Monmouth County Arrest Records

In Monmouth County, an arrest can be made with or without a warrant. Per NJ Rev Stat § 2C:104-5, a law enforcement officer can arrest a person without a warrant when they have reasonable cause to believe that:

• A crime has been committed.
• The person has information material for the prosecution of a crime
• The person will refuse to cooperate with the officer in the investigation of a crime
• Any delay in obtaining an arrest warrant can lead to the person being unavailable.

The arresting officer must provide the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office with the arrestee's personal information and the arrest details. After a while, the Sheriff's Office will publicize the arrest information on its website and ensure copies are retrievable at the office during business hours. The arrest record will not contain Monmouth County court records, so the requester must contact the Superior Court for such information.

Are Arrest Records Public in Monmouth County?

Yes. The New Jersey Open Public Records Act (O.P.R.A.) authorizes arrest records to be readily accessible for examination, copying, or inspection by members of the public. Therefore, anyone can request copies of arrest records from Monmouth County law enforcement agencies. However, the Act exempts certain records from public disclosure to protect the public interest. Examples of arrest records deemed confidential in Monmouth County are:

• Juvenile arrest records
• Medical records of arrestees
• Criminal investigatory records
• Crime victim records
• Arrest records containing personal identifying information like credit card number, unlisted telephone number, social security number, or driver's license number.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Most arrest records available at Monmouth County contain the following information:

• Inmate number
• The arrested person's last and first names and date of birth
• Booking date
• Total bond and class
• Court name and number
• Charge and charge description

Monmouth County Crime Rate

The New Jersey State Police publishes Crime Reports, which allow members of the public to find statewide crime rates. The 2021 Uniform Crime Report (U.C.R.) shows that approximately 1,436 crimes occurred in Monmouth County within the year's first quarter. That year, the three highest crimes were larceny (1,036), assault (148), and burglary (134). The 2020 report showed that about 8,047 crimes occurred in Monmouth County.

Monmouth County Arrest Statistics

The 2021 New Jersey State Police's Crime Reports revealed that about 370 arrests occurred in Monmouth County within the year's first quarter. Most people were arrested for larceny, assault, and burglary. In 2020, Monmouth County recorded about 1,734 arrests.

Find Monmouth County Arrest Records

The New Jersey Department of Corrections (DOC) has nine (9) correctional facilities, eleven (11) Residential Community Release Programs, and one (1) Assessment Center, where individuals can visit to find Monmouth County arrest records. All in-person requests should be made during business hours. The record staff will require a name or number to process the request. The DOC also has an Offender Search Form that can be used to find Monmouth County arrest records for free. A search can be conducted by S.B.I. number, first name, last name, county, sex, race, hair color, eye color, ethnicity, current facility location, birth date, or age. Users can select multiple search criteria for best results.

A Monmouth County arrest record search can also be conducted at federal law enforcement agencies. There is no single database where all federal arrest records are compiled. Therefore, requesters must review each agency's website to find the available search methods. Here are the ways to find arrest records at some federal law enforcement agencies:

• The Federal Bureau of Prisons (B.O.P.): Record seekers can find Monmouth County arrest records maintained by the B.O.P. online and in person. Online requests can be made using the Inmate Locator. The search parameters are numbers (B.O.P. register number, D.C.D.C. number, F.B.I. number, or I.N.S. number) and name (first, middle, last, race, age, or sex). In-person requests can be made at any B.O.P. facility during business hours.
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.): Requests can be made online, by mail, and through approved channelers for $18. Acceptable payment methods are credit cards, such as the Credit Card Payment Form, money order, or certified check. Individuals making arrest records requests online must visit an approved U.S. Post Office location to submit their fingerprints. The F.B.I. processes online requests within 15 days, but mail requests take 20 days. Mail applicants can submit a completed Applicant Information Form to:

FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306

• The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.): Individuals can submit arrest record requests online through the Online Detainee Locator System or in person at its local field offices and I.C.E. detention facilities. Online requesters must use an A-Number or biographical information to access the portal.
• The United States Capitol Police (U.S.C.P.): Inquirers can get arrest summary reports from the U.S.C.P. online or by mail. Searches via the online portal can be filtered using a CFN number, crime date, crime type, or crime summary. Mail requesters can fill out a Request Form and send it to the U.S.C.P. at:

United States Capitol Police
Reports Processing Section
119 D Street, Ne
Washington, DC 20510

Free Arrest Record Search in Monmouth County

The Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) provides a free resource for searching arrest records to its residents. With the Inmate Search portal, individuals can conduct an arrest record search for free using a first name or last name. Record seekers can also find free arrest records on third-party sites. They must enter a name in the available search field to find the desired record. The search will return basic information on all records with the searched name. Users would not have the option to retrieve full reports of a record or download them. Such services are only available for fee-paying users.

Get Monmouth County Criminal Records

The New Jersey State Police frequently distribute criminal records to residents and nonresidents per N.J.A.C. 13:59-1.2. Nonresidents can only request criminal records by fingerprints. The process is similar to that of N.J. residents. Residents can request:

• Name-based criminal record checks: Applicants must submit an SBI 212B Form electronically. The fee is $20, payable by credit or debit card. The fee for name-based volunteer submission is reduced to $12. A valid email must be provided while completing the form.
• Fingerprint-based criminal record checks: This service is only available for the subject of records. It requires submitting one's fingerprints through an electronic live scan available at any approved fingerprint-capturing site. Requesters must schedule an appointment online before visiting the site. Applicants who are unable to schedule an appointment electronically can contact the approved vendor at (877) 503-5981 during business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.). Record holders must visit the site with their valid I.D., carrying the home address the appointment was scheduled with. The approved vendor charges $45.73 for the fingerprint service, which can be paid with a Mastercard, Visa, Discover, American Express, prepaid debit card, or electronic debit (A.C.H.) from a checking account. After submitting the fingerprints, subjects of records will be able to download the Personal Record Request letter online within 24 to 72 hours. The third-party vendor's PCN, last name, and date of birth will be needed to access the portal. The letter will be available for download for 90 days from the date fingerprinted. After 90 days, the letter will be deleted.

Monmouth County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

An arrest record is any information a law enforcement agency gathers about an arrest that shows the arrestee's personal, booking, confinement, and charge details. According to N.J. Admin. Code § 13:59-1.1, criminal records are information collected by criminal justice agencies concerning an arrested person that contains identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests, indictments, or other charges, and any dispositions resulting from the arrest.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Most arrests stay on a person's record forever, except they are expunged. Note that not all arrest records are eligible for expungement in Monmouth County. However, the New Jersey Department of Treasury publishes records retention schedules for arrest records through its Records Management Services. Below are the arrest retention schedules for Municipal Police Departments:

• Arrest card files are kept for 75 years.
• Arrest listings are kept for a year after the final entry
• Copies of arrest reports are retained until the final disposition of the case
• Assigned investigation listings are kept for a year after the final listing
• A confidential informant report file is kept for one year
• Crime reports are kept for five years
• Juvenile log books are kept for 25 years after the final entry
• Juvenile records cards, pictures, and fingerprints are kept for five (5) years after the age of majority
• Criminal history control listings are permanent
• Criminal arrest records excluding homicides are kept for 75 years
• Criminal records, excluding those for homicide, missing persons, and stolen weapons for which no arrest was made, are kept for seven (7) years.
• Juvenile fingerprint and picture listings are kept for five (5) years after all juveniles assigned numbers have reached the age of majority.
• Audio or video recordings taken by a law enforcement officer's body-worn camera during an arrest are kept for 90 days. However, an arrest recording that did not result in an ongoing prosecution or records of the use of police force will be kept until the expiration of the statute of limitations for filing a civil complaint.

Expunge Monmouth County Arrest Records

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:52-1, expungement is the sealing, extraction, isolation, or impounding of a person's arrest records on file within any court, criminal justice agency, detention or correctional facility, or law enforcement. Arrest persons can review N.J.S.A. 2C:52-2 through N.J.S.A. 2C:52-32 to determine if they are eligible for expungement. Eligible individuals must follow the steps below to have their arrest records expunged:

• Step 1: Applicants must request their criminal history records from the New Jersey State Police. They must submit their fingerprints via electronic live scan at any approved fingerprint-capturing site. This service costs $45.73, payable by credit card.
• Step 2: Complete the Petition for Expungement, Order for Hearing, and Expungement Order Forms and make three (3) copies each. File the original and two (2) copies of the forms with the Monmouth County Superior Court. The petitioner can keep the remaining copy of each form for record purposes. Additionally, complete the Cover Letter form and attach it to other forms before filing. The filing fee is $52.50, payable by money order or certified check. The forms can be filed by mail or in person at:

Monmouth County Courthouse
71 Monument Street
Freehold, New Jersey 07728
Phone: (732) 358-8700

• Step 3: The court will schedule a hearing between 35 and 60 days after receiving the petition. It will mail back a copy of the Petition for Expungement, the proposed Expungement Order, and the Order for Hearing to the petitioner marked "Filed" and assigned a "Docket Number". The court will also state the hearing date and time in the Order for Hearing form.
• Step 4: After receiving the filed copies from the court, make seven (7) copies each. Mail one copy of each form by certified mail to each of the following law enforcement government agencies:
• The Attorney General of New Jersey
• The Monmouth County Prosecutor
• The New Jersey State Police Expungement Unit.
• The Clerk of the municipal court if a municipal court heard the matter.
• The Warden or superintendent of any institution where the arrestee was incarcerated.
• If the request is for juvenile expungement, the Monmouth County Family Division should be provided a copy.
• The chief law enforcement officer of any other state law enforcement agency that participated in the arrest.
• The Chief of Police or other head of the police department where the offense was committed or the arrest was made.
• If the case was processed through the State Grand Jury, the Division of Criminal Justice, Records and Identification Unit should be provided with a copy.
• A copy should be provided to the Monmouth County Probation Division if the person was enrolled in the Pretrial Intervention Program, granted a conditional discharge, enrolled in a juvenile diversion program, owed fines or restitution, granted a deferred disposition, performed community service, or served a term of probation.

The copies should be mailed to the above agencies within five (5) days of the date the Order for Hearing was signed. Remember to request return receipts. Petitioners should mail or take the return receipt cards and the Proof of Notice form to the court's Criminal Case Management Office before or at the hearing.

• Step 5: Attend the hearing on the scheduled day and 15 minutes before the time. The judge will decide whether to grant or deny the petition, taking into consideration the objection or agreement of the law enforcement officers involved in the case. If the judge grants the request, they sign and file the Expungement Order and send it by mail to the petitioner.
• Step 6: After receiving the Expungement Order, the petitioner must mail it to all the law enforcement agencies involved in the case.

Individuals can also apply for free arrest records expungement at the New Jersey Courts. This can be done online using the eCourts Expungement System. A case number is required to initiate the process. First-time users must create an account and log in to the portal with a user I.D. and password.

Monmouth County Arrest Warrants

Per NJ Rev Stat § 2C:104-4, a judge will issue an arrest warrant when there is clear and convincing evidence that a person named on the warrant application needs to be arrested. An arrest warrant can be executed by any officer authorized by law (N.j. Ct. R. 3:3-3). The officer can execute the arrest warrant anywhere in New Jersey. If the officer is arresting the defendant in a county other than the issuing county, they must take the defendant before the nearest available committing judge in the arresting county. In Monmouth County, a warrant is executed by the defendant's arrest. The officer doesn't need to have the warrant at hand at the time of the arrest. However, they would have to show the defendant the arrest warrant if it is requested. The officer not possessing the arrest warrant at the point of arrest must inform the defendant of the charges against them and that a warrant has been issued. After the arrest, the executing officer must return the warrant to the issuing court.

Monmouth County Arrest Warrant Search

Inquirers can find arrest warrant information online or in person at the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office (M.C.S.O.). Online requesters may visit the M.C.S.O.'s Most Wanted page to find information on individuals with an active warrant. Click on the person's picture to find more information on them. In-person requesters must visit the office during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday). The record staff will need a name to process the request.

Monmouth County Sheriff's Office
2500 Kozloski Road
Freehold, NJ 07728

Do Monmouth County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, arrest warrants issued in Monmouth County remain valid until they are executed. Typically, arrest warrants do not have expiry dates, so they can be executed at any time. The issuing judge may cancel an arrest warrant and issue a new one if the original warrant contains errors, such as:

• Incorrectly naming or describing the defendant
• Misidentifying the offense charged, or
• If it is determined that the defendant is not guilty of the initial offense but is guilty of a different offense.