Ocean County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Ocean County was created on February 15, 1850, from parts of Monmouth County. It was named after the Atlantic Ocean and borders the same ocean on the East. Ocean County is part of the Jersey Shore and its total area makes it the largest county in the state. Its county seat is Toms River and it is home to 638,691 people. The Superior Courts, Surrogate Courts, and Municipal Courts keep evolving in the area of legal practice through the mastery and skills implemented for court case reconciliation and settlement.

The Superior Court (vicinage 14) located at the Ocean County Courthouse, Toms River deals with general equity, civil, special civil (the amount in controversy is between $5,000 and $20,000 and small claims - $5,000 or less), juvenile, family, probate, and domestic violence cases. It handles trade secrets, foreclosures, juvenile delinquencies, and cases involving monetary compensation for personal injuries such as automobile accidents, medical malpractice, and breaches of contracts. It also handles family law cases such as domestic violence, family crisis, foster care placement, abuse, and neglect. There are 33 municipal courts in Ocean County administrating over various municipalities. A few of them are Ocean Township Municipal Court, Plumstead Township Municipal Court, Seaside Park Municipal Court, and South Toms River Municipal Court. They are non-jury trial courts that have limited jurisdiction over juvenile cases such as motor vehicle offenses involving minors and curfew violations. Municipal courts also jail defendants for up to six months and revoke certain privileges such as driving. Petty disorderly person's offenses and motor vehicle violations are within the jurisdiction of the Municipal Courts. Ocean County Surrogate's Courts file permanent records of wills and estates, hear the declaration of death actions, decide adoption cases, and appoint guardians/conservators for incapacitated persons.

The Annual Report of the New Jersey Courts published the data for fiscal years 2020/2021 and 2021/2022. In Ocean County, in all courts of trials in 2021, 28,725 cases were filed and 27,454 out of those cases were terminated. A total of 30,289 cases were filed during FY 2021/2022 and 31,718 were resolved. This brings the approximate number of cases handled in Ocean County to between 28,000 and 30,000. There is an online index for court records and the public can view court records on the Ocean County Clerk Public Records Search /Ocean County Surrogate's Court website. Records are obtainable at the Ocean County Clerk's office with the exclusion of divorce court records, records relating to domestic violence and child abuse, and juvenile records involving the use of marijuana and hashish.

New Jersey County has an impressive court system. Its judiciary plays a vital role in accomplishing the mission of the courts by providing its residents with access to court activities. The Superior Courts, Municipal Courts, and Surrogate Courts have several online tools that allow court users to conveniently view, manage, or resolve court cases.