Mass. Gen. Laws » Part IV Title II Chapter 276
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276, § 100B (2026)

Requests to seal delinquency files or records; conditions; sealing by commissioner; notice for compliance; effect of sealing; limited disclosure

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 100B. Any person having a record of entries of a delinquency court appearance in the commonwealth on file in the office of the commissioner of probation may, on a form furnished by the commissioner, signed under the penalties of perjury, request that the commissioner seal such file. The commissioner shall comply with such request provided (1) that any court appearance or disposition including court supervision, probation, commitment or parole, the records for which are to be sealed, terminated not less than three years prior to said request; (2) that said person has not been adjudicated delinquent or found guilty of any criminal offense within the commonwealth in the three years preceding such request, except motor vehicle offenses in which the penalty does not exceed a fine of fifty dollars nor been imprisoned under sentence or committed as a delinquent within the commonwealth within the preceding three years; and (3) said form includes a statement by the petitioner that he has not been adjudicated delinquent or found guilty of any criminal offense in any other state, United States possession or in a court of federal jurisdiction, except such motor vehicle offenses as aforesaid, and has not been imprisoned under sentence or committed as a delinquent in any state or county within the preceding three years.

When records of delinquency appearances and delinquency dispositions are sealed by the commissioner in his files, the commissioner shall notify forthwith the clerk and the probation officer of the courts in which the adjudications or dispositions have occurred, or other entries have been made, and the department of youth services of such sealing, and said clerks, probation officers, and department of youth services likewise shall seal records of the same proceedings in their files.

Such sealed records of a person shall not operate to disqualify a person in any future examination, appointment or application for public service under the government of the commonwealth or of any political subdivision thereof; nor shall such sealed records be admissible in evidence or used in any way in any court proceedings or hearings before any boards of commissioners, except in imposing sentence for subsequent offenses in delinquency or criminal proceedings.

Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, the commissioner shall report such sealed delinquency record to inquiring police and court agencies only as ''sealed delinquency record over three years old'' and to other authorized persons who may inquire as ''no record''. The information contained in said sealed delinquency record shall be made available to a judge or probation officer who affirms that such person, whose record has been sealed, has been adjudicated a delinquent or has pleaded guilty or has been found guilty of and is awaiting sentence for a crime committed subsequent to sealing of such record. Said information shall be used only for the purpose of consideration in imposing sentence.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 16 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1978–2024 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Gavin G., 772 N.E.2d 1067 (Mass. 2002).
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Commonwealth v. Gavin G., 772 N.E.2d 1067 (Mass. 2002). · cites it 8× “Under G. L. c. 276, § 100B, anyone “having a record of entries of a delinquency court appearance” may request “that the commissioner seal such file.”
Commonwealth v. Humberto H., 998 N.E.2d 1003 (Mass. 2013). · cites it 2× “G. L. c. 276, § 100B, first par. Even where the delinquency record is sealed, it may still be made available to a judge “for the purpose of consideration in imposing sentence” where the juvenile is adjudicated a delinquent or found guilty of a crime after the sealing of the…”
Commonwealth v. Santos, 384 N.E.2d 1202 (Mass. 1978). · cites it 3× “The sole issue presented by these appeals is whether the defendant’s constitutional right to confront and cross-examine an adverse witness was restricted by the judge’s refusal to permit the complainant to be impeached by a juvenile record which had been sealed pursuant to G. L.…”
Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court, 401 N.E.2d 360 (Mass. 1980). · cites it 2× “210, § 5C (records of adoption proceedings must be segregated); G.L.c. 276, § 100B (juvenile probation and court records may be sealed after three years from final entry).”
Police Comm'r v. Mun. Court of Dorchester Dist., 374 N.E.2d 272 (Mass. 1978). “358, 362, 363 (proposed amendment to G. L. c. 276, § 100B). See also 1976 House Doc.”
Commonwealth v. Pon, 14 N.E.3d 182 (Mass. 2014). “686; G. L. c. 276, § 100B, inserted by St. 1972, c.”
Chardin v. Police Comm'r, 989 N.E.2d 392 (Mass. 2013). “On March 22, 2010, Chardin’s juvenile record had been sealed pursuant to G. L. c. 276, § 100B. Chardin subsequently asked that his record be unsealed so that he could challenge the denial of his application for a license to carry firearms.”
Commonwealth v. Vickey, 412 N.E.2d 877 (Mass. 1980). “Although G. L. c. 276, § 100B, delineates sealing procedures regarding juvenile records, we found no explicit statutory right to expungement or to protection of juvenile records outside the court or probation department.”
Commonwealth v. Boe, 924 N.E.2d 239 (Mass. 2010). “In reversing that portion of the expungement order directed to the commissioner, 9 we pointed out *344 that the confidentiality of Juvenile Court proceedings, juvenile records maintained by the court, and juvenile records maintained by the Department of Probation was protected…”
Doe v. Weld, 954 F. Supp. 425 (D. Mass. 1996). “This opinion does not address whether juveniles who are given a Level Two or Three designation are likely to prevail on the merits of their constitutional claims; nor does it consider the effect of “Megan's Law” on those Level One juvenile offenders whose records already have…”
Commonwealth vs. a Juv., 425 N.E.2d 294 (Mass. 1981). “920, 925-926 (1978) (use of juvenile records sealed pursuant to G. L. c. 276, § 100B). In another context, where the right to a full defense would otherwise be denied, we have made an exception to the general rule that evidence of prior bad acts may not be used to impeach a…”
Wing v. Comm'r of Prob., 43 N.E.3d 286 (Mass. 2015). “1 Although G. L. c. 276, §§ 100B and 100C, also concern sealed criminal records, only § 100A is relevant here.”
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