New Jersey Vital Records

Are New Jersey Vital Records Open to the Public?

New Jersey Vital Records are not categorized as Public Records. This means that persons requesting New Jersey Vital Records must be eligible to receive the record being requested. The requester will be expected to provide evidence of eligibility and fulfill all other requirements before receiving the record.

What Information do I need to search for New Jersey Vital Records Online?

Requests for vital records can be made by contacting the Office of Vital Statistics & Registration of the New Jersey Department of Health. Interested parties may be asked to provide relevant information to assist with the search, namely:

• The name of someone involved providing it is a not a juvenile
• The assumed location of the record in question such as a city, county, or state name

Online requests incur additional charges for processing ($5), authentication ($5) and shipping ($12). Requests are not available for pick-up

Publicly available vital records are also accessible from some third-party websites.* These websites offer the benefit of not being limited by geographical record availability and can often serve as a starting point when researching a specific or multiple records.

*Third-party sites are not government-sponsored websites, and record availability may differ from official channels

What do I need to obtain New Jersey Vital Records?

To obtain New Jersey Vital Records, a request must be submitted to the Office of Vital Statistics & Registration. When submitting a request for a New Jersey Vital Record, the requestor will need to provide

• Exact name (as it appears on the record)
• The exact location of the event
• The exact date of the event
• Mother’s maiden name (if recorded)
• Father’s name (if recorded)

A fee of $25 for the initial certified copy (and $2 for additional copies ordered at the same time) and must be prepaid before receiving the record.

What is the difference between a Certified Record and Informational Copy?

A certified copy of a New Jersey Vital Record is a long-form document with the raised seal of the Office of Vital Statistics & Registration to be considered valid. An informational copy is issued with a certification which states the document cannot be used for identification or legal purposes.

Are New Jersey Marriage Records Public Information?

New Jersey Marriage Records are not categorized as public information. Only eligible applicants are able to obtain Marriage Records in the state of New Jersey.

How do I find New Jersey Marriage Records?

New Jersey Marriage Records are compiled and maintained by the Office of Vital Statistics & Registration of the New Jersey Department of Health. The state office issues certified copies of records of marriages (since 1901), domestic partnerships (since 2004) and civil unions (since 2007). A search fee of $25 will be charged for requests which will provide one certified copy of the record (if found). There are additional fees for multiple copies and rush requests. Record requests can be made online or by mail. Record requests can be made online or by mail. Online requests can be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Mail requests will require a completed request form and must include a copy of the requestor’s valid photo-ID, appropriate payment fees and evidence of the relationship to the individual listed on the record. The request should be sent to

Office of Vital Statistics & Registration
NJ Department of Health
P.O. Box 370
Trenton, NJ 08625-0370

Are New Jersey Divorce Records Public Information?

Divorce Records in New Jersey are vital records, which are not categorized as public information. These records can only be obtained by eligible persons and requestors will be required to provide evidence of eligibility before obtaining Divorce Records.

How do I find New Jersey Divorce Records?

New Jersey Divorce Records can be obtained by submitting a request for the record to the Clerk of the Superior Court of New Jersey, who is the custodian of divorce decrees for the State of New Jersey. The Office of the Clerk of the Superior Court of NJ prepares a certified copy of the requested record for a fee of $10 and it will contain the county of venue, docket number, names of the parties and date of the Final Judgment of Divorce, and is stamped with the Seal of the Superior Court. The check for the fee should be made payable to the Clerk of the Superior Court of NJ and be submitted to:

Clerk of the Superior Court
Superior Court of NJ
Record Information Center
171 Jersey Street,
P.O. Box 967
Trenton, NJ 08625-0967

All requests must be accompanied by a copy of the requestor’s valid photo-ID and evidence of the relationship between the requestor and the individual listed on the record.

Are New Jersey Birth Records Public Information?

NJ Birth Records are identified as Vital Records and consequently are not categorized as public information. These records can only be obtained by eligible individuals under the provisions of the law.

How do I find New Jersey Birth Records?

Like other Vital Records in NJ, Birth Records are obtained by submitting a completed application form along with the appropriate fees, a copy of the requestor’s photo identification and evidence of the relationship to the individual listed on the record. The request should be submitted to the Office of Vital Statistics & Registration, which retains all Birth Records. Online record requests can be submitted 24/7. Mail requests should be submitted to the:

Office of Vital Statistics & Registration
NJ Department of Health
P.O. Box 370
Trenton, NJ 08625-0370

Are New Jersey Death Records Open to the Public?

Death Records in New Jersey, as with all other Vital Records, are not open to all members of the public. These records can only be accessed by eligible persons, under the provision of the law.

How do I find New Jersey Death Record?

As with other Vital Records in the state of New Jersey, Death Records can be obtained by submitting a request to the Office of Vital Statistics & Registration. Submissions can be made online or by mail. Online submissions are available 24 hours a day, all week. Mail submissions should be made by sending a completed application form, along with a copy of the requestor’s photo-ID, all appropriate fees, and evidence of a relationship with the individual on the record. These should be sent to

Office of Vital Statistics & Registration
NJ Department of Health
P.O. Box 370
Trenton, NJ 08625-0370

How do I Find Sealed Vital Records in New Jersey?

Vital records are generally not sealed in the state of New Jersey. Vital Records do have restricted access and can only be obtained by persons who establish themselves as the subject of the records, parents of the subjects, legal guardian or representative, spouse, child, grandchild or sibling. Records can also be obtained by state and federal agencies for official purposes. If a requested vital record is sealed and cannot be obtained as a result of this, then a request must be made at the court when the record was sealed.