Court records of Sussex County, New Jersey, are available through several channels. SussexNJCourt.us allows searching for public information about court cases in the county. Additionally, official resources of the state court system, the Superior Court Clerk's Office, and public terminals in the courthouse provide access to criminal, civil, and family case materials.
Sussex Court System & Jurisdictions
Sussex County is part of the Morris/Sussex Vicinage — one of the fifteen vicinages of the New Jersey Superior Court. All cases are heard by a single Superior Court, divided into three divisions.
- Civil Division — lawsuits regarding monetary claims, contract disputes, and damage recovery claims. Small claims up to $3,000 are also included here but are handled under a simplified procedure in the Special Civil Part subdivision.
- Criminal Division — indictable offenses equivalent to federal felonies. Municipal ordinance violations and minor offenses, including traffic fines, are usually handled by municipal courts within the county.
- Family Division — divorces, custody, alimony, protective orders, and juvenile cases.
Probate and will cases are handled by the Sussex County Surrogate's Court. Bankruptcy cases are heard by the federal bankruptcy court of New Jersey.
Physical address of the court:
Sussex Court Calendar & Upcoming Hearings
To find out the date and time of a specific hearing, the quickest way is to use the online search. The Find a Case system on the New Jersey Courts website allows you to find civil and family cases by case number or party name. For criminal cases, there is a separate portal — PROMIS/Gavel Public Access.
A few practical tips:
- Prepare the docket number — searching by it is the most accurate.
- If the number is unknown, try searching by the defendant's or plaintiff's last name.
- The hearing calendar for the current week can also be clarified by calling the judicial center directly at 862-397-5700.
Some categories of cases — particularly juvenile and domestic violence cases — have restricted public access according to court rules.
How to Get a Copy of a Sussex Court Document
Copies of court documents are issued by the Superior Court Clerk's Office (SCCO). There are two types of copies:
- Uncertified copy — suitable for review.
- Certified copy — has the official court seal and is accepted by other institutions as proof.
Ways to Order
- Online — through the SCCO page on the NJ Courts website. Choose the division (Criminal, Civil, or Family) and specify Sussex County.
- In person — in the criminal records room of the Sussex County Judicial Center at the address mentioned above. The list of criminal records rooms contains current information.
- By mail — send a written request specifying the case number, party names, and type of copy to the address:Superior Court Clerk's Office
Divorce documents are also available through the Supreme Court Records Center. Note: divorce documents are issued only to the parties of the case or their attorneys.
If you need land records, deeds, or mortgage documents, use the electronic search of the county clerk's office.
Sussex Court Records Fees & Payment
The fee amounts are set by the rules of the New Jersey court system and administrative orders. Below are the main rates applicable when requesting copies through the SCCO.
| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Uncertified copy (per page) | $0.05 |
| Certified copy (first page) | $4.00 |
| Certified copy (each additional page) | $1.00 |
| Certification of an existing copy | $4.00 |
Payment is accepted in the form of a money order or certified check made payable to "Treasurer, State of New Jersey." Some offices also accept credit cards for in-person requests — confirm this in advance by phone.
To obtain public records that are not court documents, you can submit a request under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). Disputes over record denials are reviewed by the Government Records Council (GRC).