| Superior Court (vicinage) | Ocean Vicinage, Superior Court of New Jersey |
|---|---|
| County Clerk | Ocean County Clerk |
| Clerk address | Ocean County Courthouse, 100 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08754 (court offices also at 118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08754) |
| Phone | (732) 504-0700 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $0.05 per letter-size page; $0.07 per legal-size page |
| Certified copy fee | $15 per document (plus $10 for the court seal, or $50 for an exemplified copy) |
Ocean County is its own Superior Court vicinage, headquartered in Toms River. The vicinage's Civil, Criminal, and Family Divisions keep the county's Superior Court files — indictable criminal cases, civil suits and Special Civil Part claims, foreclosures, and family matters — and the vicinage publishes a single main switchboard (732-504-0700) with extensions for each division, including a dedicated Customer Service/Records Requests line in the Criminal Division. The court operates from two downtown Toms River buildings a block apart: the Ocean County Courthouse at 100 Hooper Avenue and the court building at 118 Washington Street.
As everywhere in New Jersey, the Ocean County Clerk is a separate elected office that does not hold court case files. It records deeds and mortgages, registers trade names and notaries, processes passports, and runs elections from its main office at 118 Washington Street — the same street address the Superior Court uses, which makes the two easy to confuse. The Ocean County Surrogate, also elected, is a third distinct office: it acts as Clerk of the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part, so wills, estate administrations, and guardianships live there rather than with the vicinage.
Tickets from Ocean County's 33 municipalities go to each town's municipal court and are searchable statewide through the Municipal Court Public Portal, not through any county office.
Search Ocean County court records online
Superior Court (vicinage)
Ocean Vicinage, Superior Court of New Jersey
- Cost
- Free to search civil/foreclosure cases online; standard Superior Court copy fees apply
- Coverage
- Superior Court Law Division (civil, Special Civil Part, criminal) and Chancery Division (family, general equity/foreclosure) case records for Ocean County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
Vicinage page fetched 2026-09-13 with a browser user-agent (njcourts.gov returns 403 to plain automated requests). The Offices/Divisions subpage lists a Criminal Division Customer Service/Records Requests line at 732-504-0700 ext. 64310, a Civil main line at ext. 64360, and a Family main line at ext. 64050.
County Clerk
Ocean County Clerk
- Cost
- Free online property-record search; fees for copies, recording, and passport services
- Coverage
- Land records (deeds, mortgages), trade-name and notary filings, election services, and U.S. passport applications — not Superior Court case records
Main office at 118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753, (732) 929-2018, per the clerk's own site. Does not keep court case files; use the Ocean vicinage divisions for those.
Other courts
Ocean County Surrogate's Court
- Cost
- Statutory filing fees; cash, check, or money order only (no credit or debit cards)
- Coverage
- Probate of wills, estate administration, guardianships of minors and incapacitated persons, trusteeships, and adoptions filed in the Chancery Division, Probate Part
- Records
- Probate
Main office 118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753, (732) 929-2011; open Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. A Southern Service Center in Manahawkin is open Fridays by appointment. Permanent will and estate records are kept on microfilm and a scanned-image system.
What is available online
Ocean County has no county-run case search. Superior Court civil and foreclosure dockets are on the statewide Civil and Foreclosure Public Access portal after a free registration. Criminal case detail is not published in a public statewide search; the vicinage's Criminal Division notes that questions about criminal public records and the courthouse public-access terminals go through its records line. Family case detail is largely confidential under Rule 1:38. Municipal tickets from Toms River, Lakewood, Brick, Jackson, and the other Ocean County towns are on the separate Municipal Court Public Portal. Probate records are held by the Surrogate, not the vicinage.
Which clerk has your record
In New Jersey, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the New Jersey page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court, Appellate Division | Appeals from the Superior Court trial divisions; Appeals from the Tax Court; Review of state agency decisions | Clerk of the Appellate Division (Superior Court Clerk's Office) |
| Superior Court, Law Division | Felony and indictable criminal cases; Civil suits above the Special Civil Part limit; Landlord-tenant and small claims within Special Civil Part | Superior Court Clerk's Office / vicinage Civil and Criminal Case Records divisions |
| Superior Court, Chancery Division | Divorce, custody, and support (Family Part); Domestic violence restraining orders; Foreclosures and other general equity matters | Superior Court Clerk's Office / vicinage Family and Civil (foreclosure) Case Records divisions |
| Tax Court of New Jersey | Property tax assessment appeals; State tax disputes | Tax Court Management Office (Superior Court Clerk's Office) |
| Surrogate's Court (per county) | Probate of wills; Estate administration; Guardianship of minors' estates | County Surrogate |
| Municipal Courts | Traffic tickets; Municipal ordinance violations; Minor disorderly persons offenses | Municipal Court Administrator / Violations Clerk for that municipality |
Request records in person or by mail
Ocean County clerk offices
Ocean County Courthouse, 100 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08754 (court offices also at 118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08754)
Phone: (732) 504-0700
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Criminal cases. Call the Ocean vicinage Criminal Division's Customer Service/Records Requests line at 732-504-0700 ext. 64310, or visit the courthouse in Toms River. Have the defendant's name, the docket or indictment number, and the approximate year. The division also handles public-access terminal questions and pro se expungement kits.
Civil, Special Civil Part, and foreclosure cases. Search the Civil and Foreclosure Public Access portal online after registering. For copies or for older files not shown online, contact the Civil Division (main line 732-504-0700 ext. 64360; Special Civil ext. 64340; General Equity ext. 64380).
Family cases. Contact the Family Division main line at 732-504-0700 ext. 64050. Most family case content is confidential, so expect to show you are a party or otherwise entitled to access.
By mail or through JEDS. Written requests go to the appropriate division at the Ocean County Courthouse, 100 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08754. Include the docket number, party names, the documents wanted, whether you need certification, and payment or a request for a fee quote. JEDS can be used to submit a records request electronically.
Wills, estates, and guardianships. Go to the Ocean County Surrogate at 118 Washington Street (732-929-2011), Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; payment is cash, check, or money order only.
Land records and passports. Contact the Ocean County Clerk, a separate office.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $0.05 per letter-size page; $0.07 per legal-size page |
| Certified copy | $15 per document (plus $10 for the court seal, or $50 for an exemplified copy) |
Figures are from the Superior Court Clerk's Office "Copies of Court Records" fee table, re-checked 2026-09-13 (fetched with a browser user-agent; plain automated requests to njcourts.gov get a 403). The same table lists a triple exemplified copy at $60, a Certificate of Divorce at $10, and a certified copy of a Final Judgment of Divorce at $25. Confirm the current schedule with the clerk before sending payment, since court rules periodically update fees.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
New Jersey court records are governed by Rule 1:38 (Public Access to Court Records and Administrative Records), which lists categories excluded from public access — including most Family Part records (custody, domestic violence, adoption), juvenile matters, and cases a judge has ordered impounded.
The New Jersey guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get a copy of an Ocean County criminal case file?
From the Ocean vicinage Criminal Division in Toms River. Its Customer Service/Records Requests line is 732-504-0700 ext. 64310. New Jersey does not publish a public statewide criminal case search, so you generally need to contact the division directly.
Are the Ocean County Clerk and the Superior Court the same office?
No, even though both list 118 Washington Street in Toms River. The County Clerk records deeds, trade names, and passports and runs elections; it does not hold court case files. Court cases are with the Ocean vicinage's Civil, Criminal, and Family Divisions.
Where are wills and estate records for Ocean County?
At the Ocean County Surrogate's Court, 118 Washington Street, Toms River (732-929-2011). The Surrogate serves as Clerk of the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part, and keeps permanent will and estate records.
How do I look up a Lakewood or Toms River traffic ticket?
Municipal tickets are handled by each town's municipal court. Search by name or ticket number on the statewide Municipal Court Public Portal; the county courthouse does not hold them.
Sources
- Ocean Vicinage, Superior Court of New Jersey — https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/vicinages/ocean
- Ocean Vicinage — Court Offices/Divisions — https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/vicinages/ocean/offices
- Office of the Ocean County Clerk — https://oceancountyclerk.com/
- Ocean County Surrogate's Court — https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/OC/Surrogate/
- NJ Courts — Civil and Foreclosure Public Access — https://www.njcourts.gov/public/find-a-case/civil-and-foreclosure-public-access
- NJ Courts — Municipal Court Public Portal — https://portal.njcourts.gov/webe41/MPAWeb/
- NJ Courts — Superior Court Clerk's Office — https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/superior-court-clerks-office
- NJ Courts — Vicinages (Superior Court locations) — https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/vicinages
- NJ Courts — Judiciary Electronic Document Submission (JEDS) — https://www.njcourts.gov/self-help/jeds
- NJ Courts — Published Appellate Division Opinions — https://www.njcourts.gov/attorneys/opinions/published-appellate
- NJ Courts — Expunging Your Court Record (self-help) — https://www.njcourts.gov/self-help/expunge-record
- NJ Courts — Court Record Copy Fees — https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/superior-court-clerks-office/copies-court-records
- NJ State Police — Criminal History Records — https://njsp.njoag.gov/criminal-history-records/
- New Jersey Legislature — Statutes (search N.J.S.A. 2C:52 for expungement) — https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey — https://www.njd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all New Jersey counties.