New Jersey Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records
Find New Jersey Criminal Records, Court Cases and Official Judgments
Looking for New Jersey criminal records? Start with the New Jersey Courts criminal conviction search for qualifying Superior Court conviction information. For municipal complaints, use the municipal court system. For official criminal-history background checks, use the New Jersey State Police process.
This guide walks you through actual New Jersey search systems, including PROMIS/Gavel, Criminal Judgments Search, municipal court records, county Criminal Division records rooms, state police background checks, inmate records, expungement and federal court cases.
Start with the answer
Where Can You Search New Jersey Criminal Records?
New Jersey offers several official public search routes, but there is no single unrestricted online database that returns every arrest, criminal charge, municipal complaint, Superior Court case, expunged record and federal case.
Criminal Conviction Search
Search qualifying indictable-offense conviction information through the Judiciary’s PROMIS/Gavel public access system.
Open conviction search →Criminal Judgments
Locate qualifying judgments of conviction, dismissal or acquittal through the official judgment system.
Open judgment search →Tickets and Complaints
Use NJMCdirect and municipal case lookup for covered municipal complaints and traffic matters.
Open NJMCdirect →NJ State Police SBI
Follow the State Bureau of Identification process for eligible and authorized criminal-history record checks.
See SBI guidance →NJ DOC Offender Search
Find information about people included in the New Jersey Department of Corrections public offender system.
Open DOC information →PACER Federal Search
Search federal criminal proceedings in the District of New Jersey rather than the state court portals.
Open PACER →Interactive guide
Which New Jersey Records System Should You Open?
Choose your objective. The guide identifies an appropriate official starting point without asking for anyone’s personal information.
This tool runs locally on the page. It does not search government databases or collect names.
Superior Court criminal records
How to Search New Jersey Criminal Convictions Using PROMIS/Gavel
PROMIS/Gavel is associated with New Jersey Superior Court Criminal Division case management. The Judiciary’s internet-facing public access service provides limited information about qualifying defendants convicted and sentenced in Superior Court for indictable offenses.
What to do after opening PROMIS/Gavel
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Read the access disclaimer.
Review the Judiciary’s limitations and continue only if the portal permits your intended use.
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Select the relevant search method.
Use the available defendant-name or case/indictment-number search option. A known court identifier generally reduces false matches.
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Enter the identifying information.
Begin with the person’s last and first name, or the full indictment/accusation number if known. Follow the portal’s actual field instructions.
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Choose the county when the form allows.
If you know the case came from Essex, Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex or another New Jersey county, use the county filter to narrow the search.
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Review possible results.
Check the court, case number, defendant details and conviction information. Do not identify someone solely from a shared name.
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Record the official case identifier.
Save the indictment or accusation number and the county. These are useful when requesting the actual court judgment or certified documents.
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Verify the result with the county Criminal Division.
When you need more than the internet summary, use the official county records room and ask about the specific document, case status or certified copy.
What PROMIS/Gavel does not establish
Useful for
- Qualifying indictable convictions
- Superior Court criminal case identifiers
- Relevant county information
- Finding a starting point for document requests
Not a replacement for
- Pending-case research
- Municipal court complaint lookup
- State Police criminal-history checks
- Sealed or expunged records
- Federal criminal records
Official judgments
Find a New Jersey Judgment of Conviction, Dismissal or Acquittal
New Jersey Judiciary’s Criminal Judgments Search provides electronic public access to qualifying judgments finalized on or after June 30, 2017. The program includes judgments of conviction, dismissal and acquittal.
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Open the official Criminal Judgments Search.
Use the Judiciary portal rather than a commercial background-check website.
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Enter the requested case or defendant information.
Follow the search fields on the current screen. Use the county and known court identifiers where offered.
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Find the correct judgment.
Distinguish judgments of conviction from judgments of dismissal or acquittal. These have very different meanings.
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Check the finalization date.
Remember the online judgment program’s June 30, 2017 threshold. The date is an access cutoff, not the beginning of all New Jersey criminal records.
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Contact the county for older documents.
For judgments finalized before June 30, 2017, contact Criminal Division records staff in the county where the case was disposed.
Read the Judiciary’s original explanation: Notice on Availability of Criminal Judgments on the Internet (PDF).
Local court cases
How to Find Municipal Court Criminal Complaints in New Jersey
New Jersey municipal courts handle many traffic, ordinance, disorderly persons and petty disorderly persons matters. A municipal matter is not automatically searchable in the Superior Court criminal conviction database.
Steps to check a complaint or ticket
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Identify the municipality.
Look at the ticket, summons, complaint, police document or notice for the issuing municipal court and complaint number.
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Open NJMCdirect or the municipal case search.
Choose the search function appropriate for your ticket or complaint. Do not assume every criminal complaint is payable online.
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Enter the complaint or ticket information.
Use the court ID, ticket or complaint number and other requested information if available. If missing, follow the portal’s case-search route.
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Check the current status.
Review the listed court, offense information, scheduled hearing and any displayed payment eligibility or balance.
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Contact the municipal court for complete case information.
Online payment and inquiry services do not necessarily display every pleading, order or final disposition.
State criminal history
New Jersey State Police Criminal Background Checks
The New Jersey State Police State Bureau of Identification (SBI) is the state’s central criminal-history repository. Criminal-history access depends on the reason for the request and applicable authorization requirements.
A request for your own record, employment screening, licensing clearance, school-related fingerprinting or another authorized background check may use a different process. These should not be treated as interchangeable.
For your own record
Review the State Police identification guidance and determine whether a personal record review or fingerprint-based request is required.
NJSP Identification Information →For employment or licensing
Follow the specific employer, licensing board or program instructions. Authorized checks can require an agency service code and fingerprint appointment.
Fingerprint vendor portal →What to do for an authorized fingerprint-based check
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Get the correct agency instructions.
Ask the requesting employer, licensing authority or government program for the appropriate process and service code.
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Confirm whether fingerprints are required.
Do not book an unrelated fingerprint service without checking the required purpose and submission category.
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Open the authorized scheduling service.
Use the fingerprint vendor designated by the New Jersey State Police or the requesting agency.
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Schedule your appointment.
Enter the correct service code and personal details, choose an available location, and review the current fees before payment.
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Bring the required identification.
Follow the appointment confirmation’s identity-document instructions.
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Follow the receiving agency’s result process.
Some authorized results go to an employer, licensing board or government program rather than directly to the applicant.
Local New Jersey courts
Where to Request New Jersey Criminal Court Documents by County
New Jersey has 21 counties. For actual criminal court files, older judgments, certified dispositions and documents that do not appear online, contact the Criminal Division records room serving the appropriate county.
The New Jersey Judiciary publishes an official Criminal Division Records Rooms directory containing courthouse addresses and phone numbers.
Newark
Essex County Veterans Courthouse
50 West Market Street
Newark, NJ 07102
Use the Judiciary directory for the current Criminal Records Office phone and room.
Hackensack
Bergen County Justice Center
10 Main Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Criminal Records Room:
201-527-2700 ext. 2173
Jersey City
Use the official Hudson County Criminal Division listing for courthouse location, records contact and available request procedures.
Find Hudson records room →Camden
Camden County Hall of Justice
101 South 5th Street
Camden, NJ 08103
Criminal Records Room:
856-379-2200 ext. 3364
Mays Landing
Atlantic County Criminal Courts Complex
4997 Unami Boulevard
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Criminal Records Room:
609-402-0100 ext. 47320
New Brunswick
Locate the Middlesex County Criminal Division records contact through the Judiciary directory before traveling or requesting documents.
Find Middlesex records room →All 21 New Jersey counties
Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren.
Requesting an official criminal court copy
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Locate the filing or disposition county.
Use the indictment number, court notice, judgment, attorney document or other official information to identify the county.
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Open the NJ Courts Criminal Records Rooms directory.
Find the county and confirm the correct Criminal Division contact information.
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Prepare your record identifiers.
Provide the case/indictment number, defendant’s name, approximate case year and the specific document requested.
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Ask about copies and certification.
Confirm whether the document is publicly accessible, whether an electronic or in-person request is accepted, the copy/certification cost, and payment instructions.
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Confirm delivery and authenticity.
If the record is needed for court, licensing, immigration or another consequential use, request the required form of certification.
Custody and supervision
How to Search New Jersey Inmate, Offender and Parole Records
If you want to know whether someone appears in New Jersey Department of Corrections records, use the DOC offender search. Do not rely on a court conviction search to determine current incarceration.
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Open the DOC offender information page.
Select the incarcerated-person or offender search link provided by the department.
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Follow the search disclaimer.
Review the information’s scope and any restrictions before proceeding.
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Search using available identifiers.
Use the person’s name or offender number where supported.
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Compare the result carefully.
Review identity and correctional details before assuming you found the right person.
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Use the appropriate agency for further questions.
DOC custody information, county jail information, parole supervision and court judgments may require separate sources.
New Jersey State Parole Board
The State Parole Board provides information on contacting the agency about an offender under parole supervision.
Official address: 171 Jersey Street, Building 2, Trenton, NJ 08625. General phone: 609-292-4257.
Megan’s Law records
New Jersey Sex Offender Registry Search
For registry-specific research, use the New Jersey State Police’s official Sex Offender Internet Registry. This resource contains publicly available information on qualifying registered offenders, subject to applicable public-disclosure restrictions.
After opening the registry, review its terms and search options, use the available name or geographic criteria, and carefully verify any possible match.
Privacy and record correction
New Jersey Expunged Records and Missing Criminal Cases
A criminal case may be absent from public internet searches because it was expunged, sealed, restricted, excluded from that portal’s scope or never resulted in a qualifying Superior Court conviction.
New Jersey’s expungement procedures are governed by specific legal requirements. An expungement can affect public access, but eligibility, processing and permitted exceptions depend on the record and governing law.
Where to find expungement help
Visit the New Jersey Criminal Case Management Expungements directory to identify county expungement contacts.
No result in PROMIS/Gavel?
- Try a different name spelling.
- Confirm the correct county.
- Check whether it was a municipal matter.
- Check whether the case was pending or dismissed.
- Contact the county Criminal Division if needed.
Wrong or outdated record?
- Identify the original record custodian.
- Obtain the final court disposition.
- Review State Police record-correction procedures where appropriate.
- Consult qualified counsel on expungement questions.
- Do not assume online removal changes every authorized database immediately.
Federal jurisdiction
Federal Criminal Records in New Jersey
Federal criminal proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey are separate from the New Jersey state court criminal databases. Use PACER to search federal cases.
- Open PACER.
Visit the official federal judiciary’s Find a Case page.
- Choose a court search.
If the court is known, select the District of New Jersey. Otherwise use the PACER Case Locator.
- Search the known identifiers.
Use the case number or available party search controls.
- Review the docket.
Identify charges, filings, orders and the final disposition.
- Check fees.
PACER can charge for searches and documents. Review the current fee schedule and applicable waivers before proceeding.
Cost and access
Are New Jersey Criminal Records Free to Search?
| Service | Public online access | Possible costs or restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| PROMIS/Gavel | Limited qualifying Superior Court conviction search | Public search; not a full history check |
| Criminal Judgments | Qualifying judgments finalized from June 30, 2017 | Older and certified documents may require county assistance or fees |
| Municipal court search | Supported tickets and complaints | Court penalties, payment fees or document costs may apply |
| NJSP SBI checks | Authorized criminal-history processes | Fingerprinting and processing charges vary by purpose |
| DOC offender lookup | Public DOC offender information | Not a certified court record |
| PACER | Federal case access | Usage charges may apply, subject to current waiver rules |
For certified documents, current fees should be confirmed with the official court or agency. Do not rely on statewide estimates when the cost depends on the particular document and request.
Understand what you found
How to Read a New Jersey Criminal Record Correctly
| Record entry | What it means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Indictment | Formal criminal charges have been presented through the applicable indictment process. | Later court action and outcome; indictment alone does not establish guilt. |
| Accusation | A charging document used in qualifying Superior Court criminal proceedings. | The procedural context and final judgment. |
| Judgment of Conviction | A formal court judgment documenting conviction and associated orders. | Date, charges, sentence and any subsequent court action. |
| Judgment of Dismissal | A qualifying court disposition dismissing a matter or charge. | Which charges were dismissed and whether other counts remain. |
| Judgment of Acquittal | A formal judgment reflecting acquittal on the identified charge or matter. | Case number, counts and related final orders. |
Common questions
New Jersey Criminal Records Search FAQs
1. How can I search New Jersey criminal records online?
Use the New Jersey Judiciary’s Find a Case page. For qualifying Superior Court indictable convictions, select PROMIS/Gavel Criminal Conviction Public Access. For municipal complaints, use the municipal court inquiry system. For official criminal-history checks, follow NJ State Police procedures.
2. Is the New Jersey criminal conviction search free?
The public PROMIS/Gavel internet conviction inquiry can be accessed without purchasing a commercial background report. It is limited to qualifying publicly disclosed conviction information and is not a complete criminal-history check.
3. Does PROMIS/Gavel show pending criminal charges?
Do not use the public internet conviction search as a comprehensive pending-charge search. Its disclosed data is limited. Contact the appropriate Superior Court Criminal Division for guidance on accessible case information.
4. How do I find a New Jersey Judgment of Conviction?
Open the official Criminal Judgments Search portal. Qualifying judgments finalized on or after June 30, 2017 may be available online. For older judgments, contact Criminal Division records staff in the county of disposition.
5. Can I search New Jersey criminal records by name?
Name search is available in certain official systems, including qualifying Superior Court conviction searches. The fields differ by portal. Verify the correct person by comparing lawful identifying details, county and case information.
6. Where do I find municipal criminal complaints in NJ?
Use NJMCdirect or the New Jersey Judiciary Municipal Court Case Search for supported municipal matters. Contact the issuing municipal court when an online result does not show the full complaint or final disposition.
7. How do I obtain an official New Jersey criminal-history background check?
Follow New Jersey State Police State Bureau of Identification requirements for your specific authorized purpose. Fingerprinting, identity verification, agency instructions and fees may apply.
8. Where can I find New Jersey inmate records?
Use the Department of Corrections offender information page for public state custody information. For parole-related questions, refer to the New Jersey State Parole Board. County jail information may require contacting the particular county.
9. Why does a New Jersey criminal case not appear online?
The case may be pending, dismissed, municipal, sealed, expunged, outside the portal’s date or case scope, federal, or unavailable for internet disclosure. A missing online result does not establish that no case or record exists.
10. Can I use New Jersey criminal records for employment or tenant screening?
Public court access does not automatically satisfy employment or housing screening laws. Depending on the use, FCRA and New Jersey laws may require authorization, accuracy safeguards, notices and dispute procedures. Use an appropriate lawful screening process.
Source transparency
Official New Jersey Criminal Records Resources
- NJ Courts – Find a Case
- PROMIS/Gavel Criminal Public Access
- Criminal Judgments Search
- Criminal Judgments Public Access Notice (PDF)
- NJMCdirect Municipal Court
- NJ Criminal Division Records Rooms
- NJ State Police State Bureau of Identification
- NJ Department of Corrections Offender Information
- NJ Sex Offender Registry
- NJ Court Expungement Contacts
- PACER Federal Court Records
- FTC Background Check Rules for Employers