New Jersey Arrest Records

New Jersey arrest records reveal information about arrestees and related arrest events within the state. Such records also contain information about the circumstances that led to the arrest event. In New Jersey, arrest records typically include these details:

• The arrestee's name and other personal information.
• The address at the time of the arrest.
• The agency responsible for the arrest.
• The detention or county jail location.
• Booking date and time.
• Arrest charges, date, and location.
• Bond amount.

New Jersey's law enforcement agencies, such as the Essex County Sheriff's Office, the City of Jersey Police Department, or the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, typically create arrest records after booking an offender. The agency also stores the record as incident or police reports and may disclose it to interested persons or entities.

Are Arrest Records Public in New Jersey?

Most New Jersey arrest records are accessible to the public. The New Jersey Open Records Act allows the public to access records from designated record custodians, which are mostly government entities tasked with creating and maintaining public records. The agencies must also release public records upon requests from interested parties.

Note that certain arrest records are exempt from public access. An exempted arrest record typically includes information whose disclosure is not in the public interest. For instance, the law may restrict public access to arrest records of juvenile offenders. Other examples of non-public arrest records include the following:

• Arrest documents that contain personal information about crime victims and witnesses.
• Arrest documents that are sealed or expunged due to court orders or statutes.

New Jersey Arrest Statistics

The FBI's Crime Data Explorer is an online database that provides information on arrest-related statistics in the US. According to the agency's report, New Jersey's law enforcement agencies made 149,894 arrests in 2023. The report also revealed that the agencies arrested 106,599 males and 34,100 females. In addition, the report outlined the number of arrests per offense type, as shown in the table below.

New Jersey 2023 Arrest Statistics

Find Public Arrest Records in New Jersey

In New Jersey, interested parties can find and obtain copies of arrest records from government entities at the local and state levels. At the state level, inquirers may find records in the custody of the New Jersey State Police's Criminal Information Unit and the Department of Corrections. Meanwhile, arresting agencies and county sheriff's offices are the local-level custodians of arrest records.

Note that each agency has a specific method of disclosing arrest records. Nevertheless, inquirers may use these general steps when requesting arrest records in New Jersey.

1. Determine the record custodian: Local law enforcement agencies are the primary custodians of most arrest records. They usually maintain records of arrests conducted by their arresting officers. Other public entities and state-level criminal justice agencies also keep records of arrest events. To determine the record custodian, find out the agency in charge of conducting arrests within the region. Case in point: start your search with the Bloomfield Police Department if the arrest occurred within the city.
2. Request the arrest record: New Jersey arresting agencies have different methods of providing access to arrest records. Agencies typically offer online, mail-in, and in-person request options. Online options may include online searchable portals or online request forms. Inquirers using this option may fill out relevant information to view records. In Gloucester County, for instance, inquirers can use the county sheriff's online request form to request arrest records. Mail-in requests will often require the requester to provide the subject's personal information and, occasionally, fingerprint data to the agency's mail address. Inquirers may visit the agency on-site if they allow in-person requests. In-person requests have a relatively faster processing time than mail-based requests.
3. Pay the required fees: Law enforcement agencies may charge fees to retrieve and produce copies of arrest records. The fees may vary based on the number of requested copies and the time spent in retrieving the record. Some agencies may offer fee waivers to inquirers who meet the requirements.

Interested parties may use a subpoena to access records that are legally exempt from public access. A subpoena is a court order issued by a court clerk or an attorney to force an agency to produce certain documents. In this case, a subpoena can be used to demand that a law enforcement agency comply with the state's public record or, in some instances, make certain confidential arrest records available. A subpoena usually costs $50 in most courts within the state.

How to Look Up Arrest Records Online in New Jersey

Inquirers can look up arrest records online via official or third-party resources. Official resources include online databases maintained by local- and state-level criminal justice agencies. For instance, the New Jersey Department of Corrections maintains an online database of arrestees currently held in state correctional facilities. Local law enforcement agencies may maintain online arrest logs or inmate databases. To view records on these databases, inquirers must provide search data like the arrestee's name or arrest date.

Alternatively, interested parties can look up online arrest records through third-party search websites. These websites typically gather arrest-related data from official or unofficial sources and offer it in easy-to-access formats to interested parties. Inquirers only need to input relevant search data to pull up records from these websites. Nevertheless, inquirers are to verify the accuracy and reliability of the information obtained from non-governmental sources to ensure its authenticity.

Note: Third-party websites may charge fees before releasing requested information.

What is Included in New Jersey Arrest Records?

In New Jersey, arrest records typically contain the following information:

• Arrestee's names, aliases, and known body markings.
• Arrestee's physical features, including height, weight, age, and ethnicity.
• Names, aliases, and any tattoos of the individual;
• Criminal charge(s) related to the arrest;
• Arrest and booking details;
• Name of the detention center where the individual is held.
• Name of the arresting agency.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, arrest records remain on a person's record for 10 years before they are expunged or redacted. However, this does not apply to felony offenses like murder or sexual assault. New Jersey's clean slate provision, NJSA 2C:52-5.3, automatically clears non-conviction arrest records and arrests for non-serious offenses even if the person has not applied for an expungement. In addition, the state will expunge arrest records of first-time offenders within six months if the charges were dismissed by a court. However, the offenders must undergo a state diversion program to be eligible to have their records cleared.

Expunge an Arrest Record in New Jersey

In New Jersey, an arrest record expungement refers to eliminating or removing all documents pertaining to an individual's arrest. Expungement will remove arrest-related information from public records, including dispositions and convictions.

Persons seeking to expunge records must fulfill the legal requirements for their specific offense. For instance, Per the N.J.S.A. 2C:52-7, you are eligible to expunge if you have committed not more than one indictable felony. Persons with two or more indictable offenses are generally ineligible to expunge arrest records unless they fulfill specific criteria.

Per N.J.S.A. 2C:35-14(m), drug-related offenders can apply to expunge marijuana and other drug-related offenses if they have satisfied the state's recovery program.

The New Jersey Clean Slate law automatically expunges your arrest records 10 years after completing state-imposed conditions.

Eligible parties can expunge arrest records in New Jersey by following these steps:

1. Obtain a copy of a criminal record from the New Jersey State Police.
2. Get a copy of the judgment of conviction or disposition if the charges were felonies. These documents are accessible through the New Jersey court website.
3. Obtain and complete the following expungement forms:
   • Petition for Expungement (Form A): This form requests an expungement order and explains the petitioner's eligibility.
   • NJ Order for Hearing (Form B): The judge uses this form to set the day and time of the hearing.
   • Order of Expungement (Form C) If a petition for Expungement is approved, the court will sign a formal document called an Expungement Order.
4. Notarize and submit the forms and records to all agencies involved in the case. The agencies include the following:
   • The New Jersey Attorney General;
   • The State Police Superintendent, Expungement Unit;
   • The County Prosecutor or the Municipal Court Clerk ( if the case was heard in a municipal court);
   • The arresting agency.
   • The head law enforcement official of any other state law enforcement agency involved in the arrest;
   • The superintendent or warden of any facility where an inmate is housed.

The court may review the petition and conduct a hearing to determine objections from concerned parties. If the court grants the petition, it may issue an order to expunge all government entities possessing the record. Nevertheless, you may consider sending a copy of the court order to all these entities.

How Do I Find Recent Arrests in New Jersey?

Inquirers may find recent arrests in New Jersey by visiting the websites of county sheriff's offices and city police agencies. In New Jersey, local sheriffs often have an internet database that is updated daily with the names of everyone arrested within their county. While most arrest records are free to access online, some county sheriff agencies might demand that inquirers submit a request to obtain them. For example, the Ocean County Sheriff's Department maintains an online arrest log containing information on recent county arrests.

Are New Jersey Arrest Records Free?

Yes, interested persons can access New Jersey records for free via most online databases maintained by government entities. However, inquirers may pay specific fees to obtain physical versions of arrest documents. The costs may differ based on the number of requested documents, formats, and the time spent in retrieving them.