Land Court Rules  Land Court Standing Order 1-26: Limiting public remote access to certain types of electronic court records in the Land Court Department of the Trial Court

This Standing Order defines what documents on Land Court dockets are not permitted to be viewed through the Trial Court’s eAccess Public Portal (the “remote public access portal”). This Standing Order applies to documents filed with the Land Court. Remote public access allows anyone to view dockets, case documents, and other case-related information electronically from anywhere with Internet access. Remote public access reduces the need for a person to come to a courthouse to review a case file or check a docket entry. Certain types of filings, however, contain sensitive information and so will not be made available for remote public viewing.

This Standing Order does not address access through the Trial Court’s eAccess Attorney Portal. This Standing Order also does not take the place of an impoundment order. Impoundment restricts all public access to a document. If a person seeks to file a document with a Court that should not be available for any public inspection, they must file the document in accordance with the procedure outlined in Trial Court Rule VIII (“Uniform Rules on Impoundment Procedure”).

The Chief Justice of the Land Court creates this Standing Order according to Trial Court Rule V (“Issuance of Standing Orders”), Trial Court Rule XIV(5)(a)(1)(iii) (“Uniform Rules on Public Access to Court Records”), and S.J.C. Rule 1:24 (“Protection of Personal Identifying Information in Publicly Accessible Court Documents”). 

There are documents filed with the Land Court that are not otherwise impounded or restricted by statute, other standing order, rule, or order of the Land Court that the Land Court has determined will not appear on the remote public access portal (“restricted documents”). The Land Court is restricting access to these restricted documents to provide additional protections for personal identifying information, to prevent the dissemination of materials not intended for public review, and to safeguard other sensitive personal, financial, or security-related information that could cause harm or unwarranted intrusion if made available on the remote public access portal. For a complete list of these restricted documents, see the addendum attached to this Standing Order. The Chief Justice of the Land Court, in their discretion, and after consultation with the Land Court Recorder’s Office, may amend the addendum to add or remove certain types of restricted documents. The latest version of the addendum will be posted on the Land Court’s website with its Rules and Standing Orders.

For good cause and if the interests of justice are served, a Justice of the Land Court, on motion of any party, any interested party, or on the Court’s own motion, may order that a document required to be a restricted document by this Standing Order be made available for inspection on the remote public access portal in whole or in part, subject to any conditions the Court may impose. Whether or not a document is available for inspection on the remote public access portal does not prevent any person from requesting a copy of the document from the Court by contacting the Recorder’s Office directly. See Part I, above.

All attorneys and self-represented litigants (“Filers”) filing restricted documents with the Land Court using the Trial Court’s electronic filing system (“eFileMA.com”) are required to file the restricted documents separately using the correct filing code. Any self-represented litigant not required to file documents electronically, as set forth in Land Court Standing Order 2-23(III)(B), and who chooses not to use eFileMA.com to file restricted documents must file the restricted documents in a separate envelope bearing the case caption and a prominent notation that the documents inside are "Restricted Documents Pursuant to Land Court Standing Order 1-26.”

Filers shall not attach restricted documents to unrestricted documents. For example, Filers shall not include restricted documents in an appendix, attach restricted documents as exhibits, or append restricted documents to affidavits or other pleadings. It is the responsibility of each Filer to identify all restricted documents under this Standing Order and to file them separately and in the manner indicated. Consistent with Section III.F of Land Court Standing Order 1-23, the Land Court will not review filings for compliance with this Standing Order. However, if the Land Court discovers that a Filer has not complied with this Standing Order, it may contact the Filer for corrective action.

Nothing in this Standing Order relieves or exempts compliance with all other statutes, rules, and orders pertaining to the protection of personal identifying information. This includes, but is not limited to: G.L. c. 93H; Supreme Judicial Court Order regarding the protection of personal information, dated January 7, 2010; S.J.C. Rule 1:24 (“Protection of Personal Identifying Information in Publicly Accessible Court Documents”); S.J.C. Rule 1:25 (“Massachusetts Rules of Electronic Filing”); Trial Court Rule XIV (“Uniform Rules on Public Access to Court Records”); Land Court Standing Order 1-23 (“Land Court Department electronic filing procedures, standards, and guidelines”); and Land Court Standing Order 2-23 (“Implementation of mandatory electronic filing for attorneys in certain case types in the Land Court Department”).

This Standing Order shall take effect on April 1, 2026, and may be rescinded, superseded, or amended by the Land Court, in writing, at any time. This Standing Order applies only to filings submitted on or after the effective date and does not alter the treatment of filings made prior to that date.  

Land Court Document Images Restricted on Remote Public Access Portal