Mass. Gen. Laws » Part II Title III Chapter 209A
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 209A, § 8 (2026)

Confidentiality of records

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 8. The records of cases arising out of an action brought under the provisions of this chapter where the plaintiff or defendant is a minor shall be withheld from public inspection except by order of the court; provided, that such records shall be open, at all reasonable times, to the inspection of the minor, said minor's parent, guardian, attorney, and to the plaintiff and the plaintiff's attorney, or any of them.

The plaintiff's residential address, residential telephone number and workplace name, address and telephone number, contained within the court records of cases arising out of an action brought by a plaintiff under the provisions of this chapter, shall be confidential and withheld from public inspection, except by order of the court, except that the plaintiff's residential address and workplace address shall appear on the court order and accessible to the defendant and the defendant's attorney unless the plaintiff specifically requests that this information be withheld from the order. All confidential portions of the records shall be accessible at all reasonable times to the plaintiff and plaintiff's attorney, to others specifically authorized by the plaintiff to obtain such information, and to prosecutors, victim-witness advocates as defined in section 1 of chapter 258B, domestic violence victim's counselors as defined in section 20K of chapter 233, sexual assault counselors as defined in section 20J of chapter 233, and law enforcement officers, if such access is necessary in the performance of their duties. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply to any protection order issued by another jurisdiction, as defined in section 1, that is filed with a court of the commonwealth pursuant to section 5A. Such confidential portions of the court records shall not be deemed to be public records under the provisions of clause twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 6 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1994–2025 · leading case: Boston Herald, Inc. v. Sharpe, 28 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2569 (Mass. 2000).
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Boston Herald, Inc. v. Sharpe, 28 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2569 (Mass. 2000). · cites it 2× “See G. L. c. 209A, § 8. In 1999, the Legislature amended the existing law to add new provisions to protect applicants from disclosing to their abusers and the public their addresses and telephone numbers.”
Commonwealth v. George W. Prescott Publ'g Co., 463 Mass. 258 (Mass. 2012). “, G. L. c. 209A, § 8 (except by court order, court records in G.”
Commonwealth v. Smiledge, 643 N.E.2d 41 (Mass. 1994). “G. L. c. 209A, § 8 (1992 ed.). On appeal, the defendant claims error arising from the fact that: (1) the prosecution failed to provide the defendant with exculpatory evidence of Tarantino’s convictions in a timely manner; (2) the defendant’s right of confrontation was violated…”
Globe Newspaper Co. v. Clerk of Suffolk Cnty. Superior Court, 14 Mass. L. Rptr. 315 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2002). “G.L.c. 209A, §8. Police records regarding alleged sexual assaults, whether against a minor or an adult, are not public records.”
L.D. v. C.H., 103 N.E.3d 767 (Mass. App. Ct. 2018). “In addition, G. L. c. 209A, § 8, provides for confidentiality of all case records, including the plaintiff's residential and workplace addresses when the plaintiff specifically requests that this information be withheld from the order.”
Care & Prot. of Adele (Mass. 2025). “, G. L. c. 209A, § 8 (records in abuse prevention matters when minor is party); G.”
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