A Massachusetts background check for work is almost always a CORI, short for Criminal Offender Record Information, which employers request from the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) through its online iCORI system and which shows them a limited "standard access" view of your record. You can pull your own fuller personal CORI too.
This site is an independent guide; it is not DCJIS and has no access to iCORI. The service now asks users to sign in with a state account; start at the iCORI sign in page. This page covers access levels, the ban the box rule, SORI, and how to fix what is wrong.
Quick answers
Official source
Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS)Check type
Name based CORI through iCORI for most jobs; some roles add fingerprints under their own lawsEmployer view
Standard access, unless a law grants a required access levelPersonal CORI
Shows your adult convictions, non convictions and pending cases; leaves out sealed and juvenile recordsApplication rule
Employers may not ask about criminal history on the initial applicationSORI
A separate sex offender registry check, often run next to the CORI
What is a CORI background check
CORI is the state's record of criminal court appearances, built from court data and kept by DCJIS. A CORI check is a name based search of that record. A common question is whether CORI and a background check mean the same thing. CORI is one ingredient of the larger check. An employer may combine a CORI with a SORI, a credit report for some finance roles, reference calls and education checks. A background screening company preparing a wider report may also search courts in other states.
Employers, landlords and other approved organizations must register for iCORI and agree to its terms before they can request a CORI.
Access levels: what each requester sees
| Level | Who gets it | What it generally shows |
|---|---|---|
| Standard access | Most employers screening their own staff, volunteers and interns | A limited view; murder, manslaughter and sex offense convictions are included unless sealed, and older or minor matters can drop off |
| Required access | Employers in roles where a statute requires more, such as work with children or vulnerable people | A wider view set by that law |
| Personal CORI | You | Adult and youthful offender convictions, non convictions, pending cases, civil and non jailable offenses; not sealed or juvenile cases |
The exact rules for each level are set by DCJIS regulations and can change, so check the state's current description before relying on a time frame.
Massachusetts background check for employment: the application rule
On the first written application form, a Massachusetts employer is barred from asking about your criminal past. Later in the process they may ask, within limits. If your only record is a sealed or expunged case, you do not have to give an employer any information about it.
A Massachusetts employer also cannot make you hand over your own personal CORI; the state's personal request form says that requiring you to provide one is illegal. The employer must get the record through its own iCORI account.
CORI and SORI background check together
SORI means Sex Offender Registry Information. It comes from the state's sex offender registry board, not from the CORI file, and employers in many care, school and youth roles check both. A clean CORI does not replace a SORI result, and the reverse is true too. Our page on care and health care job checks explains the combination common in those fields.
Free background check in Massachusetts: who pays
DCJIS charges for personal CORI requests, with an indigency affidavit for people who cannot pay. Employer requests through iCORI are paid by the employer. A full report from a screening company, with CORI, SORI, past employers and degrees, costs more and takes longer. See timing estimates for typical ranges.
Using a report against you: federal steps still apply
When a Massachusetts employer relies on a report bought from a background screening company, the federal consumer report process sits on top of the state CORI rules. You sign a separate permission form first, you see the report before a final no, and you can contest it with the company. The Federal Trade Commission's applicant guide covers each notice. Our failed background check page shows what to say if a report goes wrong.
Correcting a Massachusetts CORI
Because CORI comes from court records, an error usually has to be fixed where the case was handled. Get the docket from the clerk's office, ask the court or probation office to correct the entry, and then request a fresh personal CORI to confirm. Should a sealed matter turn up on a screening company report, write to that company and enclose the sealing paperwork; our sealing and expungement page covers stale database copies.
We summarize public rules here; we do not give legal advice. Read the DCJIS pages for current access levels and forms, and ask a Massachusetts attorney or a legal services office how sealing or CORI rules apply to you.
Questions people ask
Is a CORI check identical to a full background check?
A CORI check is one piece of a background check. It covers Massachusetts criminal court records, while a full employment check may add SORI, employment and education checks and out of state searches.
What is a CORI background check in Massachusetts?
CORI stands for Criminal Offender Record Information, the DCJIS file searched by name. Employers request it through iCORI and usually receive standard access.
May a Massachusetts employer put criminal questions on the first application?
No. The first written application form must leave out criminal record questions. If your only record is sealed or expunged, you do not have to disclose it.
What does a personal CORI show?
Your adult and youthful offender convictions, non convictions, pending cases and civil or non jailable offenses. Sealed and juvenile cases are left out.
Can an employer make me bring my own CORI?
No. The state says it is illegal for an employer to require you to provide a copy of your personal CORI. The employer must request it through its own iCORI account.