Find Nantucket County People Records

A Nantucket County people search lets you look up public records on the smallest county in Massachusetts. Nantucket is both a county and a town, with about 14,000 year-round residents on a single island 30 miles south of Cape Cod. All government offices sit in the town of Nantucket, most of them at 16 Broad Street. This setup makes it simple to search court records, property data, and other public files in one location. Because the county is so small, records are tightly organized and staff tend to know the files well. You can do some searches online and handle the rest by phone, email, or a trip to the island.

Nantucket County Sheriff People Search

The Nantucket County Sheriff's Office is the place to start for certain kinds of people searches. Sheriff James A. Perelman runs the office at 20 South Water Street in Nantucket. The phone number is (508) 228-7263. Staff are in the office Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The office handles civil process, warrant inquiries, and jail operations on the island.

You can file a public records request by email at nantucket@islandsheriff.com or by mail to P.O. Box 419, Nantucket, MA 02554. The fax number is (508) 325-5338. Include the person's full name and any other info you have when you make a request. State law requires a response within 10 business days. Fees for copies follow the rates set by the Massachusetts Public Records Law.

The Nantucket County Sheriff's Office website has contact details for each department. Brenda Garnett and Suzette Brown handle administrative matters. Richard Harrington is the Special Sheriff. For civil process questions, email nantucket@islandsheriff.com directly.

Because Nantucket is a small community, the Sheriff's Office processes fewer bookings and civil papers than mainland counties. But the records they do keep are still public and available on request. Warrant checks and custody status inquiries can be made by phone during business hours.

Note: The Sheriff's Office does not handle police reports; contact the Nantucket Police Department for local incident records.

Nantucket People Search via Property Records

The Nantucket County Registry of Deeds is at 16 Broad Street. Property records are a strong tool for a people search on the island. Nantucket has high property values and an active real estate market, which means there are a lot of deed transfers, mortgages, and liens on file. If a person owns or has owned land on Nantucket, the registry will have their name.

You can search online at MassLandRecords.com under the Nantucket section. Recorded land records go from January 1967 to the present. Plans start from 1974. Registered land records date to 1958. The system also has historical deed indexes going all the way back to 1657. You can search by name, book and page, document number, or property address. The online search is free.

The office is open for research Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Recording hours are 8:00 AM to noon and 1:00 PM to 3:45 PM. Copies cost $1.00 per page. If you need research help and cannot provide a book and page number, there is a $5.00 fee for up to three instrument searches. Call (508) 228-7250 or email jen.ferreira@sec.state.ma.us with questions.

One thing to know about Nantucket property records: all land transfers must go through the Nantucket Land Bank before recording. The Land Bank levies a transfer fee on most sales. This adds another layer of records that can help you track property transactions linked to a person. The Land Bank office is at (508) 228-7240.

Nantucket Probate Court People Search

The Nantucket Probate and Family Court handles divorces, custody cases, name changes, guardianships, and estate proceedings. Register Sarah Maxwell runs the office at 16 Broad Street. The phone number is (508) 228-2669. You can email nantucketprobate@jud.state.ma.us for questions or record requests. The court is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

Online case searches work through the MassCourts portal. Type in a name and see what cases come up. The system shows party names, case numbers, filing dates, and basic docket info. For the full file, you need to reach out to the court. Staff can help locate old cases and make copies. Certified copies run $20 or more per document.

Like Dukes County, Nantucket is a small jurisdiction, so the volume of cases is lower than what you see on the mainland. That said, probate records here can still be a key part of a people search. Estate proceedings name beneficiaries and executors. Divorce files list both parties and may show financial details. Guardianship records name the person under guardianship and the guardian. All of this can help you build a picture of a person's legal history on the island.

One quirk of the Nantucket court: probation issues are handled by Barnstable Probate and Family Court on Cape Cod, not by the Nantucket office. If you need probation records, you will have to contact Barnstable County.

Note: Probation matters for Nantucket County are handled by Barnstable Probate and Family Court, so check with that office for probation-related records.

Nantucket Superior Court People Records

Nantucket County Superior Court is at 16 Broad Street, the same building as the other courts and the Registry of Deeds. Clerk of Courts Colleen S. Whelden manages the office. Call (508) 228-2559 to reach the clerk. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Superior Court handles felony cases and civil matters worth more than $25,000.

You can search cases online through mass.gov court dockets search. In-person searches are also possible at the clerk's window. Nantucket's Superior Court has a light docket compared to larger counties, but cases that do come through can hold detailed info. Criminal cases list charges and outcomes. Civil cases may include financial claims and settlement data.

The courthouse at 16 Broad Street is accessible by the Nantucket Regional Transit Authority. The Jetties Beach Route and Madaket Route both have stops near Broad Street. If you need ADA accommodations, contact Sarah Maxwell at (508) 228-2669 or sarah.maxwell@jud.state.ma.us.

People Search Tips for Nantucket County

Nantucket has some features that affect how a people search works here. The year-round population is about 14,000, but summer brings the total past 50,000. Many property owners live off-island most of the year. This means deed records may show names of people whose primary home is in Boston, New York, or elsewhere. Look at mailing addresses on property records to figure out if someone is a year-round or seasonal resident.

Because Nantucket is both a county and a town, there is no split between municipal and county government the way there is on the mainland. The town clerk handles vital records like birth, death, and marriage certificates. The county offices at 16 Broad Street handle court records and property deeds. For a complete people search, you may need to check both.

Getting to Nantucket from the mainland requires a ferry from Hyannis (run by the Steamship Authority or Hy-Line Cruises) or a short flight. If you plan to visit in person, you can hit all the county offices in one morning since they are all within a few blocks of each other. For remote searches, the online tools and email contacts listed on this page will get you started without needing to travel.

Nantucket County People Search and Public Records

Your right to search public records in Nantucket County is backed by Massachusetts law. M.G.L. c. 66 section 10 gives anyone the right to request government records without stating a reason. County offices must respond within 10 business days. Copy fees are set by state law and are generally low: $0.05 per page for most paper copies, $1.00 per page at the Registry of Deeds.

Some records are exempt from public access. Juvenile court files, sealed cases, certain medical records, and Social Security numbers are off limits. But the vast majority of court filings, property records, and government agency files are open. If an office refuses your request, you can appeal to the Supervisor of Records at the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The appeal is free and usually resolves the matter.

State-level search tools round out your options. The MassCourts system at masscourts.org lets you check courts in every county from one search. MassLandRecords covers all registry districts. The Registry of Vital Records in Dorchester handles statewide birth, death, and marriage certificates. These tools work well with Nantucket County records to give you a full picture.

• MassCourts - search all court types statewide
• MassLandRecords - property records in every county
• Registry of Vital Records - state birth, death, marriage data
• Nantucket Town Clerk - local vital records
• Nantucket District Court at 16 Broad Street - (508) 228-0460

Towns in Nantucket County

Nantucket County consists of a single town: Nantucket. The town and county share the same boundaries. There are no other municipalities in the county, and Nantucket does not meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

All records for people searches in Nantucket County go through the offices listed above. The town clerk handles local vital records, while the county courts and registry handle everything else.

Nearby Counties

Nantucket is an island county. The closest counties by ferry or air are listed below. If you need records from a neighboring jurisdiction, check these options.