| Superior Court (vicinage) | Union Vicinage, Superior Court of New Jersey |
|---|---|
| County Clerk | Union County Clerk |
| Clerk address | Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207 |
| Phone | (908) 787-1650 |
| 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) |
Union County is its own Superior Court vicinage, sitting at the Union County Courthouse at 2 Broad Street in downtown Elizabeth. The vicinage's Civil, Criminal, and Family Divisions hold the county's Superior Court case files — indictable criminal cases, civil and Special Civil Part suits, foreclosures and general equity matters, and family cases — and share one switchboard (908-787-1650) with a separate extension for each division, including a Criminal Division Customer Service/Records Requests line.
The Union County Clerk occupies the same 2 Broad Street complex but is a separate, non-judicial elected office. It records deeds, mortgages, and other land transactions for the county's 21 municipalities, processes passports, registers trade names and notaries, and runs elections; it does not keep any Superior Court case file. The Union County Surrogate's Court, in the Old Annex on the second floor of the same building, handles wills, estates, and guardianships as Clerk of the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part, and sees the public by appointment only.
Because all three offices share one address, searchers routinely walk into the wrong one. For a criminal, civil, or family case, ask for the Superior Court division — not the County Clerk or the Surrogate. Municipal tickets from Elizabeth, Union, Plainfield, and the rest of the county's towns are handled by each town's municipal court and searched through the statewide Municipal Court Public Portal.
Search Union County court records online
Superior Court (vicinage)
Union 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 Union 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 908-787-1650 ext. 21250, a Civil line at ext. 22120, and a Family line at ext. 21280.
County Clerk
Union County Clerk
- Cost
- Free online land-record search at clerk.ucnj.org; fees for copies, recording, and passport services
- Coverage
- Land records (deeds, mortgages), trade-name and notary filings, election services, veteran IDs, and U.S. passport applications — not Superior Court case records
Main office 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207, 908-527-4787; over-the-counter recording 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; appointments required for most other services. A Westfield satellite office handles passports, business names, and notaries. Does not keep court case files.
Other courts
Union County Surrogate's Court
- Cost
- Statutory filing fees
- Coverage
- Probate of wills, estate administration, and guardianships filed in the Chancery Division, Probate Part
- Records
- Probate
2 Broad Street, Old Annex, Second Floor, Elizabeth, NJ 07207, 908-527-4280; by appointment only. A Westfield office is also available by appointment.
What is available online
Union County does not run its own case search. Superior Court civil and foreclosure dockets for the county are on the statewide Civil and Foreclosure Public Access portal after a free registration. There is no public statewide criminal case search; criminal records questions go to the vicinage's Criminal Division records line. Family case detail is largely confidential under Rule 1:38. Municipal tickets are on the separate Municipal Court Public Portal. Land records are searchable free through the County Clerk's own site, and probate records are held by the Surrogate.
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
Union County clerk offices
Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207
Phone: (908) 787-1650
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Criminal cases. Call the Union vicinage Criminal Division's Customer Service/Records Requests line at 908-787-1650 ext. 21250, or visit the courthouse at 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth. Bring the defendant's name, the docket or indictment number, and the approximate year.
Civil, Special Civil Part, and foreclosure cases. Search the Civil and Foreclosure Public Access portal online after registering. For copies or for files not shown online, contact the Civil Division at 908-787-1650 ext. 22120.
Family cases. Contact the Family Division at 908-787-1650 ext. 21280. Most family case content is confidential, so be prepared to show you are a party or otherwise entitled to the record.
By mail or through JEDS. Send written requests to the appropriate division at the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207, with the docket number, party names, the documents wanted, whether certification is needed, and payment or a request for a fee quote. JEDS accepts records requests electronically.
Wills, estates, and guardianships. Contact the Union County Surrogate's Court (2 Broad Street, Old Annex, Second Floor; 908-527-4280), which sees the public by appointment only.
Land records and passports. Contact the Union County Clerk, a separate office in the same building.
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
Which office at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth has court case records?
The Superior Court's Civil, Criminal, and Family Divisions (Union vicinage), reached through 908-787-1650. The Union County Clerk and the Surrogate's Court share the same address but handle land records and probate respectively, not criminal, civil, or family cases.
How do I request a Union County criminal record?
Contact the Union vicinage Criminal Division's Customer Service/Records Requests line at 908-787-1650 ext. 21250, or visit the courthouse. New Jersey does not publish a public statewide criminal case search.
Can I search Union County civil cases online?
Yes. The statewide Civil and Foreclosure Public Access portal covers Union County Superior Court civil and foreclosure dockets after a free registration.
Where are Union County probate and estate records?
At the Union County Surrogate's Court, 2 Broad Street, Old Annex, Second Floor, Elizabeth (908-527-4280), by appointment only. The Surrogate acts as Clerk of the Chancery Division, Probate Part.
Sources
- Union Vicinage, Superior Court of New Jersey — https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/vicinages/union
- Union Vicinage — Court Offices/Divisions — https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/vicinages/union/offices
- Union County Clerk — https://ucnj.org/county-clerk/
- Union County Surrogate — https://ucnj.org/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.