Frequently Asked Questions About CORI
Frequently Asked Questions
general | someone else's CORI | one's own CORI
Existing Regulations| New Regulations and Identity Theft
If you have been the victim of a crime, and have any questions regarding the certification for access to CORI documents, please call the Victim Services Unit at the Criminal History Systems Board at (617) 660-4690.
Frequently asked Questions about Chapter 385 are in the Acts Protecting Children section.
- What are the penalties for unlawfully accessing or disseminating CORI?
A: It is a crime punishable by one year in a house of correction and/or a $5,000 fine to willfully request, obtain, or seek to obtain CORI under false pretenses or to willfully communicate or seek to communicate CORI to any agency or person not authorized to receive CORI. The CHSB may also require civil fines not to exceed the amount of $500 for each willful violation.
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- How long does it take to process a certification application?
A: Upon receipt of the application, legal staff at CHSB will review it and issue the appropriate certification. If your application is incomplete it will delay processing. Please make sure to complete the Agreement of Non-Disclosure and Statement of CORI Certification Compliance prior to submitting your application (even if you have completed one in the past). The CHSB generally processes CORI requests within 2 business days of receipt; however, it is important to allow at least 2 weeks due to mail processing time, weekends and holidays. If you have not received results of a CORI request within 2 weeks, please do not hesitate to contact the CORI Unit at 617-660-4640 to inquire of its status.
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- How long does it take to process CORI requests?
A: The CHSB regularly updates Mass.gov with information regarding current CORI processing times. Please visit Current Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Request Processing Times for additional information. For CORI requests submitted via the US Mail, it is important to allow at least 2 weeks due to mail processing time, weekends and holidays. If you have not received results of a CORI request within 2 weeks, please do not hesitate to contact the CORI Unit at cori.info@state.ma.us to inquire of its status. The CHSB is not able to accommodate emergency requests, therefore please allow reasonable time for processing.
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- I just received a CORI request result and it reveals some offenses. Should I not hire/fire the individual?
A: The CHSB may not give legal advice on whether or not to hire or fire an individual based on the results of his/her CORI. Employment issues should be brought to the attention of your legal counsel and/or the attention of your overseeing agency (e.g. EOHHS, DPH, etc.). It is suggested that your organization develop a policy concerning disqualifying offenses.
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- How do I determine whether an offense is a felony or misdemeanor?
A: A felony is a crime punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison. All other crimes are misdemeanors. For a specific listing of crimes and whether they are felonies or misdemeanors please see the Master Crime List (PDF, file size 425 KB). You may search by chapter and section number of the offense, or you may search alphabetically by offense, beginning on page 64.
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- Can I share a copy of the criminal record I received back from your agency with the person on whom we requested the criminal record information?
A: Yes, you are required to share a copy with the applicant upon request but you are encouraged to have them sign a receipt or acknowledgement to that effect.
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- All of the identifiers in the criminal record that I received back from your agency do not match up to the identifiers that were provided to you. Is this the same person's criminal record?
A: The information that was provided to you may be a close match to the identifying information provided. If you are having difficulty attributing CORI results to an applicant, please contact a CORI Unity Analyst at 617-660-4640. The CORI Unit will conduct further research based on the fields of information required by the new CORI request forms sent to certified agencies in June 2005. It is important to note that it is always up to the requesting organization to determine whether the criminal record received is in fact the record of the person being screened.
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- All or some of the identifiers on the CORI match the information that was provided to you, but the person we requested information on is claiming that it is not him. Where do we go from here?
A: Until recently, Massachusetts' criminal records were not supported by fingerprints. As a result, there is no guarantee that the record returned by the CHSB is a match to the person queried. You are required to provide a copy of the CORI you received from this agency to the person whose record you requested and afford the opportunity to disppute the accuracy or relevancy of the CORI prior to making an adverse decision. The CHSB also requires that you provide a copy of Information Concerning the Process in Correcting a Criminal Record 
to anyone who believes his or her CORI report is inaccurate.
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- The name requested appears as an alias on the criminal record we received back from you. Is it the same person?
A: Generally, the name detailed at the top of the record is considered the owner of the record. Any aliases that follow the name refer to additional names known to have been used by the primary owner of the record. It is up to the requesting organization to determine whether the criminal record received is in fact the record of the person being screened.
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- The record we received back from your agency shows a conviction but the person queried is claiming that the case was dismissed. Where do we go from here?
A: The information that you received from this agency was provided to us by the Office of the Commissioner of Probation (OCP). You may share the information you received from this agency with the person whose record you requested and work with him or her, and the probation department of the court in which the discrepancies exist to determine the accuracy of the information provided. You may access a list of courts and their phone numbers.
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- My lawyer told me that my case was dismissed and that it would not be on my record. It still is. Why is it still on my record?
A: Once a person has been arraigned, they have a record and that record will never disappear without a court order.
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- How can I get my dismissed case removed from my criminal record?
A: It is not often that an offense is completely removed from a person's criminal record. In limited circumstances, a court order will accomplish that result. Contact your attorney or the Records Division of the Office of the Commissioner of Probation at 617-727-6558 to discuss the matter.
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- I was never charged with some of the offenses that appear on my criminal record. Where do I go to dispute this?
A: You need to contact the probation department of the court in which the disputed charges were brought. This means if you are disputing several different charges out of several different courts, you must contact each of the probation departments of the various courts. Also, the CHSB has put together Information Concering the Process in Correcting a Criminal Record to assist individuals who believe their CORI is inaccurate.
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- I was never convicted of anything and my criminal record says I was. Where do I go to dispute this?
A: You need to contact the probation department of the court in which the disputed dispositions were noted. This means if you are disputing several different dispositions out of several different courts, you must contact each of the probation departments of the various courts. Please review Information Concerning the Process in Correcting a Criminal Record to assist in such situations.
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- Who gets to see my record and how much do they get to see?
A: That depends on who the requesting party is and the degree of authorization they have to request and receive criminal history information. The general public may request and receive from this agency publicly accessible conviction information. In addition, a party may be certified as a criminal justice agency, or as an agency that is statutorily mandated to receive CORI. Furthermore, an agency or individual may be certified to receive information because it has been determined that it is in the public's interest for them to have this information. Degrees of access to CORI are determined by the Board, and may vary from an agency receiving all criminal history information to only conviction information.
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- What do I need to do with the New CORI Request form that I received in the mail?
A: The new CORI Request form that was sent to agencies in June 2005 is a sample CORI Request form that includes additional fields of information that must be collected by your agency from the applicant prior to requesting a CORI check. The additional fields of information that are required to be collected pursuant to the new regulations are in bold font and must be added to your current CORI request form(s) in order to comply with our new regulations. Please do not delete the signature requirement from your existing CORI request form. Please add the bold font fields to your existing form.
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- If my agency uses web CORI, will the additional fields appear on it?
A: No. However, your agency is still required to collect the information in order to properly verify the applicant's identification as required by the new regulations, and to request further research if necessary from the CHSB. The information collected on the new CORI request form will also help you to verify whether the CORI report pertains to the applicant or not.
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- Do I need to obtain a signature from the applicant?
A: The new regulations have not changed signature requirements to request CORI. Current and prospective employees and/or volunteers must sign the request form acknowledging that a CORI check will be conducted by the Criminal History Systems Board. This does not apply to ch 336, ch 444, 172I, 172G and 172H requests.
- Do I need to ask for photo identification and maintain a copy of it?
A: Yes, the new regulations require that applicant information be verified with goverment issued photo indentification such as a drivers' license and that a copy of the identification be kept on file with the certified agency. CHSB will use this information to assist agencies that are having difficulty assessing if a CORI report can be attributed to an individual. More information is available at How Such Additional Information Will Be Used.
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- What do I do if an applicant does not have a drivers' license?
A: Verify the applicant's information with another form of government issued photo identification such as a passport, state identification or any other photo identification that has been issued by a government entity.
- What do I do if an applicant does not have any photo identification?
A: Verify the applicant's information with a government issued non-photographic identification such as a birth certificate or social security card. It is important that you document that the applicant has no available photo identification if you use this form of verification.
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- Does it have to be the CORI authorized personnel that collects and reviews the government issued photographic identification?
A: Yes.
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- What do I do if the applicant does not want to provide the additional fields of information required by the new regulations?
A: If the additional fields of information are not collected from an applicant, your agency will not be in compliance with the new regulations in conducting CORI checks. In addition, the CHSB will not be able to provide assistance should you have difficulty assessing if a CORI report can be attributed to an applicant.
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New Regulations and Identity Theft
The CHSB provides the following frequently asked questions for guidance to our CORI certified agencies in the process in complying with the May 16, 2008 amendments to the CORI regulations. The CHSB is not authorized to provide employment or any other type of legal advice. For specific questions please consult with your own legal counsel.
Mailing
- I received a general information letter concerning these regulations in the mail what should I do?
A: Please read the letter. The letter outlines the requirements of the amended CORI regulations including: mandatory training, ID Theft Index procedures and CORI request form procedures. After reading the letter, please update your CORI form with the new "ID" Theft Index PIN Number" field. Please note, all the other fields on your existing form will remain the same.
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- I received the notice but, no longer use my CORI certifification and do not want access, what should I do?
A: Please draft a short letter to the attention of the CHSB, Attn: Legal Department, 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea, MA 02150 and state in the letter that you seek to withdraw your agency’s CORI certification. Please note, once you withdraw your CORI certification your agency will no longer be authorized to request CORI from CHSB.
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- Does the sample CORI request form included in the mailing replace my existing form?
A: No. The form is just a sample form and does not replace your existing CORI form or forms. The ONE UPDATE THAT YOU MUST MAKE ON YOUR EXISTING CORI FORM IS TO INCLUDE THE "ID THEFT INDEX PIN NUMBER" FIELD. This field is new and must be added to your existing CORI form. All the other fields will remain the sames.
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CORI Training
- Do all staff within my agency need to be CORI trained or can one member be trained for the agency?
A: At this time, only one individual must attend a CORI training upon either inital renewal or expanded CORI certification. The CHSB is in the process of implementing an electronic training program that will be available via the internet. Once the electronic training program is in place all staff will be required to complete the electronic training program.
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- When must I attend CORI training?
A: You must attend a CORI upon either inital, renewal, or expanded CORI certification. You must attend a CORI training at any time and send new or existing staff to CORI Training as often as your agency would like to attend.
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- My agency is located outside of Massachusetts and does not have any staff or offices located in Massachusetts, must my agency attend CORI training?
A: At this time, the CHSB does not provide trainings outside of Massachusetts. In addition, CHSB is in the process of completing an electronic training program. Once the electronic training program has been implemented then all staff located in and outside of Massachusetts must attend CORI training. Until such time, if you are located outside of Massachusetts and do not have any offices or staff in Massachusetts then you will be exempt for in-person training. Please contact the CORI training and compliance unit at 617-660-4673 for a waiver and to obtain a copy of the training materials in lieu of attendance.
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- My agency attended a CORI training at some point between January 2007 and April 2008, must I attend another training?
A: At this time, If you attended a CORI training during this time period and signed the sign-in sheet your agency has credits towards the CORI training requirement set forth in the amended CORI regulations. Your agency will not have not have to attend CORI training until it renews its certification during 2009-2010.
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- When and where are CORI training held?
A: CORI trainings are held on a weekly basis in our office located in Chelsea, MA. In addition, CORI trainings are also held at various locations throughout the Commonwealth. Please see For upcoming dates, times and locations, please see CORI Audit, Training, and Compliance Unit-Upcoming Training.
Identity (ID) Theft Index
- Why has the CHSB implemented the ID Theft Index?
A: The ID Theft Index has been implemented to proactively assist individuals that have been the victim of identity theft and as a resulet have a CORI that is wrongly associated with their information.
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- How will the ID Theft Index affect the processing of my CORI requests?
A: If applicants disclose to you they tbey have an ID Theft Index PIN Number, then please asked them for the PIN number and include it on your CORI form. If you currently use the Web-CORI program please be sure to either mail or fax the form to 617-660-4614. Upon receipt the CHSB will process the CORI request form by referencing the ID Theft Index PIN Number and will ensure that the appropriate information is sent to the agency.
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- How do I know if an individual has an ID Theft Index PIN Number?
A: The applicant will disclosure this to you either verbally or when he or she completes the CORI request form. Please be sure to send the requests in by either mail or fax as the Web-CORI program cannot process these types of request through Web-CORI.
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- Should I mail or fax all my CORI requests if I am currently on Web-CORI?
A: NO. The only CORI requests that should be mailed or faxed are those where the applicant discloses that he or she is a victim of identity theft and has an ID Theft Index PIN Number.
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Who is eligible to enroll in the ID Theft Index?
A: Only individuals that have been a victim of identity theft AND have a CORI that is wrongly attributed to their information are eligible for enrollment in the ID Theft Index. The ID Theft Index is not for individuals that have solely had their credit or bank history accessed by the offender. For additional information please see CHSB’s Information on How to Establish Yourself as a Victim of Identity Theft for CORI Purposes.
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I am a victim of identity theft but, do not have a CORI, am I eligible for enrollment in the CHSB ID Theft Index?
A: NO. The CHSB Id Theft Index is limited to providing assistance to victims of identity theft that have a CORI that is wrongly attributed to his or her information. For general information and for victims of identity theft that do not have a CORI wrongly associated with their information, please visit the Federal Trade Commission website at: www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ for further information that you may find helpful.
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I am a victim of identity theft and would like to enroll in the CHSB ID Theft Index, what should I do?
A: For a detailed step by step guide to this process please see: CHSB’s Information on How to Establish Yourself as a Victim of Identity Theft for CORI Purposes.
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I have successfully enrolled in CHSB’s ID Theft Index and am now applying for a job with a CORI certified agency, do I need to tell my prospective employer?
A: Yes, please disclose to your employer that you have successfully enrolled in CHSB’s ID Theft Index and have been provided an ID Theft Index PIN Number to be included on the CORI request form. You may either verbally disclose this information or simply write you ID Theft Index PIN Number on the CORI Request Form at the time of application.
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Verification of Information Contained on CORI Request Form
- What are the requirements on verifying the information contained on the CORI request form?
A: The CHSB regulations require that prior to submitting a CORI request form, the information listed on the CORI request must be verified with a photographic form of government issued identification. The type of documentation used to verify this information must also be noted on the CORI request form.
Limited exception #1
If it is not possible to verify the information contained on the form prior to submission, then in extenuating circumstances, the information contained on the CORI request form may be verified simultaneously with the beginning or receiving any employment, service or benefit to ensure that the CORI received from CHSB correspondences to the applicant for whom a request was made; provided, however, that a copy of the photographic form of government issued identification was mailed to the agency for its records prior to submission of the CORI request to CHSB.
Limited exception #2
In addition, if an individual does not have a photographic form of government issued identification, then in extenuating circumstances, the CORI request form may be verified prior to submission with a birth certificate or social security card. Please note, federal law prohibits the CHSB from requiring the social security card or number on the CORI request form. The agency may only accept a social security card to meet this requirement, if an applicant volunteers their social security card because they do not have a photographic form of government issued identification and do not have a copy of his or her birth certificate available for review.
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Under what circumstances may I use the amended procedure on how to verify the identification of an individual on the CORI request form?
A: The amended procedure may only be used in one of two of the following circumstances:
- It is an extreme hardship for the individual to appear to provide a copy of their photographic form of government issued identification; but, will follow the procedure described in limited exception #1; OR
- (b) The applicant does not have a photographic form of government issued identification, but, will follow the procedure described in limited exception #2.
Documentation to be Provided to Individuals Subject to a CORI Check
- As an agency certified by the CHSB to process CORI requests, what documentation must I provide to an individual that is subject to a CORI check?
A: Under the amended regulations, agencies are now required to provide individuals with the following:
- Copy of the CORI result (unless it is a “No Record”);
- Copy of CHSB’s Information Concerning the Process in Correcting a Criminal Record;
- Copy of CHSB’s Information on How to Establish Yourself as a Victim of Identity Theft for CORI Purposes.