Dukes County People Search

A Dukes County people search covers the island communities of Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands. This is the second-smallest county in Massachusetts by population, with about 20,000 year-round residents. The county seat is Edgartown, and nearly all government offices are based there at 81 Main Street. Court records, property deeds, and other public files are available through a handful of county offices. Because the county is small, the records are more concentrated, which can make a search easier. You can do some lookups online and handle others by phone, email, or a visit to the Edgartown courthouse.

Dukes County People Records at the Sheriff's Office

The Dukes County Sheriff's Office handles jail operations, civil process, and public records requests for the island. The main office is at 149 Main Street in Edgartown. You can reach them at (508) 627-5173. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The office also has a civil process department at 9 Flight Path in Vineyard Haven.

Special Sheriff Kayla Pachico is the Public Records Access Officer. Send requests by email to records@dcsoma.org, by fax to (508) 627-8496, or by mail to P.O. Box 252, Edgartown, MA 02539. Include the full name of the person you are searching for and any other details you have. The office follows the state's public records law and will respond within 10 business days. Fees may apply for document copies.

The Dukes County Sheriff's Office website lists departments, contact info, and details on how to reach inmates. The jail is small compared to mainland county jails, but it still processes bookings and holds people awaiting trial or serving short sentences.

For a people search, the Sheriff's Office can tell you if someone is in custody, has been served with court papers, or has a record of civil process on the island. These are useful pieces of a broader search.

Note: For police reports about incidents on the island, contact the local town police department rather than the Sheriff's Office.

Dukes County People Search Through Deeds

Property records on Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands go through the Dukes County Registry of Deeds at 81 Main Street in Edgartown. The Register is Paulo C. DeOliveira. This office keeps every deed, mortgage, lien, and discharge filed in the county. Property changes hands often on the island, so the records are active and well-maintained.

Online searches run through MassLandRecords.com. The Dukes County database has recorded land records from 1974 to the present, plus registered land and plans. There are also historical records going back to 1641, including early deed indexes and abstracts of Indian deeds from 1663 to 1786. You can search by name, book and page, document number, or property address. The online system is free.

For copies, the office charges $1.00 per page. You can visit in person, or send a mail request with a check and self-addressed stamped envelope to P.O. Box 5231, Edgartown, MA 02539. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Call (508) 627-4025 with questions. Email goes to registry@dukescounty.org.

Property records are one of the strongest tools in any people search. They show ownership, sale prices, mortgage amounts, and addresses. On an island with a limited population, a name search through the deeds can turn up results quickly. The seven towns covered are Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, West Tisbury, and Gosnold.

Note: Free non-certified copies of recorded documents are available directly on the MassLandRecords website without needing to contact the office.

Dukes County Probate Court People Search

The Dukes Probate and Family Court deals with cases that frequently come up in a people search. Divorces, guardianships, name changes, custody disputes, and estate matters are all filed here. The court is inside the Dukes County Courthouse at 81 Main Street in Edgartown. It shares the building with the Superior Court and the Registry of Deeds, which makes it convenient to check multiple record sources in one visit.

You can look up Dukes County probate cases online through the MassCourts system. Search by name to see case numbers, party names, and docket info. The online records give you a starting point. For detailed documents, reach out to the court directly at (508) 627-4703 or email dukesprobate@jud.state.ma.us. Staff can scan and email copies of older records. Payment for copies usually goes by check mailed to the court before they send the documents.

Dukes County has probate records going back to 1690. This is one of the oldest record collections in the state. If you are doing a historical people search or looking into old family connections on Martha's Vineyard, the court may have what you need. Certified copies of most documents cost $20 each.

The court is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Walk-in requests are welcome. The staff is used to helping people who are not familiar with the court system, so do not hesitate to ask for guidance if you need it.

Dukes Superior Court People Records

The Dukes County Superior Court is also at 81 Main Street in Edgartown. It handles felony criminal cases and civil suits over $25,000. The phone number for the Clerk's Office is (508) 627-4668. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Because Dukes County is small, the Superior Court docket is not as busy as those on the mainland, but cases that do come through here can hold useful info for a people search.

Criminal cases at this level include felony charges and appeals from District Court. Civil cases may involve property disputes, personal injury claims, and other high-value matters. Case files often contain detailed filings that name the parties, list witnesses, and show outcomes. You can search for cases online through the mass.gov court dockets page or visit the courthouse in person.

All courts in Dukes County are in the same building on Main Street. This is a plus for people doing a search because you can check the Superior Court, Probate Court, and Registry of Deeds without moving between locations. The building is accessible by the Vineyard Transit Authority bus system.

People Search Tips for Dukes County

Doing a people search in Dukes County is a bit different from a mainland county. The population is small, and it swells in the summer months when seasonal residents and visitors arrive. Year-round residents number about 20,000, but summer crowds can push that past 100,000. Property records may show people who own homes on the island but live elsewhere for most of the year.

This means a Dukes County property search may turn up names of people who do not consider the island their primary home. Check the mailing address on the deed to see if it matches an island address or a mainland one. Many property owners list off-island addresses. Court records will generally only show people who had legal matters filed in Dukes County, which narrows the pool.

Because all offices are in one building at 81 Main Street, a single trip to Edgartown can cover most of your search. Start at the Registry of Deeds for property lookups. Then check the Probate Court and Superior Court for case records. If you need Sheriff's Office records, that is just a short walk to 149 Main Street. For those coming from the mainland, the Steamship Authority runs ferries from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven year-round.

Note: Seasonal population shifts mean that some records may list off-island addresses for property owners, so check mailing addresses carefully in deed records.

Statewide Tools for Dukes County People Search

State-level databases extend your reach beyond Dukes County. The MassCourts system at masscourts.org covers all trial courts in Massachusetts. If the person you are looking for had legal matters in another county, a statewide search will find them. This is especially useful for Dukes County because many people who appear in island records also have ties to mainland counties.

MassLandRecords lets you search property records in all 21 registry districts from one site. The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in Dorchester keeps birth, death, and marriage records for the whole state. You can order certificates online through mass.gov.

These statewide tools work well alongside the local Dukes County offices. Use the state databases for a broad search, then follow up with the county offices for detailed records. The combination gives you the best chance of finding what you need about a person in Dukes County.

• MassCourts - free case search across all courts
• MassLandRecords - statewide property records
• Vital Records - birth, death, marriage data
• Mass.gov - court dockets and calendars

Towns in Dukes County

Dukes County has seven towns across Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands. None of the towns meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All county-level records are handled through offices in Edgartown.

The towns are Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Gosnold, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury (Vineyard Haven), and West Tisbury. Each town has its own clerk for local vital records, but court records and property deeds go through the county offices.

Nearby Counties

Dukes County is an island county, so "nearby" means the closest counties by ferry or air. If you cannot find the records you need in Dukes County, try these neighboring jurisdictions.