Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County is named for Robert Hunter, a colonial governor of New Jersey. Located in Central New Jersey on the Delaware River, it was created in 1714 and has an estimated population of 130,000 people as of 2023.
The Superior Court, Municipal Courts, and Surrogate's Court are the key courts in the Hunterdon County court system. The Hunterdon Superior Court is the state general trial court with the authority to handle a wide variety of legal matters. It is categorized into several divisions, including the Criminal, Civil, Family, and Probation Divisions. The Civil Division is responsible for cases relating to personal injury, contract disputes, and general equity. All actions affecting family relationships are addressed in the Family Division.
The Criminal Division hears all adult criminal offenses and, in rare instances, severe juvenile criminal matters. The Probation Division plays a crucial role by supervising individuals who are placed on probation due to their sentencing for a criminal conviction.
The Hunterdon Surrogate's Court oversees the probate of wills, estate administration, adoptions, and guardianship appointments for incapacitated adults and minors. In contrast, Municipal Courts are local courts that preside over minor criminal offenses and local ordinance violations. Examples of cases addressed in the Municipal Courts include small claims for amounts under $3,000, traffic offenses, fish and gaming infractions, and municipal ordinance violations.
Public court records in Hunterdon County are non-confidential documents submitted in connection with judicial proceedings within the court system. These records are created from criminal, probate, traffic, and civil proceedings and are available for inspection and duplication upon request.
Additionally, Hunterdon County public court records can be accessed in the Superior Court, which is located at 65 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ 08822. However, the County Clerk may only provide limited court records, such as:
- Quarter Session Minutes -Books 1 to 19 (1848 to 1975)
- Circuit Court Minutes - Books 1 to 19 (1810 to 1948) - No Index
- Indexed in card catalog by name (1714 to 1900)
- Court Records Common Plea Minute Books - Books 1 to 45 (1714 to 1948)
To view criminal, civil, and municipal court records online, visit the Find a Case page on the New Jersey Judiciary website. You may also request copies of your desired records by downloading the records request form and submitting it electronically through the Judicial Electronic Documents Submission (JEDS) system.
