Union County
Union County has a land area of about 103 square miles, making it the second smallest county by land in New Jersey. It was formed in 1857 and named for the Union. The county's population of over 572,000 makes it New Jersey's seventh most populous county. Its county seat and largest city is Elizabeth.
The Superior, Surrogate, and Municipal Courts make up the Union County judicial system. As the general jurisdiction trial court, the Superior Court handles all criminal and civil cases not exclusive to other courts in Union County. The apex court has several court divisions, including criminal, civil, and family divisions. Criminal cases such as felonies and misdemeanors are exclusive to the Criminal Division, while the Civil Division resolves all civil actions where the amount in controversy is more than $20,000. The Special Civil Part, a subdivision of the Civil Division, handles civil lawsuits with claims ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. Domestic relations cases such as divorces, juvenile delinquencies, termination of parental rights, and child custody disputes are exclusive to the Superior Court's Family Division. On the other hand, probate cases are resolved at the county's Surrogate's Court. The Municipal Courts in Union County preside over felony pretrials, traffic crimes, and ordinance violations.
Union County court records refer to materials, books, recordings, or documents created during court cases in the county's trial courts. Information on these records includes case filings, litigants' names, hearing dates/locations, subpoenas, court opinions, final dispositions, appeal information, and court orders. According to the NJ Open Public Records Act, court records are open to the public to ensure accountability and transparency. Some court records, such as juvenile and adoption, contain sensitive information and are prohibited from public view. On the other hand, publicly accessible court records in Union County include the following:
- Criminal court records
- Land records
- Municipal court records
- Probate records
- Family law records
- Civil records
Interested persons can obtain Union County public court records by submitting mail requests to the Superior Court Clerk's Office (SCCO) at:
Superior Court Clerk's Office
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
Attention: Customer Access
P.O. Box 971
Trenton, NJ 08625-0971
Alternatively, they can complete Records Request Forms and send them electronically via Judiciary Electronic Document Submission (JEDS). Note that Union County court records cost $0.50 per page. Additional charges for mail requests or certified copies may apply. Individuals interested in finding court records remotely can do so via the New Jersey Find a Case portal.
