Union County Public Records

What Are Public Records in Union County?

Public records in Union County, New Jersey, are government-generated or government-maintained documents that are presumptively open to inspection and copying by any member of the public. Under N.J.S.A. § 47:1A-1.1, the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA) defines a government record as any document, paper, report, map, chart, photograph, film, recording, data file, or other material made, maintained, or kept on file by a public agency in the course of its official business.

Union County maintains a broad range of public records across multiple offices and agencies. The principal categories include:

Court records — Civil, criminal, probate, and family court filings are maintained by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Union Vicinage. Members of the public may find civil and criminal case information through the New Jersey Judiciary's online portal.
Property records — Deeds, mortgages, liens, and property assessments are filed with the Union County Clerk's Office and the County Board of Taxation.
Vital records — Birth and death certificates are maintained by the New Jersey Department of Health and local registrars. Divorce decrees are available through the Superior Court of New Jersey Records Center.
Business records — Trade name registrations, business licenses, and permits are filed with the County Clerk and applicable municipal offices.
Tax records — Property tax assessments and payment histories are maintained by municipal tax assessors and the County Board of Taxation.
Voting and election records — Voter registration data and election results are maintained by the Union County Board of Elections.
Meeting minutes and agendas — Records of county freeholder (commissioner) meetings, planning board sessions, and other public body proceedings are maintained by the respective agencies.
Budget and financial documents — Annual budgets, audit reports, and expenditure records are maintained by the County Administrator's Office.
Law enforcement records — Arrest logs and incident reports, where not otherwise exempt, may be requested from the applicable municipal police department or the Union County Prosecutor's Office.
Land use and zoning records — Zoning maps, variance applications, and planning documents are maintained by municipal planning and zoning boards.

Historical county government records, including early deeds, mortgages, and marriage returns, are also preserved at the New Jersey State Archives.

Is Union County an Open Records County?

Union County fully operates under New Jersey's statewide open records framework, which establishes a strong presumption in favor of public access to government documents. Under N.J.S.A. § 47:1A-1, the Legislature declared that "government records shall be readily accessible for inspection, copying, or examination by the citizens of this State, with certain exceptions, for the protection of the public interest." This provision places the burden of proof on the government agency to justify any denial of access, not on the requestor to justify the need for disclosure.

Key provisions of OPRA that apply to Union County agencies include:

Government agencies must respond to a records request within seven business days of receipt.
Agencies must provide a written statement of the legal basis for any denial.
Requestors who are unlawfully denied access may file a complaint with the Government Records Council or seek relief in Superior Court.

The Union Township Municipal Clerk's office provides guidance on submitting OPRA requests at the municipal level, consistent with the statewide framework. New Jersey's Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA), N.J.S.A. § 10:4-6 et seq., further requires that all public body meetings be open to the public and that adequate notice be provided, reinforcing the county's commitment to governmental transparency.

How to Find Public Records in Union County

Members of the public may access Union County public records through several official channels, depending on the record type sought.

Step 1 — Identify the custodial agency. Determine which office maintains the record. Property records are held by the County Clerk; court records by the Superior Court Clerk; vital records by the local registrar or the State Department of Health; and tax records by the municipal tax assessor.

Step 2 — Submit an OPRA request. Complete the standard OPRA request form available from the relevant agency. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, for example, provides an online OPRA record request form as a model for the submission process used across state and county agencies.

Step 3 — Use online search tools. The New Jersey Judiciary website provides online access to case information, court forms, and self-help resources. Members of the public may search active and closed case records through the judiciary's public portal.

Step 4 — Request copies of court records. For closed court cases, requestors must complete and submit a records request form to the appropriate Superior Court Clerk's office. Detailed instructions for obtaining copies of court records are available on the NJ Courts website, with procedures varying by county vicinage.

Step 5 — Visit in person. Members of the public may inspect records in person at the relevant agency's public counter during posted business hours. No appointment is required for general inspection of non-restricted records.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Public Records in Union County?

The fee structure for public records in Union County is governed by N.J.S.A. § 47:1A-5, which establishes the maximum permissible charges that government agencies may impose for records duplication.

Current standard fees applicable to Union County records requests include:

$0.05 per page for letter-size (8.5" × 11") copies
$0.07 per page for legal-size (8.5" × 14") copies
$0.10 per page for larger-format documents
Actual cost for records provided in a medium other than paper (e.g., electronic files, CDs, or specialized formats)
Certified copy fees vary by record type — for example, certified copies of deeds and other instruments recorded with the County Clerk are subject to statutory recording fees

Accepted payment methods vary by office but generally include cash, check, money order, and credit or debit card at offices equipped to process electronic payments. Agencies may not charge for the time spent locating records unless the request requires an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort, as defined under current law. Fee waivers are not broadly available under OPRA, though agencies retain discretion to waive fees in appropriate circumstances, particularly for indigent requestors or matters of significant public interest.

Does Union County Have Free Public Records?

Members of the public are entitled under current law to inspect government records at no charge. OPRA expressly provides that inspection — as distinct from copying — is free of charge, and no agency may require payment simply to view a record on-site.

The following free access resources are currently available:

In-person inspection at the Union County Clerk's Office, the Superior Court Clerk's Office, and municipal clerk offices, during regular business hours, at no cost
Online case lookup through the New Jersey Judiciary's public case search portal, which allows members of the public to search civil, criminal, and other court case information without charge
Historical records research through the New Jersey State Archives, which maintains Union County Clerk's Office records, miscellaneous court records dating from 1819 to 1925, and other historical county documents available for public research

Who Can Request Public Records in Union County?

Any person — regardless of residency, citizenship, or stated purpose — may request access to government records maintained by Union County agencies. Under N.J.S.A. § 47:1A-1, OPRA applies to "citizens of this State," but New Jersey courts and the Government Records Council have consistently interpreted access rights broadly to include non-residents and organizations.

Specific eligibility provisions include:

Residency — Requestors are not required to be New Jersey residents or Union County residents.
Identification — Agencies may not require requestors to provide identification as a condition of access to non-restricted records.
Purpose — Requestors are generally not required to state the reason for their request. Exceptions apply to certain categories of records where the requestor's identity or purpose is relevant to determining access rights.
Requesting your own records — Individuals seeking records pertaining to themselves, such as personnel files or law enforcement records, may be entitled to access materials that would otherwise be withheld from third parties.
Restrictions for specific record types — Certain records, including adoption records, juvenile court records, and sealed court files, are restricted regardless of the requestor's identity or purpose.

The Union County vicinage of the Superior Court administers access to court records in accordance with the New Jersey Rules of Court and applicable statutes.

What Records Are Confidential in Union County?

Not all government records in Union County are subject to public disclosure. N.J.S.A. § 47:1A-1.1 enumerates specific categories of records that are exempt from OPRA's disclosure requirements, and additional exemptions are established by other state and federal statutes.

Records currently exempt from public disclosure in Union County include:

Sealed court records — Records sealed by court order are not accessible to the general public
Juvenile records — Records pertaining to juvenile delinquency proceedings are confidential under N.J.S.A. § 2A:4A-60
Ongoing criminal investigation records — Records that, if disclosed, would jeopardize an active investigation or endanger a witness
Personal identifying information — Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and similar data are redacted prior to disclosure
Medical and health records — Protected under both OPRA exemptions and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Adoption records — Sealed by statute and accessible only under specific legal circumstances
Child welfare and protective services records — Maintained as confidential under the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency
Personnel records — Employee home addresses, personal telephone numbers, and certain disciplinary records are exempt, with limited exceptions for records of public officials acting in their official capacity
Trade secrets and proprietary business information — Submitted to government agencies under a claim of confidentiality
Security plans and critical infrastructure details — Exempt to protect public safety

Where a record contains both disclosable and exempt information, the custodial agency is required to redact the exempt portions and release the remainder, consistent with the balancing principles established under current New Jersey law.

Union County Recorder's Office: Contact Information and Hours

The Union County Clerk serves as the principal recorder of official documents, including deeds, mortgages, and other instruments affecting real property, as well as business filings and election records.

Union County Clerk's Office 2 Broad Street, Room 115 Elizabeth, NJ 07207 (908) 527-4787 Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Union County Clerk

Union County Superior Court — Civil and Criminal Division 2 Broad Street Elizabeth, NJ 07207 (908) 787-1650 Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Union Vicinage Superior Court

Union County Board of Taxation 271 North Broad Street Elizabeth, NJ 07208 (908) 527-4775 Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Union County Board of Taxation

New Jersey State Archives (Historical County Records) 225 West State Street Trenton, NJ 08625 (609) 292-6260 Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. New Jersey State Archives