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Cape May County, New Jersey public records

In Cape May County, deeds are recorded by the Cape May County Clerk; property values come from the Cape May County Board of Taxation; court files are kept by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic/Cape May Vicinage - Cape May County Courthouse.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Where to get each record
  2. Deeds and land records
  3. Property values, owners and tax bills
  4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
  5. Marriage records
  6. Divorce records
  7. Birth certificates
  8. Death certificates
  9. Probate records and wills
  10. Business names (DBA)
  11. Voter records
  12. Historical records
  13. Good to know about Cape May County records
  14. Office addresses, phones and hours
  15. Records that are not online: public records requests
  16. Questions people ask
  17. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  18. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsCape May County Clerk3Search deeds2Self-service copies in the Record Room $0.05 per letter-size page; mail orders $0.05 per page; same-day fax copies $2 per page2
Property values and ownersCape May County Board of Taxation4Property search5—
Property tax billsMunicipal tax collectors5——
Court casesSuperior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic/Cape May Vicinage - Cape May County Courthouse6—Statewide Superior Court copy fees: certified copy $15; Certificate of Divorce $10; certified copy of Final Judgment of Divorce $257
Marriage recordsMarriage licenses come from the municipal clerk8——
Divorce recordsSuperior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic/Cape May Vicinage - Cape May County Courthouse6—Certificate of Divorce $107
Birth certificatesMunicipal Local Registrar or NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry9——
Death certificatesMunicipal Local Registrar or NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry9——
Probate and willsCape May County Surrogate's Court10——
Business names (DBA)Cape May County Clerk10——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Cape May County are recorded by the Cape May County Clerk (land records; Record Room and Archives in the Hall of Records).3

Years online
August 12, 2000 to present; deeds, mortgages, discharges and subdivision maps from January 1, 19962
Copy fee
Self-service copies in the Record Room $0.05 per letter-size page; mail orders $0.05 per page; same-day fax copies $2 per page2
Certified copy fee
$1 per document page plus $10 for the certification (complete documents only; e.g. 3-page document $13)2
Recording fee
Regular recording fee $30.00 first page plus $10.00 each additional page; Homelessness Trust Fund $5.00 per instrument; $20.00 extra for documents submitted without a cover sheet (fee schedule dated 2.20.2025)11
How to order
Mail a request listing book and page or file number with a check and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Cape May County Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 5000, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210-5000 (processed within 7 days); or fax copies by phone 609-465-1023 with Visa/MasterCard2
In person
Record Room in the Hall of Records open to searchers without appointment for pre-2000 physical records; staff-assisted research by appointment12
Daniels law
Pages of documents for covered persons under Daniel's Law show 'Sealed Page'; such searches must be done in person by appointment in the Record Room12
Fraud alerts
Property Alert Service12
Payment policy
Cash, Visa, MasterCard in person; personal/business checks and money orders with restrictions; $60 returned-check charge13

How deeds work in New Jersey

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Cape May County Board of Taxation (assessments are made by each municipality's tax assessor; the Board supervises assessors and hears appeals) sets property values4; Municipal tax collectors (property taxes are billed and collected by each of the county's municipalities) bills and collects the tax5.

Property search
taxdatahub.com/… (Cape May County Tax Data Hub)5
Appealing a value
Assessment appeals go to the Cape May County Board of Taxation5

How property tax works in New Jersey

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Superior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic/Cape May Vicinage (Cape May County Courthouse, Cape May Court House)Indictable criminal, civil, general equity, family and divorceSuperior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic/Cape May Vicinage - Cape May County Courthouse NJ Judiciary public case portals (free for individual case searches); bulk remote access via the Electronic Access Program at $4 per minute14Free search, fee for copies
Municipal courts (each municipality)Traffic, ordinance violations, disorderly persons offenses——
Fees
Statewide Superior Court copy fees: certified copy $15; Certificate of Divorce $10; certified copy of Final Judgment of Divorce $257

Criminal records and background checks

Summary
Indictable criminal cases are in the Superior Court (Atlantic/Cape May Vicinage); statewide criminal history: NJ State Police14

How New Jersey courts keep their files

Marriage records

Marriage licenses come from the municipal clerk; the County Clerk performs small civil ceremonies by appointment8

Marriage license fee
$28 license application fee (statewide)15
Older records
Marriages 1795-1878 in the County Clerk's Archives16

New Jersey marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Kept by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic/Cape May Vicinage - Cape May County Courthouse.6

Copies
Superior Court; closed divorce files archived by the Superior Court Clerk's Office (Trenton) or held by the county Family Division7
Fee
Certificate of Divorce $107

Birth certificates

Municipal Local Registrar or NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry9

Local fees
Local fees vary by municipality15

Ordering a New Jersey birth certificate

Death certificates

Municipal Local Registrar or NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry9

Ordering a New Jersey death certificate

Probate records and wills

Cape May County Surrogate (wills, administrations, short certificates, small estate affidavits, adoptions, guardianships)17

How to request
Call 609-463-6666 first and complete the Surrogate Information Sheet; the office keeps the original will and death certificate and gives a certified true copy of the will17
Small estate
Small estates defined as $50,000 for surviving spouses or $20,000 for next-of-kin (no will)17

Finding a will or probate case in New Jersey

Business names (DBA)

Business Trade Name Certificates for sole proprietorships and general partnerships are filed with the County Clerk; fee $50 ($54 with 2 copies returned); corporations and LLCs file with the NJ Division of Revenue18

Voter records

Commissioner of Registration / Board of Elections, 10 West Mechanic Street, Cape May Court House (www.capemaycountyvotes.com)3

Historical records

County archives
County Clerk Archives: deeds and mortgages with indexes from 1692, court records 1797-1948, Justice of the Peace dockets 1786-1948, naturalizations 1896-1964, census records 1850-1870, maps16
Archives online
capemaycountyarchives.com (Cape May County Archives Online)8
State archives
NJ State Archives genealogical collections19

Good to know about Cape May County records

  • Cape May County was formally created on November 12, 1692 by an Act of the General Assembly of the Province of West Jersey16
  • Deeds and mortgages with indexes survive from 1692 in the County Clerk's Archives16
  • The County Clerk is also the County Historian16
  • Online land records go back to August 2000, with deeds and mortgages back to January 199612
  • Daniel's Law 'Sealed Page' documents can be searched only in person by appointment12
  • Naturalization records 1896-1964 held by the County Clerk16

Office addresses, phones and hours

Cape May County Clerk (land records; Record Room and Archives in the Hall of Records)

Address
7 N Main Street, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210-500012
Mail
P.O. Box 5000, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210-500012
Phone
609-465-1010 (main); Public Records 609-465-102312
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (closed holidays); Record Room for professional title searchers Mon-Fri 9am-4pm12

Cape May County Clerk (also County Historian; business trade names, elections/vote-by-mail, passports, notary oaths)

Address
7 N Main Street, Cape May Court House, NJ 0821012
Mail
P.O. Box 5000, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210-500012
Phone
609-465-1010; passports 609-465-1011; elections 609-465-101312
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.12

Cape May County Surrogate's Court (Surrogate)

Address
9 N Main Street, 3rd Floor, Cape May Court House, NJ 0821017
Mail
Surrogate's Office, 4 Moore Road, DN 207, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 (regular and certified mail); overnight to 9 North Main Street17
Hours
Appointments required; call before coming17

Cape May County Board of Taxation (assessments are made by each municipality's tax assessor; the Board supervises assessors and hears appeals)

Address
7 N Main Street, Cape May Court House, NJ 082105
Mail
4 Moore Road, DN 303, Cape May Court House, NJ 082105

Municipal tax collectors (property taxes are billed and collected by each of the county's municipalities)

Superior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic/Cape May Vicinage - Cape May County Courthouse

Address
Cape May County Courthouse, 9 North Main Street, Cape May Court House, NJ 082106
Phone
609-402-0100 (vicinage number shown for the Cape May County Courthouse)6
Hours
Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.6

Cape May County Commissioner of Registration / Board of Elections (voter records)

Address
10 West Mechanic Street, P.O. Box 5000, Cape May Courthouse, NJ 08210-50003
Mail
P.O. Box 5000, Cape May Courthouse, NJ 08210-50003
Hours
8:30am-4:30pm3

Cape May County Sheriff's Office

Archives of the Cape May County Clerk / County Historian (Hall of Records)

Address
Hall of Records, 7 N Main Street, Cape May Court House, NJ 082102
Mail
P.O. Box 5000, Cape May Court House, NJ 082102
Hours
Monday-Friday by appointment, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.16

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page
capemaycountynj.gov/591/Government-Records (print the Request For Access To Government Records Form and return it)20
Where to send it
Deputy Clerk of the Board, Administration Building, 4 Moore Road, Cape May Court House, NJ 0821020

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Cape May County?

The Cape May County Clerk (land records; Record Room and Archives in the Hall of Records) keeps deed records. To order copies: Mail a request listing book and page or file number with a check and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Cape May County Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 5000, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210-5000 (processed within 7 days); or fax copies by phone 609-465-1023 with Visa/MasterCard. Plain copies: Self-service copies in the Record Room $0.05 per letter-size page; mail orders $0.05 per page; same-day fax copies $2 per page. Certified copies: $1 per document page plus $10 for the certification (complete documents only; e.g. 3-page document $13).32

How much does a marriage license cost in Cape May County?

$28 license application fee (statewide).15

How do I look up who owns a property in Cape May County?

Use the property search of the Cape May County Board of Taxation (assessments are made by each municipality's tax assessor; the Board supervises assessors and hears appeals): taxdatahub.com/…5

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Cape May County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other counties in New Jersey with a full guide: Atlantic County, Bergen County, Burlington County, Camden County, Cumberland County, Essex County, Gloucester County, Hudson County, Hunterdon County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, Ocean County, Passaic County, Salem County, Somerset County, Sussex County, Union County. Every county in the state: New Jersey county list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026
  2. Document Copy Policy (County Clerk)County of Cape Maychecked November 4, 2026
  3. County Election OfficialsNJ Department of State, Division of Electionschecked November 4, 2026
  4. County Boards of Taxation contact listNJ Division of Taxationchecked November 4, 2026
  5. Board of TaxationCounty of Cape Maychecked November 4, 2026
  6. Atlantic/Cape May VicinageNew Jersey Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  7. Copies of Court RecordsNew Jersey Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  8. Marriage Ceremonies (County Clerk)County of Cape Maychecked November 4, 2026
  9. Vital Statistics FAQsNJ Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  10. Constitutional OfficesCounty of Cape Maychecked November 4, 2026
  11. Cape May County Clerk Fee Schedule 2025Cape May County Clerkchecked November 7, 2026
  12. County ClerkCounty of Cape Maychecked November 4, 2026
  13. Document Fee Policy (County Clerk)County of Cape Maychecked November 4, 2026
  14. Electronic Access ProgramNew Jersey Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  15. Vital records feesNJ Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  16. Archives of the County Clerk / County HistorianCounty of Cape Maychecked November 4, 2026
  17. SurrogateCounty of Cape Maychecked November 4, 2026
  18. Business Registration (County Clerk)County of Cape Maychecked November 4, 2026
  19. Search Genealogical CollectionsNJ State Archiveschecked November 4, 2026
  20. Government Records (OPRA)County of Cape Maychecked November 4, 2026
  21. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026