Search Essex County Phone Directory
The Essex County phone directory covers contact information for courts, two separate registries of deeds, the sheriff's department, the district attorney's office, and other public agencies serving 34 communities in northeastern Massachusetts. Essex County has about 807,000 residents and is the third most populous county in the state. The county has two seats of government, Salem and Lawrence, which is unique in Massachusetts. This split goes back to 1869 when the legislature divided Essex County into north and south registry districts. Because of that division, phone numbers and offices are spread across multiple locations. This page puts the key contacts in one place so you can reach the right office without calling around.
Essex County Overview
Essex County Registry Phone Contacts
Essex County has two registries of deeds. The South District, based in Beverly (with a satellite in Salem), covers 30 communities. The North District in Lawrence serves four towns: Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, and North Andover. This split has been in place since 1869. Each registry has its own phone number, staff, and search portal. If you need land records from Essex County, you first need to figure out which district handles your town.
The Essex South District Registry moved to Beverly in January 2025. The new main office is at 100 Cummings Center, Suite 206-C. A limited-service office remains at 35 Congress Street in Salem. The Register of Deeds for the south district is Eileen R. Duff. You can search records online through the MassLandRecords Essex South portal, which has document images going all the way back to 1640. That makes Essex South one of the oldest sets of land records in the country.
| Essex South (Main) |
100 Cummings Center, Suite 206-C Beverly, MA 01915 Phone: (978) 542-1704 |
|---|---|
| Essex South (Salem) |
35 Congress Street, Suite 2100a Salem, MA 01970 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
The Essex North District Registry in Lawrence serves a much smaller area but keeps its own complete set of records from 1869 to the present. Records from before 1869 for those four towns are at the Salem office. The Register of Deeds for the north district is M. Paul Iannuccillo. About 90% of all documents and indexes at the north registry have been digitally imaged. The north registry does not accept credit cards for payments.
| Essex North |
381 Common Street Lawrence, MA 01840 Phone: (978) 557-1900 |
|---|---|
| Alternate Phone | (978) 683-2745 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
Note: Certified copies at Essex South cost $8.00 for the first page and $2.00 for each additional page, while recording fees for a deed start at $45.00 for the first page.
Essex County Court Phone Directory
The Essex County court system has locations in Salem, Lawrence, and Newburyport. The Superior Court handles serious criminal cases and civil matters over $50,000. It runs sessions in all three cities. The main clerk's office is at the J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center in Salem.
The Probate and Family Court has its main office in Salem at 36 Federal Street, with a satellite session at the Fenton Judicial Center in Lawrence. The Register of Probate is Pamela Casey O'Brien. This court handles divorce, custody, wills, estates, guardianships, adoptions, and name changes. Most filings should go to the Salem office unless the court tells you otherwise.
| Superior Court (Salem) |
56 Federal Street, Salem, MA 01970 Phone: (978) 744-5500 |
|---|---|
| Superior Court (Lawrence) |
43 Appleton Way, Lawrence, MA 01840 Phone: (978) 242-1900 |
| Probate Court (Salem) |
36 Federal Street, Salem, MA 01970 Phone: (978) 744-1020 |
| Probate Court (Lawrence) |
2 Appleton Street, Lawrence, MA 01840 Phone: (978) 686-9692 |
Essex County also has seven district courts that handle smaller cases at the local level. Each one covers a specific set of towns. The district courts in Lynn, Salem, Lawrence, Haverhill, Gloucester, Peabody, and Newburyport all take walk-in visits during business hours.
- Lynn District Court: (781) 598-5200, 580 Essex Street
- Salem District Court: (978) 744-1167, 56 Federal Street
- Lawrence District Court: (978) 687-7184, 2 Appleton Street
- Haverhill District Court: (978) 521-7300, 45 Ginty Boulevard
- Gloucester District Court: (978) 283-2620, 197 Main Street
- Peabody District Court: (978) 532-3100, 1 Lowell Street
- Newburyport District Court: (978) 462-2652, 188 State Street
Note: All Essex County courts are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, except the Lawrence Superior Court which opens at 8:00 AM.
Essex County DA Phone Directory
The Essex County District Attorney's Office prosecutes criminal cases across all 34 communities. The current DA is Paul F. Tucker. The main office is at 10 Federal Street, 5th Floor, in Salem. The office also has staff at courthouses in Lynn, Lawrence, Peabody, Gloucester, and Haverhill.
The DA's phone directory for the main office and court locations covers a range of services. Beyond prosecution, the office runs a victim and witness assistance program that provides free help to crime victims. They also operate drug treatment diversion programs and community outreach. For public records requests, contact the Records Access Officer through the main office number. Keep in mind that ongoing investigation files, grand jury minutes, and certain personal information are exempt from disclosure.
| Main Office |
10 Federal Street, 5th Floor Salem, MA 01970 Phone: (978) 745-6610 |
|---|---|
| Lynn Office |
121 Central Avenue, Lynn, MA 01901 Phone: (781) 599-8094 |
| Lawrence (Fenton Center) |
2 Appleton Street, Lawrence, MA 01840 Phone: (978) 683-4300 |
Essex County Sheriff Contact Numbers
The Essex County Sheriff's Department is headquartered at 20 Manning Avenue in Middleton. Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger runs the department, which operates the county jail and house of correction with a capacity of about 1,000 beds. The department covers all 34 Essex County communities for civil process service and correctional operations.
The sheriff's website has an inmate lookup tool, public records request forms, and general department information. The department uses a digital mail system through Securus for inmate correspondence. Physical mail is no longer accepted. For victim notification about inmate status changes, call VINELink at 1-866-277-7477. The civil process division handles service of legal papers like summonses and eviction orders. They can be reached through the main number at extension 3590.
| Headquarters |
20 Manning Avenue, Middleton, MA 01949 Phone: (978) 750-1900 |
|---|---|
| Fax | (978) 750-1999 |
| Public Information | Gretchen Grosky, (978) 750-1900 ext. 3361 |
| Civil Process | (978) 750-1900 ext. 3590 |
| Records Department | (978) 750-1900 ext. 3400 |
Note: Public records requests can also be submitted online through the sheriff's public records page or by mail to P.O. Box 807, Middleton, MA 01949.
Find Phone Numbers in Essex County
To find a phone number for a public office in Essex County, start with the type of office you need. Land and property questions go to one of the two registries. Court matters go to the relevant court based on case type and location. Law enforcement contacts go through the sheriff or the local police department in the town you need.
Each of the 34 cities and towns in Essex County has its own set of local offices. Town clerks, assessors, and public works departments all have separate phone lines. Most municipalities post their staff directories on their town or city website. For formal public records requests, the Massachusetts public records law under M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10 requires custodians to respond within 10 business days. Copy fees are $0.05 per page. Electronic records must be provided free of charge when they are already in digital form.
The MassCourts portal lets you search court case records online without creating an account. You can look up civil, criminal, and small claims dockets from any Essex County court. The system shows party names, docket entries, and case status. For certified copies, you still need to contact the clerk's office at the specific court.
Cities in Essex County
Essex County has 34 communities, including several cities with populations large enough to have their own phone directory pages on this site. Lynn is the largest city in the county with over 101,000 residents. Lawrence, Haverhill, and Peabody also have sizable populations. The North Shore towns of Salem, Beverly, and Gloucester are well-known communities with active local governments.
Other communities in Essex County include Amesbury, Boxford, Essex, Georgetown, Groveland, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Rockport, Rowley, Salisbury, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham, and West Newbury. Each town maintains its own phone directory through its municipal website.
Nearby Counties
Essex County borders two other Massachusetts counties. If you need phone numbers or records from a neighboring county, follow the links below.