williamstown, and Cheshire. Recorded land records go back to 1869. Call (413) 743-0035 to reach the office. You can search records online at MassLandRecords for Northern Berkshire. The office is at 65 Park Street, Suite 1, Adams, MA 01220. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

The Middle Berkshire District sits at 44 Bank Row in Pittsfield. Patricia Harris is the 14th Register to serve this district since 1790. It covers 12 municipalities including Pittsfield, Dalton, Lee, Lenox, and Stockbridge. Phone: (413) 443-7438. The office has two public search stations and allows real estate closings during office hours. You can check the Middle Berkshire Registry website for forms and fee details.

The Southern Berkshire District operates from 334 Main Street, Suite 2, in Great Barrington. The Register is Michelle L. Laramee-Jenny. This office serves 9 towns including Great Barrington, Sheffield, Lee, and Egremont. Phone: (413) 528-0146. Notary services are available here during office hours. Certified copies can be ordered in person, by mail, or by email. Visit the Southern Berkshire website for more details.

Note: Some towns like Stockbridge, Becket, and Lenox have concurrent jurisdiction between two districts, so check which registry holds the records for your specific property.

Berkshire County Court Directory

Berkshire County has a full court system despite the county government being gone. The Superior Court at 76 East Street in Pittsfield handles felony criminal cases and civil actions over $50,000. Call (413) 442-9190 for the clerk's office. Hours run 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays.

The Berkshire Probate and Family Court is at 44 Bank Row, Suite 6, in Pittsfield. This court takes care of divorce, guardianship, estate administration, adoption, name changes, and trusts. Call (413) 442-6941 to reach the office. This is where you go for family matters anywhere in Berkshire County.

Three district courts serve different parts of the county. The Northern Berkshire District Court in North Adams covers the northern towns. The Pittsfield District Court handles the central area. And the Southern Berkshire District Court in Great Barrington serves the south end. Some towns fall under concurrent jurisdiction between Pittsfield and the northern or southern courts.

How to Search Berkshire County Records

Start with the right office. Property records go to one of the three registries based on the town where the property sits. Court records go to the court that has jurisdiction. The sheriff handles jail and civil process records. Knowing which office to call saves time.

For land records, MassLandRecords.com covers all three Berkshire districts. Pick the right district from the dropdown. You can search by name, book and page, document number, or property address. Records from 1960 forward are fully indexed with images. Older records have name-only indexes. Searching and viewing documents is free. If you need certified copies, contact the specific registry office by phone or mail.

For court cases, the MassCourts portal lets you search across all Berkshire County courts at no charge. Type in a name or case number and the system pulls up docket entries and case status. Some family and juvenile records are restricted from public view online.

• Northern Registry (Adams): (413) 743-0035
• Middle Registry (Pittsfield): (413) 443-7438
• Southern Registry (Great Barrington): (413) 528-0146
• Sheriff's Office: (413) 443-7220
• District Attorney: (413) 443-5951

Under M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10, any person can request public records from any Berkshire County office. No ID is needed. The office must respond within 10 business days. Copy fees are $0.05 per page for standard black and white prints. Electronic records carry no fee if they are already in digital form.

Note: The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office at 467 Cheshire Road in Pittsfield also runs a Regional 911 Dispatch Center that serves 26 communities and handles over 80,000 calls each year.

Berkshire County Public Records

County government was abolished on July 1, 2000, under Chapter 300 of the Acts of 1998 and Chapter 34B of Massachusetts General Laws. Before that, Berkshire County had its own commission and county taxes. Now, the county exists only as a geographic and judicial district. State agencies took over all the old county jobs. The sheriff's office became an independent state agency, though the sheriff is still elected.

The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office operates the jail and house of correction at 467 Cheshire Road in Pittsfield. The facility has a housing capacity of 539 inmates with an average daily population of about 225. Phone: (413) 443-7220. The civil process division serves legal documents and executes court orders. The office also runs a TRIAD senior safety program and several inmate education programs.

The Berkshire District Attorney's Office is led by Timothy J. Shugrue. The main office is at 7 North Street in Pittsfield. Phone: (413) 443-5951. A second office in North Adams at 111 Holden Street handles northern county matters at (413) 663-7306. This office prosecutes about 7,500 criminal cases per year across all Berkshire County courts. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission at 1 Fenn Street, Suite 201, in Pittsfield serves as the regional coordination body. Call (413) 442-1521 for planning and GIS inquiries.

Cities in Berkshire County

Berkshire County has 32 municipalities, including two cities and 30 towns. Only Pittsfield has a dedicated phone directory page on this site due to its population size.

Other communities in Berkshire County include North Adams, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Williamstown, Adams, Stockbridge, Dalton, and Sheffield. North Adams is the second largest community with about 13,000 people. Each town has its own clerk and local offices. All property records flow through one of the three Berkshire registry districts depending on where the property is located.

Nearby Counties

Berkshire County sits on the western edge of Massachusetts. It borders two other Massachusetts counties and shares its western boundary with New York State.