Boston Genealogy Records

Boston genealogy records span nearly four centuries, with births, marriages, and deaths recorded by the city's own Registry Division going back to 1630. Researchers searching Boston genealogy records can order certified copies directly from the Registry Division or access older pre-state records at the Boston City Archives, making the city one of the best-documented places in New England for family history work.

Boston Registry Division

The Boston Registry Division is the first stop for most genealogy researchers. It holds birth, death, and marriage records from 1630 to the present. This office is part of Boston City Hall and handles requests by mail, in person, and online. No other city in Massachusetts has a record collection that goes back this far in a single local office. If your ancestor was born, married, or died in Boston, this is where you start.

One key detail: Boston did not report vital records to the state until 1850. Records before that date are not in the Massachusetts state system. They exist only at the Boston Registry Division or at the Boston City Archives. So if you are searching for a Boston ancestor before 1850, you must go directly to the city, not the state. This is different from most other Massachusetts cities and towns, where state records often start in 1841.

Pre-1870 records require an extra $10 research fee on top of the standard copy cost. Those older records take more staff time to find because they are not all digitized. Plan ahead if you need something from that era. The standard copy fee for more recent records is $14 per copy online, or $14 to $24 by mail. Same-day service is available when you visit Room 213 in person.

How to Order Boston Genealogy Records

The Registry Division accepts orders in three ways. Each method works fine, but in-person visits are the fastest if you need a record the same day.

Online orders go through the city's official portal. The cost is $14 per copy plus a service fee of 2.15% plus $0.25. Orders are processed within 2 to 3 business days. This is the most convenient option for researchers who are not in Boston. Go to boston.gov/departments/registry-birth-death-and-marriage to start an online order.

Mail orders cost $14 per copy, or $24 for records before 1870. You must include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your request. Mail your order to: Registry Division, One City Hall Square, Room 213, Boston, MA 02201. Include the full name, event type, approximate year, and your contact information. Allow extra time for mail processing. The office is closed on weekends and city holidays.

In-person visits are handled at Room 213 in Boston City Hall, Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM. Same-day service is available for most requests. If parents were not married when a child was born, the birth certificate may be restricted and harder to access. Call 617-635-4175 to ask about any special steps for those records.

The official state ordering page at mass.gov walks through how to order Boston birth, marriage, and death records online, including special instructions for pre-1870 records.

Boston birth records before 1870 require an extra $10 research fee because those older records require additional staff research to locate.

Boston City Archives and Pre-1850 Records

The Boston City Archives holds pre-1850 vital records that are not part of the Massachusetts state system. These are the records for Boston's earliest residents, including colonial-era births, marriages, and deaths. The Archives are located in West Roxbury, not at City Hall, so you need to plan a separate visit if you need material from that collection.

If your research involves Boston ancestors from the 1600s or early 1700s, the City Archives is a key stop. Some of these early records have been transcribed and published, but the originals are at Rivermoor Street. Call ahead to confirm hours and to ask what finding aids are available before you visit.

Massachusetts State Archives and State Records

The Massachusetts State Archives at 220 Morrissey Boulevard in Boston holds statewide vital records from 1841 through 1925. For Boston specifically, this covers the period from 1850 to 1925, since the city did not report to the state until 1850. These are birth, death, and marriage records gathered by the state under the state registration system set up by M.G.L. Chapter 46.

The State Archives reading room is free and open to the public. Researchers can look up records on microfilm and order copies. Staff can help you navigate the indexes. This is a great resource for Boston genealogy work from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s. For records from 1926 to the present, requests go to the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester.

FamilySearch also has a large free collection of Massachusetts town clerk records, including Boston, spanning from 1626 to 2001. Go to familysearch.org to browse what is available online before visiting in person. Many early Boston vital records have been scanned and indexed there at no cost.

Note: For records from 1926 to the present, contact the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics at 617-740-2600. Online orders cost $54 for the first copy; mail orders cost $32; in-person visits cost $20.

Boston Death Record Search

Boston offers a free online death record search for deaths from 1956 to the present. The search tool is at registry.boston.gov/death. You can look up by name and get basic information about a death event. This is useful when you need to confirm dates before ordering a certified copy. The tool does not give you a copy of the certificate, but it can verify that a record exists and what year it was filed.

For earlier death records not covered by the online search, use the State Archives indexes (pre-1926) or contact the Registry Division directly. The Registry Division can search their paper indexes for older records. There is no charge just to look something up, but copies cost the standard fee.

Boston Land Records and Probate

Land records for Boston are held in the Suffolk Registry of Deeds. Massachusetts Land Records at masslandrecords.com gives you free online access to Suffolk County deed records going back several centuries. Land records are one of the most useful tools in genealogy because they place people in specific locations at specific times. They also often name relatives, neighbors, and other family members in the document text.

The New England Historic Genealogical Society, known as American Ancestors, is based at 99-101 Newbury Street in Boston. Their databases at americanancestors.org cover probate records, vital records, and many other genealogy sources for Massachusetts and New England. Some content requires a membership, but free searches are available for many collections. This is one of the top genealogy research libraries in the country, and having it in Boston is a major advantage for local researchers.

The Boston Public Library at 700 Boylston Street also holds strong genealogy collections. The Local History and Genealogy department includes city directories, newspapers, and published vital records. These are free to access during library hours.

Suffolk County Genealogy Records

Boston is the county seat of Suffolk County. The county court system and county-level records for probate, land deeds, and related matters are all centered in Boston. For a full overview of genealogy resources available at the county level, visit the Suffolk County genealogy records page.

View Suffolk County Genealogy Records

Nearby Cities

Other cities near Boston also have genealogy records pages with local clerk and courthouse details.