Morris County, New Jersey Court Records

Morris County Court Records

Morris County court records consist of documents, files, and records created or maintained by the Clerk of Court during legal proceedings under the county's jurisdiction. These documents may exist as physical or electronic case files, depending on when and where the record was created. Court records are part of Morris County Public Records, and New Jersey statutes require court clerks to provide them to requesters. They provide transparent documentation of legal proceedings while preserving court orders and decrees. Court records are also crucial for protecting the legal rights of all parties involved in litigation within Morris County, New Jersey.

Are Court Records Public in Morris County?

Members of the public have open access to most Morris County court records. Per New Jersey's Court Rule 1:38, anyone can obtain records in "the custody and control of the judiciary". However, access to some court records may be restricted from the public. Record custodians may deny requests for Morris court records if the record has been sealed. Records may also be inaccessible for criminal cases where the defendant was found not guilty or cases involving crimes committed by a youthful offender. Other exemptions include court records containing materials that may interfere with court proceedings, an ongoing law enforcement investigation, or court records that may reveal a confidential source.

What Do Morris County Court Records Contain?

Court records contain different types of information related to legal proceedings. Records may exist as electronic files, videotapes, stenographic tapes, physical files, and more. Some of the information that can be found in a court record includes:

Court docket: Log containing the history of cases in chronological entries
Court filings: Briefs, motions, and pleading submitted by attorneys
Summon
Case files: Contain copies of evidence, testimonies, writs, and more.
Court minutes: Recording of actions taken by the court
Written plea of nolo contendere
Complaint or indictment
Affidavits
Court orders and decrees
Final disposition
Case information
Transcripts

Where to Conduct a Morris County Case Lookup

Depending on where the case was filed (supreme, surrogate, or municipal court), members of the public can look up Morris County court records using multiple options:

Requesters can obtain copies of records by applying to the courthouse clerk
Residents can obtain records online using the case search tool maintained by New Jersey Courts.

How to Conduct a Morris County Case Records Search

To obtain records using the New Jersey case search tool, inquirers must provide enough information to facilitate a search. The online platform offers basic and advanced search options when retrieving records. Choosing the primary search option provides a single tab-based format. Users can enter data for specific criteria (e.g., name) to find related information. In comparison, the advanced search options provide all the different search criteria on a single screen, making it easy for users to refine the search results. The county clerk also provides an additional option for registered users who wish to view, save, or print images.

Depending on the search options, inquirers can conduct searches using one or a combination of search criteria, some of which include:

Date range search: Allows users to search for court case records generated within a specific date range
File number: Searches through records using an instrument number or a range of file numbers
Document type: Filters results to reveal court records grouped by document type
Party name: Searches for records containing a specific name

In addition to the search options, requesters can sort through search results, review previous search histories, or chain multiple searches based on specific field values.

Morris County Civil Court Case Records

Civil court case records contain information filed and compiled during civil proceedings. Access to these records is governed by multiple statutes, including the NJ Open Public Records Act and New Jersey's Court Rule. Local residents can view or inspect civil court case records at the courthouse where the case was filed. Inquirers can also obtain copies of the records by submitting a formal request to the court clerk. Alternatively, members of the public can look at civil court case records using the New Jersey Courts case search tool.

Morris County Criminal Court Case Records

Criminal court records contain data created during criminal proceedings. These records are maintained by the court clerk, per New Jersey laws. Members of the public can obtain Morris County criminal court case records using the New Jersey case search tool. It maintains records of cases filed across courts in different counties, including Morris. Searches can also be refined to filter results by search type. Requesters can also obtain copies of a criminal court record by submitting a request to the court clerk and paying the associated fee.

How to Get Court Records Online for Free

Access to free online records will depend on a mix of factors, such as when the court record was created and the information contained within the records. Members of the public seeking records created before 1980 may be able to find records using the New Jersey Courts case search tool. It provides search options with either a user name or case ID. Requesters may also be able to find free records using tools provided by third-party services. Unaffiliated with government agencies, third-party platforms offer access to an extensive record database containing information compiled from multiple jurisdictions, including Morris County.

Courts in Morris County

Morris County's court system consists of multiple courts, including superior, surrogate, and municipal courts. The following is a list of some of the courts in the county.

Morris County Superior Court
Morris County Courthouse
56 Washington Street,
Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone: (973) 656-4000

Morris County Surrogate Court
10 Court Street,
Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone: (973) 285-6500
Fax: (973) 829-8599

Boonton Municipal Court
3333 Route 46 East,
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Phone: (973) 263-4290 ext. 1
Fax: (973) 402-5641

Boonton Township Municipal Court
155 Powerville Road,
Boonton Township, NJ 07005
Phone: (973) 402-4006
Fax: (973) 402-4013

Borough of Madison Joint Municipal Court
Hartley Dodge Memorial Building
50 Kings Road,
Madison, NJ 07940
Phone: (973) 593-3026
Fax: (973) 593-3029

Butler Municipal Court
1 Ace Road,
Butler, NJ 07405
Phone: (973) 838-0559

Chester Borough Municipal Court
50 North Road,
Chester, NJ 07930
Phone: (908) 879-3660 ext. 2126
Fax: (908) 879-3140

Chester Township Municipal Court
1 Parker Road,
Chester, NJ 07930
Phone: (908) 879-5100 ext. 816
Fax: (908) 879-1837

Denville Township Municipal Court
1 Saint Mary's Place,
Denville, NJ 07834
Phone: (973) 625-8300 ext. 2
Fax: (973) 625-0241

Dover - Victory Gardens Shared Municipal Court
37 North Sussex Street,
Dover, NJ 07801
Phone: (973) 366-2200 ext. 1137
Fax: (973) 989-1526

East Hanover Municipal Court
1000 Route 10 West,
Whippany, NJ 07981
Phone: (973) 428-2519
Fax: (973) 515-3773

Florham Park Municipal Court
111 Ridgedale Avenue,
Florham Park, NJ 07932
Phone: (973) 410-5324
Fax: (973) 410-5329

Hanover Township Municipal Court
1000 Route 10 West,
Whippany, NJ 07981
Phone: (973) 428-2519
Fax: (973) 515-3773

Jefferson Township Municipal Court
1033 Weldon Road,
Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849
Phone: (973) 208-6129
Fax: (973) 208-7532

Kinnelon Municipal Court
130 Kinnelon Road,
Kinnelon, NJ 07405
Phone: (973) 838-7644
Fax: (973) 838-9161

Lincoln Park Municipal Court
34 Chapel Hill Road,
Lincoln Park, NJ 07035
Phone: (973) 694-6100 ext. 2067
Fax: (973) 270-2070

Long Hill Township Municipal Court
915 Valley Road,
Gillette, NJ 07933
Phone: (908) 647-8369
Fax: (908) 647-4012

Mendham Borough Municipal Court
50 North Road,
Chester, NJ 07930
Phone: (908) 879-3660 ext. 2126
Fax: (908) 879-3140

Mendham Township Municipal Court
1 Parker Road,
Chester, NJ 07930
Phone: (908) 879-5100 ext. 816
Fax: (908) 879-1837

Montville Township Municipal Court
360 Route 202,
Suite 2,
Montville, NJ 07045
Phone: (973) 335-1022
Fax: (973) 335-8941

Morris Plains Municipal Court
531 Speedwell Avenue,
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
Phone: (973) 538-4019

Morristown Municipal Court
200 South Street,
P.O. Box 150,
Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone: (973) 292-6687
Fax: (973) 292-6748

Mount Olive Township Municipal Court
204 Flanders-Drakestown Road,
P.O. Box 450,
Budd Lake, NJ 07828
Phone: (973) 691-0900 ext. 7242
Fax: (973) 691-0288

Mountain Lakes Municipal Court
1 St. Mary's Place,
Denville, NJ 07834
Phone: (973) 625-8300 ext. 2
Fax: (973) 625-0241

Netcong Municipal Court
204 Flanders-Drakestown Road,
P.O. Box 450,
Budd Lake, NJ 07828
Phone: (973) 691-0900
Fax: (973) 691-0288

Parsippany-Troy Hills Municipal Court
3333 Route 46 East,
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Phone: (973) 263-4290 ext. 1
Fax: (973) 402-5641

Pequannock Township Municipal Court
530 Newark-Pompton Turnpike,
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
Phone: (973) 835-5700 ext. 114
Fax: (973) 835-0435

Randolph Township Municipal Court
502 Millbrook Avenue,
Randolph, NJ 07869
Phone: (973) 989-7054
Fax: (973) 989-1496

Riverdale Municipal Court
91 Newark Pompton Turnpike,
P.O. Box 6,
Riverdale, NJ 07457
Phone: (973) 835-1013
Fax: (973) 835-5287

Rockaway Borough Municipal Court
3333 Route 46 East,
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Phone: (973) 263-4290 ext. 1
Fax: (973) 402-5641

Rockaway Township Municipal Court
65 Mount Hope Road,
Rockaway, NJ 07866
Phone: (973) 627-9000

Roxbury Township Municipal Court
1715 Route 46 West,
Ledgewood, NJ 07852
Phone: (973) 448-2033

Washington Township Municipal Court
43 Schooley's Mountain Road,
Long Valley, NJ 07853
Phone: (908) 876-3852
Fax: (908) 876-0058