Bristol County Phone Directory

The Bristol County phone directory lists contact details for government offices, courts, and registries across 20 cities and towns in southeastern Massachusetts. Bristol County is the only county in the state with three separate registries of deeds, each serving a different part of the county. That means finding the right phone number depends on where in the county you are looking. This directory brings all of those contacts into one place. From the county seat in Taunton to the port city of New Bedford and the mill city of Fall River, you can search for the office you need and get the direct line. The county spans a wide area along the South Coast, and each district has its own staff and phone lines for land records, court filings, and public records requests.

Bristol Northern Registry Phone Numbers

The Northern District Registry of Deeds is in Taunton. It serves 12 communities in the northern and central parts of Bristol County. This is the largest of the three districts by number of towns. If you live in Taunton, Attleboro, Easton, Mansfield, or any of the surrounding towns, this is where your land records are filed. The office also runs a satellite location in Attleboro for added access.

Records in the Northern District go back to 1735. That makes it one of the oldest land record collections in the state. You can search these records online for free through MassLandRecords.com. The portal lets you look up documents by name, book and page, address, or date. Printing costs $1.00 per page. For help with a search or to ask about a specific record, call the main office line.

The Northern District has a satellite office at 75 Park Street in Attleboro. You can reach that location at 508-455-6100. This is helpful if you are in the southern part of the Northern District and do not want to drive all the way to Taunton for in-person services.

The Taunton Deeds website provides search access and general information about the Northern District. You can also visit their office to view records in person during business hours.

Note: The Northern District serves Taunton, Attleboro, Mansfield, North Attleborough, Norton, Raynham, Dighton, Easton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Berkley, and part of Freetown.

Bristol Southern Registry Contacts

The Southern District Registry of Deeds is in New Bedford. It covers five communities along the South Coast: New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Westport, and Acushnet. This district was set up in 1837 by the Massachusetts Legislature and has been at its current location since 1908.

Sherrilynn M. Mello has served as Register since 2021. The office offers a document pre-review service that started in March 2023. If you are a title company or attorney, you can email documents to LPerry@newbedforddeeds.com before your closing to make sure everything is in order. This is not required, but the staff recommends it. The New Bedford Deeds website has contact forms and fee information. Certified copies cost $1.00 per page, same as the other two districts.

Fall River Registry Phone Directory

The Fall River District Registry of Deeds handles land records for Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, and Freetown. Bernard J. McDonald III is the current Register. The office sits at 441 North Main Street, about five blocks north of downtown Fall River, next to the Children's Museum in what used to be the Superior Court Building.

This district has operated since 1883. Records from 1956 forward are fully indexed and searchable online through MassLandRecords.com. Staff are adding older records on a rolling basis. You can also use the Fall River Deeds website for general info and links to the search portal. The office accepts fax requests as well. Local faxes start at $2.00 for the first page. Long distance faxes cost more.

Note: All three Bristol County registries charge $1.00 per page for certified copies and $0.50 for in-office copies.

Bristol County Court Phone Numbers

Bristol County has a large court system spread across its three main cities. The Superior Court handles serious criminal cases and large civil matters. Criminal sessions are in Taunton and Fall River. Civil sessions take place in New Bedford. If you need to call about a pending case, make sure you call the right location based on the type of matter.

The Bristol County Superior Court in Taunton is at 9 Court Street. Call the Clerk's Office at 508-823-6588. The Fall River criminal session is at 186 South Main Street. Reach it at 508-491-3300. The New Bedford civil session is at 441 County Street and the number is 508-996-2051. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM at all three locations.

Four district courts serve Bristol County. Each one covers a group of towns. The Attleboro District Court at 88 North Main Street handles Attleboro, Mansfield, North Attleboro, and Norton. Call 508-222-5900. The Fall River District Court at 186 South Main Street serves Fall River, Freetown, Somerset, Swansea, and Westport. Its number is 508-491-3200. The New Bedford District Court at 75 North 6th Street covers New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Acushnet, Freetown, and Westport. Call 508-999-9700. The Taunton District Court at 40 Broadway serves Taunton, Berkley, Dighton, Easton, Raynham, Rehoboth, and Seekonk. Its phone number is 508-977-6000.

The Probate and Family Court has three locations too. The main office is at 40 Broadway, Suite 240, in Taunton. Call 508-977-6040. There is a satellite in Fall River at 289 Rock Street (508-672-1751) and one in New Bedford at 505 Pleasant Street (508-999-5249). You can file or go to hearings at any of the three.

Note: Both Probate and Family Court satellite offices serve all 20 towns in Bristol County, so you can use whichever one is closest.

Find Bristol County Phone Numbers

Looking up a phone number in Bristol County takes a few steps because of the three-district setup. The first thing to figure out is which part of the county your search falls in. Northern District towns like Taunton, Attleboro, and Easton use the Taunton office. Southern District towns like New Bedford and Dartmouth go through the New Bedford office. Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, and Freetown are in the Fall River District.

For court-related phone numbers, the key question is what kind of case you are looking into. Criminal matters at the Superior Court level go through Taunton or Fall River. Civil Superior Court matters go to New Bedford. District court calls go to whichever court covers the town where the case was filed. The MassCourts website can help you find the right court and look up case information online.

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office main line is 508-995-6400. That is the switchboard at the main facility on Faunce Corner Road in North Dartmouth. For civil process questions, call the Civil Process Division at 508-992-6631 or the Taunton civil process office at 508-828-1832. Public records requests go to 508-995-1311 ext. 2406 or by email to publicrecords@bcso-ma.us.

Bristol County Public Records Access

Massachusetts public records law gives you the right to request records from any government office in Bristol County. The Bristol County Commissioners' Office at 9 Court Street in Taunton is the main county government contact. Call 508-824-9681 for general questions. The Public Records Access Officer uses the same phone number and mailing address: PO Box 208, Taunton, MA 02780.

You can submit a formal public records request through the county's online portal. Under Massachusetts law, agencies must respond within 10 business days. The response either provides the records, explains any fees, or gives a reason for any denial. Most records are available for a small copying fee.

Land records are free to view online at MassLandRecords.com. Court records can be searched through MassCourts. The District Attorney's office in Fall River handles questions about criminal case records and victim services. Call the main DA office at 508-997-0711. The Bristol County District Attorney also has offices in Attleboro (508-222-3309), New Bedford (508-997-6333), and Taunton (508-823-8801).

Note: Land records from the Northern District date back to 1735, making them some of the oldest public records in the state.

Bristol County Sheriff Phone Directory

Sheriff Paul Heroux runs the Bristol County Sheriff's Office from the main facility at 400 Faunce Corner Road in North Dartmouth. The BCSO website has general information, visiting schedules, and public records forms. The main switchboard is 508-995-6400. This connects to the jail, administration, and general inquiries.

The county has two correctional facilities. The main Jail and House of Correction is on Faunce Corner Road with about 1,100 beds. Ash Street Jail at 226 Ash Street in New Bedford is one of the oldest operating jails in the nation, dating back to the 1830s. Call 508-996-6704 for the Ash Street facility.

For inmate information, call the main number or check the BCSO website. Visiting is limited to two 60-minute sessions per week on different days. First-time visitors need to fill out a notarized application form before they can visit.

Cities in Bristol County

Bristol County has 20 cities and towns split across three registry districts. The larger cities each have their own courts and municipal offices with separate phone lines. Six communities in the county have dedicated directory pages on this site.

Other communities in Bristol County include Mansfield, North Attleborough, Norton, Raynham, Dighton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Berkley, Freetown, Fairhaven, Westport, Acushnet, Somerset, and Swansea. These towns file land records at one of the three registries depending on their location within the county.

Nearby Counties

Bristol County borders two other Massachusetts counties. If you need to find phone numbers for offices outside Bristol County, check the pages below.