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Essex County, New Jersey public records

In Essex County, deeds are recorded by the Register of Deeds and Mortgages; property values come from the Essex County Board of Taxation; court files are kept by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex Vicinage.

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. Other records at the county
  14. Good to know about Essex County records
  15. Office addresses, phones and hours
  16. Records that are not online: public records requests
  17. Questions people ask
  18. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  19. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsRegister of Deeds and Mortgages4Search deeds2Certified copy fee: $8.00 first page, $2.00 each additional page (deeds, mortgages, etc.); UCC financing statements $8.00; veteran's discharge $6.003
Property values and ownersEssex County Board of Taxation4Property search5—
Court casesSuperior Court of New Jersey, Essex Vicinage6—Statewide Superior Court Clerk's Office fees: plain copies $0.05 letter page / $0.07 legal page; certified copy $15; seal $10; exemplified $50; certificate of divorce $10; certified final judgment of divorce $257
Marriage recordsMunicipal Vital Statistics Office where the marriage was filed (not the County Clerk)4——
Divorce recordsSuperior Court of New Jersey (statewide Superior Court Clerk's Office / Records Center): certified final judgment of divorce $257——
Birth certificatesMunicipal Vital Statistics Office of the municipality of birth (or NJ Department of Health)8——
Death certificatesMunicipal Vital Statistics Office of the municipality where the death occurred4——
Probate and willsEssex County Surrogate's Court: written search request on the NJ Judiciary Surrogates' records form, $10.00 per name searched, copies $3.00 per page9——
Business names (DBA)Trade Name Certificate filed with the County Clerk10——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Essex County are recorded by the Register of Deeds and Mortgages.4

Years online
May 1, 2001 to present (electronic); older records back to the early 1700s in the Public Vault11
Certified copy fee
$8.00 first page, $2.00 each additional page (deeds, mortgages, etc.); UCC financing statements $8.00; veteran's discharge $6.003
How to order
In person or by mail; give owner name(s), approximate transfer date and address (or book, page and recording date); written requests need a check payable to the Essex County Register8
Recording fee
Deed: $45.00 first page including tax abstract, $10.00 each additional page3
Alerts
RECORD ALERT: free notification when documents are recorded under your name or block and lot2

How deeds work in New Jersey

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Essex County Board of Taxation (assessments are made by each of the 22 municipalities' tax assessors) sets property values4.

Property search
taxdatahub.com/…5
Appealing a value
Essex County Board of Taxation: file with the Tax Board, the municipal tax assessor and the municipal clerk; for 2026 the deadline was April 1 (May 1 in revalued/reassessed Cedar Grove, Glen Ridge and Verona), by 4:00 pm; must be physically received, not postmarked12

How property tax works in New Jersey

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex VicinageCriminal, Civil, Special Civil, Family and General Equity (state judiciary)Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex Vicinage—
Fees
Statewide Superior Court Clerk's Office fees: plain copies $0.05 letter page / $0.07 legal page; certified copy $15; seal $10; exemplified $50; certificate of divorce $10; certified final judgment of divorce $257
How to request
Records Request Form submitted through the Judiciary Electronic Document System (JEDS), or by mail to the Superior Court Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 971, Trenton, NJ 08625-0971; customer service 609-421-61007

How New Jersey courts keep their files

Marriage records

Municipal Vital Statistics Office where the marriage was filed (not the County Clerk)4

New Jersey marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Superior Court of New Jersey (statewide Superior Court Clerk's Office / Records Center): certified final judgment of divorce $25; certificate of divorce $107

Birth certificates

Municipal Vital Statistics Office of the municipality of birth (or NJ Department of Health)8

Ordering a New Jersey birth certificate

Death certificates

Municipal Vital Statistics Office of the municipality where the death occurred4

Ordering a New Jersey death certificate

Probate records and wills

Essex County Surrogate's Court: written search request on the NJ Judiciary Surrogates' records form, $10.00 per name searched, copies $3.00 per page; free self-search in the Surrogate's vault and on public computers during business hours9

Finding a will or probate case in New Jersey

Business names (DBA)

Trade Name Certificate filed with the County Clerk: $54.00 (US Postal money order only), four notarized originals; dissolution $27.0010

Voter records

County Clerk sells voter registration lists at $0.25 per election district13

Historical records

Register's Record Room holds recorded documents back to the county's creation; PRESS says the Public Vault has older records dating back to the early 1700s14

Other records at the county

Liens

What the office says
County Clerk files construction liens ($15.00 first page, $5 each additional), abstracts of judgment ($25.00), hospital and physician liens ($15)15

Good to know about Essex County records

  • Essex records deeds and mortgages with a separate Register of Deeds and Mortgages, not the County Clerk.2
  • Essex County Clerk sends all court matters to the Clerk of the Superior Court.6
  • Birth, death and marriage certificates are held by the 22 municipal vital statistics offices, not by a county office.4
  • The Register offers RECORD ALERT, a free notice when a document is recorded under your name or block and lot.2
  • Register staff will not do title searches.14
  • The Surrogate's public computers can be used to search estate records free of charge (not adoption or guardianship cases).9

Office addresses, phones and hours

Register of Deeds and Mortgages

Address
Hall of Records, Room 130, 465 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Newark, NJ 071022
Hours
8:30 am-4:30 pm Monday-Friday (last transaction 4:15 pm)2

Essex County Clerk (trade names, liens and judgments, elections, passports, notaries)

Address
Dr. Martin Luther King Justice Building, 495 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Newark, NJ 07102; vault services remain at the Hall of Records, 465 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard6
Mail
PO Box 690, Newark, NJ 07101-069010

Essex County Surrogate's Court

Address
495 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., 2nd Floor, Newark, NJ 0710216
Phone
973-621-4901; fax 973-621-264716
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.16

Essex County Board of Taxation (assessments are made by each of the 22 municipalities' tax assessors)

Address
495 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Room 230, Newark, NJ 0710217

Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex Vicinage

Address
Essex County Historic Courthouse, 470 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.; Veterans Courthouse, 50 West Market Street; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Building, 495 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.; Wynona Lipman Family Courthouse, 350 University Avenue; all Newark, NJ 0710218
Hours
Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.18

Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex Vicinage - Wynona Lipman Family Courthouse

Address
350 University Avenue, Newark, NJ 0710218

Municipal Vital Statistics Offices (22 municipalities; e.g

Newark)

Phone
Newark (973) 733-6510 (other municipalities listed on the county page)4

Records that are not online: public records requests

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Essex County?

The Register of Deeds and Mortgages keeps deed records. To order copies: In person or by mail; give owner name(s), approximate transfer date and address (or book, page and recording date); written requests need a check payable to the Essex County Register. Certified copies: $8.00 first page, $2.00 each additional page (deeds, mortgages, etc.); UCC financing statements $8.00; veteran's discharge $6.00.483

Where do I get a divorce decree in Essex County?

Superior Court of New Jersey (statewide Superior Court Clerk's Office / Records Center): certified final judgment of divorce $25; certificate of divorce $10.7

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

Use the property search of the Essex County Board of Taxation (assessments are made by each of the 22 municipalities' tax assessors): 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 Essex 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, Cape May County, Cumberland 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. Looking for another Essex County? Essex County, Massachusetts.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 19 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  2. Essex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages homeEssex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages
  3. FeesEssex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages
  4. Vital Records OfficesCounty of Essex
  5. Info & FormsEssex County Board of Taxation
  6. The Essex County Clerk's Office - HomeEssex County Clerk
  7. Copies of Court RecordsNew Jersey Courts, Superior Court Clerk's Office
  8. Frequently Asked QuestionsEssex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages
  9. FAQsEssex County Surrogate's Court
  10. Business Trade NamesEssex County Clerk
  11. Public Records Electronic Search System (PRESS)Essex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages
  12. Summary of Important Tax Appeal Rules & RemindersEssex County Board of Taxation
  13. Voter Registration ListsEssex County Clerk
  14. Records & IndexingEssex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages
  15. Liens & JudgmentsEssex County Clerk
  16. Essex County Surrogate's Court homeEssex County Surrogate's Court
  17. Essex County Tax Board homeEssex County Board of Taxation
  18. Essex VicinageNew Jersey Courts
  19. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau