Ocean County Superior Court Case Search

Ocean County Superior Court case records refer to documents on legal prosecutions within the Superior Court in Ocean County, NJ. The Ocean County Superior Court creates case records as evidence of trials (these documents ensure the transparency of its judicial processes). In Ocean County, the Superior Court Clerk's Office is the custodian of case records, and interested persons can access these documents for legal and judicial purposes, background checks, law enforcement uses, and historical research.

What Kinds of Cases Are Heard in the Ocean Superior Court?

The Ocean County Superior Court is a county-level trial court with jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. It is the county's apex judicial institution, handling cases beyond the authority of the Ocean County Surrogates and Municipal Courts. The Superior Court handles civil, criminal, chancery, family law, and Probate cases (it may transfer motor vehicle cases resulting in bodily injuries or deaths to the Ocean County Municipal Court).

The Ocean County Superior Court has specialized divisions that handle various case types; these include:

• Civil Division
• Criminal Division
• Family Division
• Chancery Division
• Probate Division.

Ocean County Superior Court

Under the New Jersey judicial system, the Ocean County Superior Court is a county-level trial court that handles civil and criminal cases. The Ocean County Superior Court case jurisdiction includes indictable offenses, claim cases, contract disputes, post-conviction motions, divorce & annulments, juvenile delinquency cases, foreclosures, property disputes, guardianship and trust administration, and cases relating to domestic violence. Ocean County Superior Court's specialized divisions handle different case types.

The Ocean County Superior Court serves as a platform for resolving legal disputes; it protects the residents’ rights and enforces the laws according to the New Jersey Constitution. Additionally, as Ocean County's apex court, the Ocean County Superior Court's roles extend beyond adjudication through its rehabilitative program for convicts of lesser offenses.
Interested public members can use the following information to contact the Ocean County Superior Court:

Ocean County Courthouse
118 Washington Street,
Toms River,
New Jersey 08754
Phone: (732) 504-0700

Ocean County Justice Complex
120 Hooper Avenue,
Toms River,
NJ 08753
Phone: (732) 929-2042

Ocean County Case Lookup

The following steps outline the various options for accessing Ocean County Superior Court case records:

Online requests

• Visit the New Jersey Courts Find a Case Page:
  • Click the link to the specific case type to access the online search tools (access to Ocean County case records through these portals may require registration)
  • Search for Ocean County case records by party names, docket numbers, and other applicable criteria
• Subscribe to the New Jersey Electronic Access Program (EAP) and log into the search portal to access Ocean Coast case records (access to Ocean County case records through the EAP portal costs up to $4.00 per minute)
• Visit the Ocean County Courthouse during Office hours, and access case records online through Public Access Terminals (PAT)

Record seekers should note that they cannot access sealed Ocean County case records online. Also, access to certified copies of Ocean County case records is through the Ocean County Superior Court Clerk's Office.

Mail-in requests

• Prepare a formal request for Ocean County case records (this should contain the requester's name and contact information, case details, and document type):
  • Include a check/money order to cover the copy costs. Also include a self-addressed stamped envelope for mail delivery.
  • Mail the request to the Ocean County Superior Court Clerk’s Office at:
    118 Washington Street,
    Toms River,
    NJ 08754
• Self-represented litigants and attorneys seeking access to their case records should download a New Jersey Judiciary Records Request Form:
  • Complete the request form with the necessary information and choose the Superior Court Clerk's Office as the Records Request Processing Location
  • Register, log into the Judiciary Electronic Document system, and submit the request through the New Jersey Courts Judiciary Electronic Document Submission (JEDS).

Requesters should note that after payments, it takes 1 to 3 weeks or more for copies of Ocean County case records to be delivered by mail.

Walk-in requests for Ocean County case records

On work days, visitors can visit the Ocean County Superior Court Clerk's Office with a valid government-issued photo ID between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to request access to case records.
Interested individuals can also call the Ocean County Clerk's Office at (732) 929-2053 for inquiries about copies of case records.

Accessing Ocean County case records may attract the following costs:

• Plain copies:
  • Letter size pages - $0.05 per page
  • Legal size pages - $0.07 per page
• Certified copy - $15 per document
• Seal of the court - $10
• Exemplified copy - $50 in addition to copy fees
• Triple exemplified copy - $60
• Certificate of statewide judgment lien - $10.00.

Payment options for copies of Ocean County case records include:

• Cash for in-person requests
• Certified checks/money orders payable to the Ocean County Clerk's Office for mail-in or walk-in requests
• Credit/debit cards for online or in-person payments (this option attracts an additional processing fee).

Ocean Superior Court Case Search by Name

The New Jersey Courts Public Access System allows users to perform name-based searches for Ocean County case records. Requesters can also use names as search criteria for mail-in and in-person requests for case records through the Ocean County Superior Court Clerk's Office.

A name-based approach is an alternative for accessing Ocean County court records if requesters do not have the case numbers for specific documents. However, record seekers should confirm spellings and provide additional identifying information to avoid multiple results due to similar names. Also, using additional filters may screen results and reduce search time.

Ocean Superior Court Docket Search

Court dockets are official summaries of activities relating to specific case trials. Ocean County Superior Court case dockets detail case filings, hearings, and judgments within the Ocean County Superior Court. A typical case docket contains information such as:

• Case/docket number
• Filing date
• Names of the litigants
• Hearing dates
• Motions
• Orders
• Judgment
• Case status.

Generally, court dockets ensure the transparency of trial processes, aid the tracking of case progress, and make information about specific cases available to the interested public. For Ocean County court dockets, log into the New Jersey Courts Public Access System and search for case information by party names or docket numbers. Interested individuals can also visit the Ocean County Superior Court Clerk's Office and request access to case dockets.

Lookup Ocean County Superior Court Online

Record seekers can look for Ocean County case records online through the New Jersey Courts Public Access System. Additionally, these documents may be accessible through third-party websites.

Private online platforms like Newjerseycourtrecords.us offer all-around access to documents and information; these platforms aggregate case records from various courts across New Jersey and provide advanced search tools for easy access. Users can access Ocean County case records from different locations through third-party websites. However, despite their many advantages, information seekers should verify the authenticity and accuracy of documents from non-government sources.

Supreme Court vs. Superior Court

The Ocean County Superior Court and the New Jersey Supreme Court play crucial but contrasting roles within the New Jersey justice system.