New Jersey Criminal Records
New Jersey criminal records are kept by the State Police and by Superior Courts in all 21 counties. These records hold data on arrests, charges, court cases, and case outcomes for people in the state. The New Jersey State Police State Bureau of Identification is the main source for statewide criminal history checks. You can also search criminal records through each county's Superior Court Criminal Division. Online tools like PROMIS/Gavel Public Access let you look up criminal case data from home. This guide shows you how to find and access New Jersey criminal records through state and local sources.
New Jersey Criminal Records Quick Facts
Where to Find New Jersey Criminal Records
There are two main paths for finding criminal records in New Jersey. The New Jersey State Police Criminal Information Unit serves as the state repository. They keep fingerprint-based criminal history record information, known as CHRI, for all arrests processed in New Jersey. The State Bureau of Identification at the Division of State Police handles requests under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 and N.J.A.C. 13:59-1 et seq. You can reach their office at P.O. Box 7068, West Trenton, NJ 08628 or call 609-882-2000 ext. 2302.
County Superior Courts are the other key source. Each of the 21 counties has a Criminal Division that processes indictable offenses from arrest through sentencing and appeal. The Criminal Division keeps case files, docket entries, and court orders. You can visit any county courthouse in person to look up records. Staff can search by name or case number. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in most counties across New Jersey.
The New Jersey Attorney General's Office also accepts public records requests. Under state law, a custodian must respond within 7 business days. Fees are $0.05 per letter size page and $0.07 per legal size page for copies of New Jersey criminal records.
How to Search Criminal Records in New Jersey
The PROMIS/Gavel Public Access system is the main online tool for criminal case searches in New Jersey. This free database tracks indictable criminal cases from arrest through every stage, including appeals. You can search by name, indictment number, or complaint number. Results show case status, charges, court dates, and disposition details. Only cases with convictions and sentencing in Superior Court show up. Juvenile cases, expunged records, and sealed documents are not part of this system. As noted under N.J.S.A. 2C:52-30, it is a disorderly persons offense to reveal an expunged arrest or conviction to another person in New Jersey.
The New Jersey Courts website offers more search tools. The Automated Case Management System covers civil and foreclosure cases. The Municipal Court Case Search handles traffic and local court matters at all 539 municipal courts. The Civil Case Public Access portal is free and runs all day, every day. For criminal records in New Jersey, PROMIS/Gavel is the right tool.
To run a criminal records search in New Jersey, you need:
- Full name of the person
- County where the case was filed
- Indictment or complaint number if you have it
- Approximate date of the case
Note: Online search results are current as of the day you look, but data may be corrected or updated after you view it.
New Jersey Criminal History Background Checks
A fingerprint-based check is the most thorough way to search criminal records in New Jersey. The State Police use live scan prints captured at IdentoGO sites run by IDEMIA, a private firm under state contract. To start, visit the NJ Portal or call IDEMIA at 1-877-503-5981. Web scheduling is open all day, every day. Phone hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to noon. Spanish-speaking staff are on hand upon request.
Personal record requests cost $20.00 each. You can pay with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. If the check finds a criminal history, the full record is mailed to the address on file. If no record is found, a letter from the New Jersey State Police is made available for download on the NJSP website within 24 to 72 hours. Personal requests are state-only checks. They do not include FBI or out-of-state data. Contact the Criminal Information Unit at CIU@njsp.gov or 609-882-2000 ext. 2918 for questions about New Jersey criminal records.
For noncriminal justice purposes, the State Police offer two forms. Form 212A allows online submission. Form 212B is a name-based check. Each costs $20.00. The Criminal History Review Unit at the Division of Consumer Affairs coordinates checks for professional license boards. They cover fields like nursing, dentistry, chiropractic, and others. Fingerprint data goes to both the State Police and FBI. Results are sent back to the CHRU for review.
Public Access to Criminal Records in New Jersey
The Open Public Records Act, or OPRA, governs access to government records in New Jersey. Under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5, custodians must let any person inspect and copy records during regular business hours. Criminal investigatory records have some limits, but basic arrest data must be made public within 24 hours of a request. This includes the type of crime, time, location, type of weapon, and the facts around the arrest.
Some records are not open to the public. These include ongoing criminal investigations, victim records, and documents sealed by a court. Juvenile criminal records are kept separate and restricted. Grand jury proceedings are also closed to the public in New Jersey. But most adult criminal court records at the Superior Court level are open for anyone to view or copy.
To file an OPRA request, fill out the official form and deliver it to the correct custodian by mail or in person. You can also submit a request online at www.nj.gov/opra. The agency must respond within 7 business days. If fees are expected to top $25, a 50% deposit may be needed. Anonymous requests require a full deposit of all costs. The Attorney General's Office also takes OPRA requests for state-level criminal records in New Jersey.
Criminal Records Expungement in New Jersey
New Jersey law allows people to apply for expungement of certain criminal records. Under N.J.S.A. 2C:52-1, expungement means the extraction, sealing, and isolation of all records tied to a person's arrest, trial, or disposition. This covers complaints, warrants, fingerprints, photos, rap sheets, and court docket records. The NJSP Expungement Public Portal lets applicants track the status of their request online.
Waiting periods depend on the offense. Disorderly persons offenses need a 5-year wait. Indictable offenses need 6 years. The Clean Slate provision requires 10 years. The filing fee is $75, payable to the State of N.J. Treasurer. You must file a Verified Petition with the Superior Court in the county where the case was heard. The petition must be served on the county prosecutor, the Attorney General, and the Superintendent of State Police.
Once granted, the expungement order removes criminal records from public access. The State Police recommend that you run a personal background check after your status shows "complied with" to make sure all records have been cleared. Contact the Expungement Unit at the New Jersey State Police, P.O. Box 7068, West Trenton, NJ 08628 for help with the process.
Historical Criminal Records in New Jersey
The New Jersey State Archives holds older criminal records and court files. Their databases index over 2,350,000 entries across more than 1,500,000 documents. For criminal history, key collections include Supreme Court Case Files from 1704 to 1844 with over 55,000 case files and 225,000 names. Trenton State Prison inmate registers span from about 1900 to 1975. Descriptive lists run from 1900 to 1956, and death and burial records cover 1941 to 1968.
County Clerk records from before 1900 are on microfilm at the Archives. These may include Court of Common Pleas and Court of Oyer and Terminer records, which were the old criminal courts. The Archives also has over 6,000 reels of New Jersey newspapers for research. Contact them at nj.archives@sos.nj.gov or visit 225 West State Street, Level 2, Trenton, NJ 08608. Phone: (609) 292-6260.
New Jersey Courts Criminal Records Access
The Electronic Access Program gives deeper access to court records in New Jersey. This subscription service costs $4 per minute. It includes PROMIS/Gavel for criminal cases, the Automated Case Management System for civil matters, and FACTS for family cases. Copy fees are $0.05 per letter size page. Certified copies carry an extra $15 charge. Mail requests go to the Superior Court Clerk's Office, Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex, P.O. Box 971, Trenton, NJ 08625-0971.
Municipal Court Case Search is free and does not need a subscription. It covers all 539 municipal courts in New Jersey. These courts handle disorderly and petty disorderly persons offenses, ordinance violations, and traffic matters. For indictable offenses, you need the Superior Court system. New Jersey splits criminal offenses into two groups. Indictable crimes go to Superior Court. Non-indictable matters go to municipal court. Both types create criminal records that can be searched.
New Jersey also tracks sex offender data under Megan's Law. The Division of State Police keeps this registry. Residents can search by name, email, zip code, or street address for Tier 2 and Tier 3 offenders. The NJ Courts website links to all public access tools for criminal records across the state.
Note: The subscription-based Electronic Access Program is best for frequent users who need detailed court record data from New Jersey criminal cases.
New Jersey Criminal Records and the Law
New Jersey has passed laws that shape how criminal records are used. The Opportunity to Compete Act, N.J.S.A. 34:6B-11, took effect in March 2015. It limits when criminal history can come up during certain processes in New Jersey. The Department of Education runs its own criminal history check program through the Office of Student Protection for school staff. These checks go through both the State Police and the FBI.
The Criminal History Review Unit handles checks for professional license boards in New Jersey. The CHRU was set up in 1997 and works with the Division of Consumer Affairs. Boards that use it include nursing, dentistry, medical examiners, chiropractic, and more than a dozen others. Criminal history data is governed by federal regulation 28 C.F.R. Section 20 and state regulation N.J.A.C. 13:59-1.1 et seq. Results from fingerprint checks go to the CHRU and then to the board that asked for them.
Browse New Jersey Criminal Records by County
Each county in New Jersey has its own Superior Court Criminal Division. Pick a county below to find local court contacts, search tools, and criminal record resources in that area.
Criminal Records in Major New Jersey Cities
Residents of major cities go to their county Superior Court for indictable criminal records. Municipal courts in each city handle lesser offenses. Pick a city below to learn about criminal records in that area.