New Jersey Criminal Records

This guide explains how to find New Jersey criminal records, arrest records, and court case information, and how to run a background check using official state sources. It was last reviewed in June 2026. Use the name-search tool on this page for a fast first look, then confirm anything important against the official New Jersey records listed below.

Where can I find criminal records in New Jersey?

New Jersey criminal record information is held by several different agencies, and the right source depends on what you need:

• Statewide criminal history (your own record or a formal check): the New Jersey State Police, Division of State Police, Criminal Information Unit keeps the statewide criminal history repository. See the New Jersey State Police Criminal History Records page.
• Court case records: indictable (felony-level) cases, municipal cases, and judgments are searchable through NJ Courts Find a Case.
• People currently in state prison: the New Jersey Department of Corrections Offender Search.
• Registered sex offenders: the New Jersey Sex Offender Internet Registry (Megan's Law).

The name-search tool on this page pulls from public records compiled across many states and counties at once. It is a private commercial service, not a government database, so treat its results as a starting point and verify details with the official sources above.

How do I get a copy of my own New Jersey criminal record?

A New Jersey resident can request a copy of their own criminal history record from the New Jersey State Police through a fingerprint-based check. This is the official "Personal Record Request" and is the most reliable way to see what is on your statewide record (often called a "rap sheet").

• Schedule a fingerprinting appointment through IdentoGO using the State Police service code for a personal record request. Fingerprints are captured by electronic live scan at IdentoGO sites located throughout New Jersey.
• As of the most recent published fee, the fingerprinting service costs $45.73 (a vendor fee plus state sales tax), collected at the IdentoGO site on the day of your appointment. Confirm the current amount before you go.
• After your appointment, download your Personal Record Request letter from the NJSP Personal Record Request portal, usually within 24 to 72 hours. The letter is available online only if no record is found; if a criminal record exists, the State Police mail the results to you.

Getting your own record first is smart before a job search or apartment application, because it lets you see and, if needed, correct what an employer or landlord might see.

How do I run a criminal background check in New Jersey?

There is more than one kind of "background check" in New Jersey, and the rules differ:

• For your own information: use the Personal Record Request above, or the name-search tool on this page for a quick informal look.
• For employment, licensing, or volunteer screening: many positions are screened through a fingerprint-based check or the State Police name-check form, the SBI 212B name check, used by approved entities for non-criminal-justice purposes for a fee per submission. An organization usually needs proper authorization (such as an Originating Agency Identifier) to request someone else's record this way.
• Court-by-court: anyone can look up public criminal case records through NJ Courts, described below.

If you are an employer or landlord using a third-party screening company, that report is a "consumer report" governed by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The instant tool on this page is not FCRA-compliant and cannot be used for those decisions.

How do I search New Jersey court records online?

The New Jersey Judiciary publishes several free public-access tools through NJ Courts Find a Case:

• Criminal (indictable) cases: the PROMIS/Gavel Public Access system tracks serious criminal cases from arrest through every stage, including appeals. You can search by defendant name or county at Criminal Cases: PROMIS/Gavel Public Access.
• Criminal judgments: searchable by defendant name, State Bureau of Identification (SBI) number, complaint number, or indictment number.
• Municipal cases and traffic matters: handled in the local Municipal Court; you can also look up your own ticket or complaint through the Judiciary's municipal tools.

Some records are confidential and will not appear in public results, including juvenile cases, expunged cases, probation records, and impounded matters.

Are arrest records public in New Jersey?

Many arrest and criminal court records in New Jersey are public, but access is shaped by the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) and by court rules. OPRA was significantly amended in 2024, which changed response timelines, fees for certain commercial requests, and how agencies must post records online.

An arrest record shows the details of an arrest, not a conviction or sentence. Some arrest information is exempt or restricted, including ongoing investigative material and records that have been expunged or sealed. An arrest by itself is only an allegation. Under New Jersey law a person is presumed innocent unless and until convicted, so an arrest record alone is not proof of guilt, and a person with arrests on record may be entirely innocent.

How do I find out if someone is in jail or prison in New Jersey?

To locate someone in state custody, use the New Jersey Department of Corrections Offender Search. You can search by name, aliases, SBI number, county, and facility. The Department updates the data roughly every two weeks, so status, location, and release information may lag behind real time.

The Department of Corrections handles people sentenced to state prison. People held before trial or serving shorter sentences are usually in a county jail, so for those individuals check the relevant county jail or county sheriff's inmate roster instead.

Which offenses are felonies in New Jersey, and which are misdemeanors?

New Jersey does not use the words "felony" and "misdemeanor." Instead it grades offenses by degree and by category. Indictable crimes (first through fourth degree) are the most serious, roughly equivalent to felonies elsewhere, and are handled by the Superior Court in the county where the offense occurred. Disorderly persons offenses are the lower-level offenses, loosely like misdemeanors, and are heard in Municipal Court.

As a general guide to maximum prison exposure for indictable crimes:

• First degree: generally about 10 to 20 years (some, such as murder, carry enhanced or longer terms, up to life). Examples often include murder, aggravated sexual assault, and large-scale drug distribution.
• Second degree: generally about 5 to 10 years, such as certain drug distribution, sexual assault, and some weapons offenses.
• Third degree: generally about 3 to 5 years, such as certain drug possession, burglary, and some theft offenses.
• Fourth degree: generally up to about 18 months, such as certain restraining-order violations and lower-level offenses.

Lower-level offenses are graded separately. A disorderly persons offense is generally punishable by up to 6 months in jail, and a petty disorderly persons offense by up to 30 days. Common examples include minor shoplifting and certain disorderly conduct.

These figures are general ranges only. Actual sentences depend on the specific statute, the defendant's history, plea agreements, and judicial discretion, and certain offenses carry mandatory minimums or periods of parole ineligibility. For how the law applies to a specific case, consult the New Jersey statutes (Title 2C) or a licensed New Jersey attorney.

How long do you have to wait to get your record expunged in New Jersey?

Expungement removes or isolates records of an arrest, charge, or conviction so they are treated as not having occurred for most purposes. New Jersey has two main paths, both explained on the NJ Courts expungement self-help pages:

• Standard (petition-based) expungement. As a general rule, you can apply to expunge an indictable conviction after about 5 years (an early-pathway option may allow a request at 4 years in some circumstances). Disorderly persons offenses generally have a 5-year wait, with an early pathway possible at 3 years in some cases. An arrest that does not lead to a conviction can often be expunged much sooner. Waiting periods run from the latest of your most recent conviction, completion of probation or parole, release from incarceration, or payment of court-ordered financial obligations.
• "Clean Slate" expungement. New Jersey's Clean Slate law lets many people petition to clear an entire eligible criminal record after about 10 years have passed since their most recent conviction, payment of financial obligations, or release, whichever is later, if they have stayed conviction-free. Clean Slate is intended to eventually become automatic, but in practice many eligible people still need to file a petition, and rollout of the fully automatic process has been gradual.

Some offenses, such as certain serious crimes, cannot be expunged at all. Eligibility rules are detailed and change over time, so confirm your situation with NJ Courts or a New Jersey attorney before relying on a deadline.

Are juvenile records public in New Jersey?

Generally no. New Jersey juvenile records are confidential and are not open to the public the way many adult criminal records are. Access is limited to specific people and agencies; for example, certain officials and school employees may request record information for school safety, and victims may view a juvenile record in some circumstances. Juveniles may also be eligible to have records sealed or expunged under separate rules. If a record involves a minor, do not assume it will appear in a public search, and do not treat the absence of a public record as confirmation that nothing exists.

How do I look up sex offenders in New Jersey, and what is Megan's Law?

Megan's Law is named for Megan Kanka, a young New Jersey girl whose 1994 murder led to laws requiring sex offenders to register and the community to be notified. New Jersey's Megan's Law authorizes the State Police to publish information about certain registered offenders through the free New Jersey Sex Offender Internet Registry. You can search by name, city, county, or ZIP code.

Not every registrant appears online. Offenders are classified into three tiers by risk: Tier 1 (low), Tier 2 (moderate), and Tier 3 (high). The public internet registry generally lists all Tier 3 offenders and some Tier 2 offenders. Tier 1 offenders are known to law enforcement but are not on the public site, and most juvenile offenders are excluded. Before searching, you must acknowledge a warning: misusing the information to harass, threaten, or harm a listed person can lead to criminal prosecution or civil liability.

How far back does a background check go in New Jersey, and can an employer ask about my record?

Once you are convicted of a crime in New Jersey, it generally stays on your record unless and until it is expunged, so a conviction can surface in a background check years later. That is one reason expungement matters so much for employment and housing.

New Jersey is also a "ban the box" state under the Opportunity to Compete Act. Covered employers generally may not ask about your criminal record on the initial job application or during the first interview, and may not post job ads stating that people with arrests or convictions will not be considered. A 2021 amendment clarified that the law also applies to online applications and to early requests for expunged records. Employers can still consider criminal history later in the hiring process, subject to the law's limits, and certain employers (such as some schools and law-enforcement roles) are exempt. When an employer uses a third-party background-check company, FCRA rules apply and your written consent is generally required.

Official New Jersey criminal record sources

• New Jersey State Police - Criminal History Records Information
• NJSP Personal Record Request (your own record)
• NJSP 212B Criminal History Name Check
• NJ Courts - Find a Case
• NJ Courts - Criminal Cases (PROMIS/Gavel Public Access)
• NJ Department of Corrections - Offender Search
• NJ Sex Offender Internet Registry (Megan's Law)
• NJ Courts - Expunging Your Record
• NJ Open Public Records Act (OPRA) Central

Disclosure: criminal.com may earn a commission when you use the people-search tool on this page, which is powered by a third-party background-check service. Results from such tools are for your personal knowledge only and may not be used to make decisions about employment, housing, credit, tenant screening, or any other purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). A mugshot or arrest record is not proof of guilt. This page is general information about New Jersey public records, not legal advice; for advice about your situation, consult an attorney. Information was last reviewed in June 2026 and laws may change.