What are New Jersey Court Records?
Over 9.2 million people reside in New Jersey, making it the 11th most populous state in the United States. The state's court structure follows a three-tier system, with a supreme court at the top, the appellate division of the superior court in the middle, and trial courts at the bottom.
In accordance with New Jersey law, court records are information maintained by a New Jersey court in any form in connection with a case or judicial proceedings. However, they do not include information collected, maintained, or stored by a government agency or entity to which the court has access but which is not part of the court record. Unfiled discovery materials in court actions are also not referred to as court records.
Typically, New Jersey court actions include the following:
Pleadings
Pleadings are formal written statements by parties in a lawsuit outlining their claims and defenses
Motions
These are requests made to the court for a specific ruling or order, often seeking to resolve procedural or substantive issues before or during trial.
Briefs
Briefs are written arguments submitted to a court, presenting the legal reasoning and precedents supporting a party's position.
Evidentiary exhibits
These are physical or documentary evidence presented during a trial to support or refute claims.
Indices
Indices are lists or guides that categorize and reference documents, evidence, or cases for easy retrieval.
Calendars
Calendars refer to schedules of court proceedings, including hearings, trials, and other judicial activities.
Dockets
Dockets are official summaries or records of all proceedings and filings in a particular case.
Transcripts
Transcripts are verbatim written records of oral proceedings, such as trials or hearings.
Order
A court order is a document issued by a judge that requires action, an appearance in court or the production of a document or report.
Judgment
A judgment is the final decision or ruling by a court resolving the dispute between the parties.
Opinion
This is a judge's written explanation of the reasoning behind a court's decision in a case.
Decree
A decree is a formal order issued by a court that often deals with the parties' rights and obligations, typically in cases involving equity, family law, or probate.
Types of Court Cases
State courts in New Jersey typically handle civil and criminal cases.
Civil Cases
Civil cases are non-criminal matters where an individual or business sues another to enforce, protect, or redress civil or private rights. Examples of civil cases brought before New Jersey courts include
- Small claims
- Claims for money damages
- Medical malpractice
- Divorce
- Child custody
- Tort cases
- Contracts
- Judgments
Criminal Cases
Cases are considered criminal if the actions violate a criminal law and result in harm to property, persons, or public trust. In a criminal case, the court has two parties: the prosecution, the government, and the defense, the party or individual alleged to have committed the crime. Criminal cases are always initiated by the government upon violation of a criminal law, commission of a crime, or other identification of a party who committed or participated in a criminal act.
Common examples of criminal cases in New Jersey include:
- Murder
- Manslaughter
- Aggravated sexual assault
- Kidnapping
- Arson
- Unlawful possession of firearms
- Drug crimes involving Schedule I drugs and distribution of large quantities of drugs
What Are the Different Courts in New Jersey?
The New Jersey court system is organized into geographic regions called vicinages. The Administrative Office of the Courts, based in Trenton, oversees these vicinages. This central body sets policies, procedures, and best practices for the state's judiciary. The following courts make up the court structure in the state:
The Supreme Court
Also called New Jersey's court of last resort, the Supreme Court is the state's highest appellate court. Acting as the authoritative and rule-making body for New Jersey courts, the Supreme Court's decisions and oral arguments lay the foundation for interpreting and applying New Jersey laws. The court also reviews the decisions of all other courts in the state. The New Jersey Supreme Court is led by a chief justice and six associate justices.
Appellate Division of the Superior Court
The Appellate Division of the Superior Court is an intermediate appellate court in New Jersey. It hears appeals from the state's trial courts, administrative agencies, and tax courts. In limited circumstances, the appellate division of the superior court may, by grant of leave, hear appeals in matters reviewable as of right in a trial court.
In other cases, the appellate division's final judgments are reviewable only by certification at the Supreme Court's discretion. The appellate division comprises 32 judges divided into eight parts. Two, or three-judge appellate panels decide in each case.
Superior Court
Criminal, civil, and family law trials are held at the superior court, earning the court the name - trial court. This court exists in each of the state's 21 counties, and the clerk's office manages several statewide judiciary functions, including uncontested foreclosures, court record storage and retrieval, attorney registration, and judgment liens.
Tax Court
Tax cases in New Jersey are typically decided by the state's Division of Taxation or a county board of taxation before being filed in the Tax Court.
Municipal Court
Most cases in New Jersey courts are heard in the municipal courts. Cases handled in the municipal courts include motor-vehicle offenses, disorderly persons offenses, fishing code violations, hunting code violations, boat law violations, and minor disputes between neighbors. New Jersey municipal courts are operated by the borough, township, or city in which the court is located.
How Many Federal Courts Are in New Jersey?
New Jersey has one federal district court - the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. This court has jurisdiction over federal cases arising within the state, including civil and criminal matters. The federal court operates in Newark, Trenton, and Camden.
The court hears cases involving federal laws, the U.S. Constitution, disputes between citizens of different states, and other matters that fall under federal jurisdiction. It has exclusive jurisdiction over certain areas, including bankruptcy, patents, and federal crimes.
Judges in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey are appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. These judges serve lifetime appointments. Appeals of the decisions of the court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which is based in Philadelphia.
How Many Court Cases Are Filed Each Year in New Jersey?
Over 500,000 cases are filed annually in the trial courts in New Jersey. In 2022, the combined total filings for trial courts in the state were 536,761, the lowest number over the past five years. In 2018, the state recorded 818,867 total filings. 786,491, 664,783, and 505,370 cases were filed in New Jersey trial courts in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively.
According to the state's court filings and resolutions dashboard, the 603,201 cases filed in the state's trial courts for the court year 2023 (July 2022-June 2023) were in the following categories:
| Criminal post-indictment: | 37,665 |
| Municipal appeals: | 318 |
| Post-conviction relief: | 401 |
| General equity: | 3,952 |
| Civil non MCL: | 63,653 |
| Special civil: | 290,639 |
| Probate: | 6,709 |
| Dissolution: | 43,406 |
| Juvenile delinquency: | 13,214 |
| Non-dissolution: | 75,545 |
| Domestic violence: | 52,362 |
| Abuse/neglect: | 2,088 |
| Adoption: | 1,317 |
| Child placement review: | 1,611 |
| Juvenile/Family Crisis: | 162 |
| Kinship: | 401 |
| Termination of parent: | 385 |
| Criminal/Quasi-Criminal: | 9,373 |
Also, the Superior Court's appellate division decides approximately 6,500 appeals and 10,000 motions annually.
How Do I Look Up Court Cases in New Jersey?
The New Jersey judiciary makes the following court records available to requesters in various ways:
- Criminal division records
- Civil division, including general equity records
- Municipal court records
- Special civil part records
- Family division records
- Tax court records
To request a court record in any of the listed categories, download and complete a court record request form. Ensure that the appropriate processing location is included in the information provided on the court record page of the New Jersey courts website. Submit the completed form online on the New Jersey courts website. Requested records will be sent electronically to the email address on the court record request form. The required request fee for exemplified, certified, and sealed copies of court records may be paid by credit card.
Alternatively, you may submit your request by mail to:
Attention: Customer Access
Superior Court Clerk's Office
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
P.O. Box 971
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0971
If you request a tax court record, requests should be emailed to the txctrecords.mailbox@njcourts.gov.
New Jersey courts allow attorneys and self-represented litigants to request court transcripts. If your request for a transcript is for a superior court case unrelated to an appeal, contact your local county transcript office. If the request is for a tax court case and unrelated to an appeal, complete the court transcript request form and email the completed form to Appeal-Trans.mailbox@njcourts.gov. Attorneys must order their court transcripts through eCourts Appellate.
Self-represented litigants may order transcripts from the superior court and tax court using the court transcript request form. Send the completed by email to Appeal-Trans.mailbox@njcourts.gov or mail it to:
Transcript Unit
Appellate Division Clerk's Office
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
P.O. Box 968
Trenton, New Jersey 08625
The transcript unit or court reporter will contact you to request a deposit before starting your request. The deposit must be sent within five business days after your notification. Once your transcripts are completed, they will be forwarded to the Appellate Division Transcript Unit. Attorneys typically retrieve a copy through the eCourts system. If you are a self-represented litigant, you will be mailed a copy on CD or by email.
To access appellate court opinions, visit the opinions page of the New Jersey courts website. Appellate Court opinions are posted at 10:00 a.m. every business day. Expected opinions for the following business day are also posted at 10:00 a.m. Supreme court opinions can be found on the Supreme Court page of the New Jersey Courts website.
In addition, court record requesters can search case information and access other court records via the find a case feature of the New Jersey courts website. The feature makes judgment liens, civil and foreclosure information, criminal judgments, and municipal court case information available to users.
What Court Records Are Not Available to the Public in New Jersey?
Per New Jersey law, certain records must remain confidential and inaccessible to the public even when attached to a non-confidential document unless otherwise ordered by a court. Such records include:
- Medical, psychological, psychiatric, and alcohol and drug dependency records, reports, and evaluations
- Paternity records except for the final judgments or birth certificates
- Records relating to child placement matters
- Adoption records
- Records about applications for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) predicate orders
- Notes, draft opinions, memoranda, or any working paper maintained by or for the use of a justice, judge, or judiciary officer in the course of performing official duties
- Records relating to grand jury proceedings
- Victim statements, unless placed on the record at a public proceeding
- Records created or maintained by the Pretrial Services Program
- Records of adjudications of delinquency for offenses involving marijuana or hashish sealed
- Records relating to actions to change the name of a minor Expunged juvenile records
- Sealed juvenile records
- Records about child victims of sexual abuse or assault
- Domestic violence records and reports, except for parties and their counsel of record in the underlying domestic violence matter
- Names and addresses of alleged victims or victims of domestic violence or sexual offenses
- Sealed records and records of other proceedings as outlined under Rule 1:38-3 of the New Jersey Rules of Court