Morris County
Morris County was established in 1739 and named after Colonel Lewis Morris, the governor of New Jersey at the time. With a population of over 514,000 (as of July 2023) and spanning over 480 square miles, it stands as one of the state's largest counties, both in size and population.
Morris County's trial court system is part of New Jersey's Vicinage 5 (along with Sussex County) and comprises a Superior Court that handles legal matters in the county through its Civil, Criminal, Family, and Municipal Divisions. Some of the matters commonly heard in this court include felony and misdemeanor cases, divorce proceedings, juvenile delinquency cases, adoptions, domestic violence, termination of parental rights, personal injury claims, contract disputes, small claims cases, traffic cases, and ordinance violations. The Morris County Superior Court also operates a Recovery Court that utilizes a multi-phased judicial process coupled with court-monitored treatment services, rehabilitation programs, and intensive probation supervision in place of traditional incarceration.
In addition to the Superior Court, Morris County is home to a Surrogate Court that administers wills, estates, guardianships, and trusts for county residents and also handles adoptions, incompetency cases, and other probate-related matters.
Morris County public court records are official documents that detail legal proceedings and actions within the county. Examples include case summaries, court orders, motions, and judgments, records of divorce proceedings, settlement agreements, sentencing proceedings, and verdicts. These records are typically transferred to the state's Superior Court Records Center after the case in question is concluded, where they are maintained by the New Jersey Superior Court Clerk's Office; however, Surrogate Court records are maintained locally.
You can access Morris County public court records online via the New Jersey Courts' public access platform (for Superior Court records) and the county's official records public search platform (for Surrogate Court records).
You can also request copies of Superior Court records by completing a New Jersey Judiciary Records Request Form and submitting this form online via the NJ Judiciary Electronic Document Submission (JEDS) Platform. Contact the Morris County Surrogate at (973) 285-6500 to book an appointment to access and obtain copies of Surrogate Court records in person.
