Hudson County Court Records Lookup

Hudson County court records are housed at the Brennan Courthouse in Jersey City. This densely populated county sits along the Hudson River and includes cities like Jersey City, Bayonne, Hoboken, and Union City. Searching for court records in Hudson County can be done online or at the courthouse. The County Clerk and the Superior Court each maintain different types of records. This guide covers the offices, databases, and steps you need to search and obtain court records from Hudson County.

Hudson County Clerk and Records

The Hudson County Clerk is E. Junior Maldonado. The office is at Hudson County Plaza, 257 Cornelison Ave, 4th Floor, in Jersey City. The phone number is 201-369-3470. This office handles land records, passport applications, notary commissions, trade name filings, and veteran services. Staff can help you search property records and get copies of recorded documents.

The Hudson County Clerk website has information on services, hours, and forms. You can find details about how to request records and what the office holds. Land records include deeds, mortgages, liens, and related filings. The clerk's office provides public access to these documents during business hours. If you need a copy, staff can make one on the spot. Certified copies follow the state fee schedule.

For questions about court cases rather than land records, you will need to contact the courthouse. The clerk's office and the court serve different roles. Land records, election files, and trade names go through the clerk. Case filings, judgments, and orders go through the court.

Hudson County Superior Court Records

The Hudson County Superior Court operates from the Brennan Courthouse at 583 Newark Avenue in Jersey City. The main number is 201-795-6363. The court handles civil, criminal, family, and chancery matters for all 12 municipalities in Hudson County. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

The Criminal Division has a separate Records Room at Room 101, 595 Newark Avenue. The phone for that office is 201-748-4400. If you need criminal case files or want to check on a criminal matter in Hudson County, that is the place to go. The records room staff can search by defendant name or case number. They handle requests for copies of criminal judgments, complaints, and other filings.

The Hudson Vicinage page on the NJ Courts site lists all divisions, phone numbers, and addresses. The court provides public access terminals for on-site case searches. The Court User Resource Center helps people who do not have a lawyer. Interpreter services are available for those who need them.

Note: Open cases are handled at the local courthouse in Hudson County, while closed case records are stored at the Superior Court Clerk's Office in Trenton.

Search Hudson County Cases Online

The state of New Jersey runs several free databases that include Hudson County case records. Each one covers a different type of case. Using the right tool makes your search faster.

The Find a Case portal is the best place to start for civil matters. It searches civil, special civil, foreclosure, and equity cases. You can look up cases by party name or docket number. Criminal cases are in the PROMIS/Gavel system, which tracks indictable offenses. Only convictions appear in results. Sealed and expunged records from Hudson County will not show. Municipal court cases, such as traffic tickets, can be found through the Municipal Court Case Search tool on the NJ Courts website.

For more detailed access, the Electronic Access Program covers civil, criminal, and family case systems. The cost is $4 per minute. This is mainly used by lawyers and title search professionals. If you only need one document from a Hudson County case, it is easier to submit a Records Request Form through the NJ Courts site or the JEDS submission system.

Public Access to Hudson County Files

Court records in New Jersey are presumed open under Rule 1:38. This rule lists 38 exceptions where records are kept confidential. Juvenile cases, adoption records, grand jury materials, and sealed files are off limits. Everything else is available for public review. You do not have to be a party to the case to request records from Hudson County.

County records outside the court system fall under the Open Public Records Act at N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1. OPRA gives you the right to request records from county offices. The agency has seven business days to respond. If they deny your request, you can appeal to the Government Records Council or file in court. OPRA does not apply to court records directly, but it does cover records held by the clerk's office and other county departments in Hudson County.

Copy fees under Rule 1:38 are standard statewide:

• Letter-size plain copy: $0.05 per page
• Legal-size plain copy: $0.07 per page
• Certified copy: $15 per document
• Seal of the Court: $10
• Exemplified copy: $50
• Triple exemplified copy: $60

Hudson County Record Expungement

Expungement in New Jersey is governed by N.J.S.A. 2C:52. It seals your criminal record so it no longer appears in public court searches or background checks. You file a petition in the Superior Court in the county where the conviction happened. For cases in Hudson County, file at the Brennan Courthouse in Jersey City.

Waiting periods depend on the charge. Indictable offenses require 10 years. Disorderly persons offenses need five years. Drug offenses may qualify sooner. The 2021 Clean Slate law created automatic expungement for qualifying records after 10 years from the last conviction. Not all offenses can be expunged. Homicide, kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery, and arson are excluded. Once granted, the record is sealed across all agencies and removed from public databases.

Note: After your Hudson County expungement is processed, the New Jersey State Police Expungement Unit coordinates the sealing of records across all law enforcement agencies.

Cities in Hudson County

Hudson County has 12 municipalities. All Superior Court cases are filed at the Brennan Courthouse in Jersey City. Each town runs its own municipal court for traffic and local matters. Below are cities in Hudson County with pages on this site.

Other municipalities in Hudson County include Kearny, Harrison, Secaucus, Guttenberg, East Newark, and Weehawken. All Superior Court filings from these towns are handled at the courthouse in Jersey City.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hudson County. Court records stay in the county where the case was filed. Check the filing location before you start your search.