At Harvard Defenders, we provide free legal assistance to individuals in Massachusetts who wish to seal their Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI).

A CORI report includes all past adult interactions with the criminal legal system—including all arrests––even if the case was dismissed or ended in a not guilty verdict. CORI reports do not include restraining orders or civil cases.

Most people don’t know that they have a CORI until they are denied a life-changing opportunity because their record appears on a background check. Look into sealing your CORI today, proactively!

Disclaimer: This is not legal advice, which can only be given to you by your own attorney.

Why CORI Sealing Matters

CORI records disproportionately impact communities of color and people with a lower income. Having a criminal record, even one without convictions, can create significant barriers to employment, housing, and education.

Sealing your CORI can help you move forward. Once a record is fully sealed, Massachusetts law allows you to legally say that you have “no record” when applying for jobs, housing, or professional licenses.

How Harvard Defenders Can Make a Difference

While anyone can apply to seal their own CORI, it can be hard to know where to start. While an attorney is not necessarily required for administrative sealings, Harvard Defenders’ student advocates work with eligible individuals to request and review their records, gather necessary documents, and submit petitions to ensure they can reclaim their future.

If you believe your criminal record is holding you back or if you would like assistance sealing your CORI, Harvard Defenders may be able to help. Reach out to us today:

Please note: You don’t need Harvard Defenders to seal your record. Anyone can complete this process themselves. However, if you’d like assistance navigating the system, understanding what can be sealed, or preparing your petition, we’re here to help.

Sealing your CORI on Your Own

The Greater Boston Legal Services maintains excellent resources for individuals wishing to understand the process and/or seal their CORI. Their CORI webpage can be found here: More information on CORI sealing from Greater Boston Legal Services.

CORI FAQs

What is a CORI?

CORI reports are records of court activity maintained by the Massachusetts courts for individual persons. These records are recorded once a case is set for arraignment..
CORI stands for Criminal Offender Record Information. It records only records from Massachusetts, not federal charges or other state charges.
It includes an individual’s Massachusetts court appearances for criminal matters as an adult or juvenile, even ones that were dismissed or found not guilty.

Who can access your CORI?

Most employment, housing, and occupational licensing screeners with only a “standard” level of CORI access see only convictions and “open” criminal cases, meaning cases that are still going on (for example, you’re still on probation, have court hearings, or are on parole, and your case is not yet closed).
Generally, it is illegal for someone to require you to provide them with the copy of your CORI you get when you request your own CORI. This is because of the “standard” access most screeners have. However, some employers (like schools) can request a CORI under special rules.
For housing, depending on the type of housing, a CORI may be able to be requested on all household members. Federal or state public housing allows this, but market rate housing might only ask for the CORI of the housing applicant.
Employers can ask about felony convictions and some recent misdemeanors (within 3 years).
- Employers cannot refuse to hire applicants with a criminal record. They have to do an individualized assessment and should consider things like age and the offense.
- Employers, landlords, housing authorities, or professional licensing agencies that use CORI or a criminal history report and reject a person based on the report, must provide the person with a copy of the report and the reason for denial.

Who Maintains CORIs?

DCJIS (Department of Criminal Justice Information Services) maintains the records of adult CORIs.
OCP (Office of the Commissioner of Probation) handles juvenile records and sealing petitions.

What is the difference between expungement and sealing?

Sealing hides the record from most employers and the public but does not erase it.
- For most of our clients, sealing hides your CORI from everyone you could want it to, like landlords and employers.
- You do not have a criminal record if your record is fully sealed. If you only have cases from Massachusetts, then fully sealing your CORI means that all your records are sealed. If you have federal charges or charges from other state, your CORI may be sealed, but you may have other records that remain unsealed.
Expungement permanently destroys the record so it’s no longer accessible.
We can help with sealing, not expungement.

When can you seal your record?

You can ask the court to administratively seal your record only if you have no open cases and if you are in the eligibility period for all case dispositions on your CORI.
- Probation counts as a case currently being open.
- Nonconvictions that result in a not guilty finding, a no bill returned by a jury, or a finding of no probable cause can be sealed as soon as the case has concluded.
- Misdemeanor convictions or nonconvictions that did not end through one of the three categories listed above can be sealed 3 years after the disposition date.
- Felony convictions or nonconvictions that did not end through one of the three categories listed above can be sealed 7 years after the disposition date.
- Abuse prevention order and harassment order convictions can be sealed 7 years after the disposition date.
- Sex offense convictions can be sealed 15 years from the last event in the case for level 1 offenses.
- Any new convictions reset the “clock” (waiting period) for the whole CORI.

Never Sealable Crimes

Sex offense convictions with SORB Level 2 or 3.
Most “crimes against public justice” and “ethics” (G.L. c. 268 and 268A).
Certain firearm convictions (G.L. c. 140 § 121-131H).

How do you seal your CORI?

There are two kinds of criminal record sealing in the state of Massachusetts: administrative sealing and judicial sealing. Judicial sealing is reserved for cases of adult non-convictions which an individual is interested in sealing before the usual windows of time have expired — three years for misdemeanors, and seven years for felonies; it requires you to go before a judge and demonstrate “good cause” for your charges to be sealed. A judge can then use their discretion to order the charges sealed. Meanwhile, administrative sealing exists to handle all other charges on your record, even convictions, so long as those same windows of time mentioned above have expired. Harvard Defenders currently only assists with administrative sealings.

Administrative Sealing

Submit a petition to the OCP:

Get your CORI.
Determine eligibility.
Get copies of all relevant dockets from court.
Complete and sign the sealing petition.
Mail it to the address on the form.
The OCP will notify you of its decision in writing.

Intake

Who Can We Help?

Harvard Defenders assists individuals who wish to seal their CORI in the state of Massachusetts. We cannot assist with out-of-state records, but we can help people who do not currently live in Massachusetts, as long as they have Massachusetts records. Our assistance is completely free, and you never need to come to our office in person. We can complete all intake interviews and the rest of the sealing process remotely. We currently only assist with administrative sealings.

Need Help? Call Us!

Call our Intake Line: Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm at (617) 495-4413
Complete an Intake Interview: On your first call, complete a 15 minute intake interview so that we can open your file.
Wait for a student advocate to take your case and contact you for first steps. Feel free to follow up if you have not received a response within two weeks of your intake interview.

What Happens Next?

After an advocate takes your case, here’s what will happen next:
1. Advocate pulls a copy of your CORI.
2. Advocate reviews your CORI for eligibility and confirms with their supervisor.
3. Advocate contacts you again to discuss next steps and your preferred outcome.
4. If eligible for sealing, the advocate requests certified copies of the dockets for all charges on your record.
  1. If you have an urgent sealing need and will not need copies of your docket in the future (immigration, security clearance, etc.) then we can skip this step to expedite the process – ask your advocate if this is right for you.
5. If eligible for administrative sealing, advocate helps to complete and submit a petition to seal to the Commissioner of Probation. Once received, there is an average wait time of two to three months.
  1. Completion! After hearing back from the Commissioner of Probation, most of our clients receive their sealing.

After Your CORI is Sealed

Although your CORI might be sealed by Massachusetts itself, some background check companies may still show older versions of your CORI. Here are some steps to ensure that any sealed records do not appear on background checks:

Wait 30 days after receiving your approved sealing order. This gives background check companies time to update their records.
If you are applying for a specific job or training program, ask what background check company they use. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you are entitled to one free copy of your background report each year.
1. Unsure what background check to request? Apply to drive for Uber, and you can get a free nationwide background check!
Still having sealed charges show up on a background check? Write a letter to the background check company requesting that they update your record. A consumer-reporting agency that fails to update your record has violated FCRA and may be liable for financial damages for false reporting of your record.
1. See here for a template letter: https://gjp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023.8.1-FCRA-One-Pager-With-Letter.pdf
Still unable to correct your record? Reach back out to Harvard Defenders!