Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title II Chapter 6
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6, § 178 (2026)

Requesting or obtaining criminal offender record information or self-audit under false pretenses; unlawful communication of record information; falsification of record information; unlawful request or requirement that person provide his or her record information; punishment

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 178. An individual or entity who knowingly requests, obtains or attempts to obtain criminal offender record information or a self-audit from the department under false pretenses, knowingly communicates or attempts to communicate criminal offender record information to any other individual or entity except in accordance with the provisions of sections 168 through 175, or knowingly falsifies criminal offender record information, or any records relating thereto, or who requests or requires a person to provide a copy of his or her criminal offender record information except as authorized pursuant to section 172, shall for each offense be punished by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than 1 year or by a fine of not more than $5,000 or by both such fine and imprisonment, and in the case of an entity that is not a natural person, the amount of the fine may not be more than $50,000 for each violation.

An individual or entity who knowingly requests, obtains or attempts to obtain juvenile delinquency records from the department under false pretenses, knowingly communicates or seeks to communicate juvenile criminal records to any other individual or entity except in accordance with the provisions of sections 168 through 175, or knowingly falsifies juvenile criminal records, shall for each offense be punished by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than 1 year or by a fine of not more than $7,500, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and in the case of an entity that is not a natural person, the amount of the fine may not be more than $75,000 for each violation.

This section shall not apply to, and no prosecution shall be brought against, a law enforcement officer who, in good faith, obtains or seeks to obtain or communicates or seeks to communicate criminal offender record information in the furtherance of his or her official duties.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8 cases, 1991–2020 · leading case: Roe v. Farwell, 999 F. Supp. 174 (D. Mass. 1998).
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Roe v. Farwell, 999 F. Supp. 174 (D. Mass. 1998). “Mass.Gen. Laws ch. 6, § 178(E)(2). A sex offender must notify the police department where he or she is registered of any change in his or her residential or work address five days prior to establishing a new 'residence.”
Morra v. Casey, 960 F. Supp. 2d 335 (D. Mass. 2013). “Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6, § 177 . . Mass. Gen.”
Roggio v. Grasmuck, 988 F. Supp. 2d 130 (D. Mass. 2013). “Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6 § 178. However, the statute does not create civil liability simply for making an unauthorized request to obtain CORI.”
Schuurman v. Town of North Reading, 139 F.R.D. 276 (D. Mass. 1991). “Additionally, Mass.Gen.L. ch. 6, § 178 imposes criminal penalties for the improper release of criminal record information.”
Poe v. Attorney Gen., 6 Mass. L. Rptr. 313 (Mass. Super. Ct. 1996). · cites it 2× “BACKGROUND The plaintiffs filed this action on November 7, 1996, challenging certain steps taken by the defendants to implement the Sex Offender Registration Act, G.L.c. 6, §178 (the Act). Plaintiff Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), is the agency responsible for…”
Attorney Gen. v. Dist. Attorney for the Plymouth Dist. (Mass. 2020). “" See G. L. c. 6, § 178. Moreover, CORI reform made it a crime for an employer to request that a prospective employee provide the employer with his or her CORI report.”
Jordan v. Carter, 494 F. Supp. 2d 72 (D. Mass. 2007). “On May 11, 2004, one day after plaintiffs filed this action, Deputy Delores Ford-Murphy of the Department swore out criminal complaints against plaintiffs for violations of the CORI statute, G.L. c. 6, § 178. Following a bench trial in the Roxbury District Court, plaintiffs were…”
Est. of Strong v. Am. Drug Stores, Inc., 14 Mass. L. Rptr. 353 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2002). “G.L.c. 6, §178. The Office of the Commissioner of Probation, on the other hand, exists principally to oversee the supervision of criminal offenders, and to serve the information needs of judges, other court personnel, and lawyers in criminal cases.”
— Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6, § 178(E)(2) — 1 case
Roe v. Farwell, 999 F. Supp. 174 (D. Mass. 1998). “Mass.Gen. Laws ch. 6, § 178(E)(2). A sex offender must notify the police department where he or she is registered of any change in his or her residential or work address five days prior to establishing a new 'residence.”
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