Health departments in Massachusetts are local first. The state has 351 cities and towns, and state law expects each one to run its own board of health. Whether you live in Boston or a small Berkshire hill town, the office that inspects restaurants, checks rental housing and approves septic systems is usually close to home. Our database lists 386 of these offices, and how they are organized depends heavily on where you live.

How Massachusetts Law Sets Up Local Boards of Health

The legal backbone is Chapter 111 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the public health chapter. It requires each municipality to have a board of health. Some boards are elected. Others are appointed by a mayor or select board. Many are three-member panels that meet monthly in public.

Daily work usually falls to a health director, health agent or sanitarian. These are the people who walk through kitchens, read septic plans and return your calls. The board itself votes on permits, holds hearings and adopts local regulations. Meetings are public and agendas are posted, so you can attend when a permit affects your street.

State rules set the minimum. The Department of Public Health writes the State Sanitary Code, published as 105 CMR in the Code of Massachusetts Regulations. A town may adopt stricter rules of its own. That is why tobacco permits, well requirements and pool rules can differ from one community to the next. Check your own town's regulations instead of assuming a neighbor's apply.

The State Agencies Behind the Local Offices

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, or DPH, sits above the local network. It licenses hospitals and clinics, tracks disease outbreaks, and gives local boards guidance and training. Our database lists a Massachusetts Health Department office at 20 Vining Street in Boston, reachable at 617-626-9200.

Three regional offices also appear in the listings. The Greater Boston Regional Health Office is at 5 Randolph Street in Canton (781-774-6740). The Northeast Regional Health Office is at 365 East Street in Tewksbury (978-851-7261). The Southeast Regional Health Office is at 1736 Purchase Street in New Bedford (508-984-0600). These offices support local boards. They are not where you apply for a restaurant permit or a septic approval, so start with your town.

Septic systems involve a second state agency. The Department of Environmental Protection writes Title 5, the state septic code at 310 CMR 15.000. Your local board of health still reviews plans, witnesses soil tests and signs off on installations.

Boston, the Suburbs and the Berkshire Hill Towns Compared

Boston and the Inner Core

Boston's public health work is handled by the Boston Public Health Commission, a city agency created for that purpose. Dense housing shapes its priorities: rental inspections, food service, lead paint and pest complaints. Neighboring Chelsea runs its own City Health Department at 500 Broadway (617-889-8263). Both cities sit in Suffolk County, the smallest county by area, where full-time city agencies do the work that a part-time board handles in a small town.

Middlesex and Worcester: The Suburban and Central Belt

Middlesex County has 64 listings, and its suburbs show the pattern well. Newton's Health Department is at 1294 Centre Street (617-552-7058). Arlington's Board of Health is at 27 Maple Street (781-316-3170). Framingham's Board of Health is at 150 Concord Street (508-532-5470), and Ashland's Health Department is at 90 Concord Street (508-881-0114). Larger suburbs like these usually have full-time staff and posted office hours.

Worcester County is the largest county in the state by land area and has the most listings in our directory, at 70. Fitchburg's Board of Health is at 718 Main Street (978-345-9582). West Boylston's Health Department is at 180 Beaman Street (508-792-7880), and Charlton's Board of Health is at 37 Main Street (508-248-2210). Mid-sized and rural towns like these often share staff or rely on a part-time agent, so confirm hours before you visit.

The North Shore and Essex County

North of Boston, smaller communities keep their own boards. Boxford's Health Department is at 200 Washington Street (978-352-2413). Hamilton's Board of Health is at 577 Bay Road (978-468-5579). Coastal and wetland properties here often bring septic and water questions that inland suburbs rarely face.

Western Massachusetts and the Berkshires

Towns are smaller and farther apart in the west. Northampton's Health Department is at 23 Service Center Road (413-586-7525), and Greenfield's is at 14 Court Square (413-772-1404). In Berkshire County, which has 30 listings, the Alford Board of Health appears at 5 Alford Center Road, filed under Great Barrington (413-528-4536). Tiny towns often have a part-time health agent who covers several communities, so voicemail is common. Leave your name, address and the nature of the problem.

Cape Cod and the Islands

The coast works differently. Many Massachusetts counties have abolished their governments, so county pages are mainly geographic groupings. Barnstable County is an exception: the Barnstable County Health Department is at 3195 Main Street in Barnstable (508-375-6615). The Dukes County Health Department is at 4 Airport Road in Edgartown (508-696-3844), and the Aquinnah Board of Health is listed under Chilmark at 65 State Road (508-645-2307). Wastewater, shellfish waters and beach quality matter more here than in inland towns.

Everyday Services You Can Get From a Local Board of Health

Exact services vary by town, but most boards cover the same core work:

Fees are set locally, so there is no single statewide price. Ask the office for its current fee schedule before you apply.

Practical Steps Before You Call or Visit

First, find the right town. Jurisdiction follows the property address, not your mailing city. A home with one town's mailing address can sit inside a neighboring town's borders, and that town's board is the one that matters.

Listings can also show a mailing city that differs from the board's name. For example, the entry for Town Of Orange Board Of Health carries a Westborough address at 135 East Main Street (978-544-1107). Treat entries like this as a starting point and phone first to confirm the office, its address and its hours.

Bring the property address, photo ID, any plans or earlier inspection reports, and a way to pay. Some small offices accept only checks, so ask ahead.

For urgent problems outside office hours, such as a sewage backup or a suspected foodborne illness, call the town's police or fire dispatch line and ask for the on-call health official. Many towns route after-hours health calls this way.

Written complaints work best. Give the date, the exact location and the conditions, and attach photos. Ask the inspector for a copy of any report. Under the housing code, that report becomes the record you need if a landlord disputes the problem.

The health department network in Massachusetts consists of the state health agency and a system of county and city health departments that together deliver public health programs, disease surveillance, and preventive services to residents statewide.

Health Departments locations are available in 329 cities across Massachusetts. They are spread across 14 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Boston, Canton, Westborough, which operate full-service health departments providing comprehensive clinical and environmental health services to large urban populations.

Residents of Massachusetts can access their local health department for vaccinations, vital records, food inspection reports, and communicable disease information. Many services are available by appointment, and some are walk-in friendly.

Health Departments by Counties

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Residents of Massachusetts can order certified birth and death certificates, check restaurant inspection scores, and access free or low-cost vaccination services through their local health department. Most departments offer online appointment scheduling for clinical services.

Browse Health Departments by county across Massachusetts to find the nearest location.

Seasonal Health Issues That Keep Massachusetts Offices Busy

Summer and early fall bring mosquito season. Massachusetts has recorded eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus in recent years, and local boards work with DPH and regional mosquito control projects to post advisories and schedule spraying. Tick-borne illness, especially Lyme disease, is widespread across the state, so many health offices distribute tick-prevention information each spring.

Beach season adds another task. Coastal towns on the Cape, the islands and the South Shore, along with lake communities inland, sample bathing water on a regular schedule. When bacteria counts exceed state limits, the board posts a closure until a later test comes back clean. Check the town health office page before a weekend trip, since closures can change quickly. Recreational camps for children also need board of health permits and inspection before they open each summer.

Winter shifts the workload to housing. Heating complaints rise sharply, and the state housing code requires landlords to provide adequate heat in rentals. In spring, real estate sales raise the number of septic inspections and well questions. Dog licensing runs through the town clerk, but the health office often sets up the rabies clinics that make licensing easier. Knowing the calendar helps you call at the right time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Massachusetts Health Departments

Your local board of health issues them, not the state. A restaurant, cafe or food truck generally needs a permit from the town where it operates, and mobile vendors may need approval in each community they serve. Inspectors apply the state retail food code, 105 CMR 590, and the operator usually must have a certified food protection manager. New kitchens go through plan review before opening. Contact the health director early, ask for the application and fee schedule, and book the pre-opening inspection well ahead of your planned date. Temporary permits for fairs and farmers markets are handled the same way.

Call the board of health in the town where the apartment is located and request an inspection. Inspectors check conditions against the state housing code, 105 CMR 410, and describe any violations in a written report. The landlord then receives deadlines for repairs. Document the problem first with dated photos, emails and repair requests. Ask for a copy of the inspection report, because it supports later legal steps. A local legal aid office or the housing court can explain tenant remedies, which are separate from the health inspection. Speak with an attorney before withholding any rent.

If the home uses a septic system, state Title 5 rules generally require an inspection by a state-certified inspector when the property is sold. The inspector files the report with the local board of health, which keeps it on record. A system that fails must be repaired or upgraded within a set time, and buyer and seller often negotiate who pays. The rules on how recent the inspection must be are specific, so call your board of health before you list. Cape Cod and island towns handle many of these cases because so many homes there rely on septic.

No. Most health authority sits with cities and towns, and many county governments were abolished in recent decades. A few counties still offer services, and our listings include the Barnstable County Health Department in Barnstable and the Dukes County Health Department in Edgartown. In Norfolk County, which has 35 listings, you deal with the town office directly, such as the Dedham Town Health Department at 26 Bryant Street (781-751-9220) or the Franklin Board Of Health at 355 East Central Street (508-520-4905). Use county pages to browse, but call the office for your own town.

Listings are built from address records, and some small boards work from a neighboring community's mailing address or a shared building. In our data, the Alford Board Of Health appears under Great Barrington, and the Aquinnah Board Of Health under Chilmark. The entry named Town Of Orange Board Of Health carries a Westborough address, so confirm by phone before you travel. Ask which town the office covers, its current street address and its hours. If you reached the wrong office, staff can usually point you to the right one.

Many boards of health run flu clinics in the fall, often at senior centers or town halls, and some organize rabies clinics for dogs and cats. Massachusetts requires proof of rabies vaccination before a dog is licensed through the town clerk. Clinic dates are posted on town websites and bulletin boards, and the health office can tell you the next one. For routine childhood or school-required vaccines, your pediatrician is the usual route, though the board can point you toward low-cost options. Call early, because popular clinics fill quickly.