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Ocean County, New Jersey public records

In Ocean County, deeds are recorded by the Ocean County Clerk; property values come from Municipal Tax Assessors; court files are kept by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean 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. Historical records
  11. Good to know about Ocean County records
  12. Office addresses, phones and hours
  13. Records that are not online: public records requests
  14. Questions people ask
  15. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  16. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsOcean County Clerk2Search deeds23Free search—
Property values and ownersMunicipal Tax Assessors4Property search5—
Property tax billsMunicipal Tax Collectors4——
Court casesSuperior Court of New Jersey, Ocean Vicinage - Criminal Division6—Plain copies $0.05 letter page / $0.07 legal; certified copy $15; seal $10; exemplified $50; certificate of divorce $10; certified final judgment of divorce $257
Marriage recordsMunicipal Local Registrars / NJ Office of Vital Statistics and Registry8——
Divorce recordsSuperior Court of New Jersey, Ocean Vicinage - Family Division6—Certificate of Divorce $10; certified copy of final judgment of divorce $257
Birth certificatesMunicipal Local Registrars / NJ Office of Vital Statistics and Registry8—State fee: $25 search and one certified copy (state office); local fees vary by municipality9
Death certificatesMunicipal Local Registrars / NJ Office of Vital Statistics and Registry8——
Probate and willsOcean County Surrogate's Court12Search probate cases10Copy of will $3.00 per page; certified extra copy of will $5.00 per page; each certificate $5.0011
Business names (DBA)Office of the Ocean County Clerk13——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Ocean County are recorded by the Ocean County Clerk (land records / recording).2

Cost
Free (a 'Free Search page' is offered; the full SearchNG application needs a one-time software install)3
Years online
Official Records from April 1, 19773
How to order
Search the computer index and view/print images at the Clerk's office, or use the online public search; specific records can be requested with the Clerk's OPRA form2
Recording fee
Deed $45 first page + $10 each additional page; mortgage $35 first page + $10 each additional page (as of January 2026; fees include the $5 homelessness trust fund fee; $20 extra without a recording coversheet)14
Payment
Recording: cash, check and escrow accounts only; checks over $10,000 must be certified14
Liens
Clerk records construction liens ($20), federal tax liens ($30), lis pendens ($35 first page), tax sale certificates ($35) and UCC filings ($25)14
Property alert
Free email Property Alert Service for documents recorded against a block/lot or name2

How deeds work in New Jersey

Property values, owners and tax bills

Municipal Tax Assessors (33 Ocean County municipalities) sets property values4; Municipal Tax Collectors (property tax bills are municipal) bills and collects the tax4.

Property search
tax.co.ocean.nj.us/… (Ocean County Board of Taxation Tax List Search; SR1A sales search also offered)5
Tax bill search
Tax bills are municipal: contact the municipal tax collector (county list of tax collectors)4
Appealing a value
File with the Ocean County Board of Taxation by April 1, 2026 (May 1, 2026 if the municipality had a revaluation/reassessment)4

How property tax works in New Jersey

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean Vicinage (Civil, Special Civil, General Equity, Criminal, Family Divisions)Indictable criminal cases, civil over $20,000, Special Civil $5,000-$20,000, general equity/foreclosure, divorce and family15Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean Vicinage - Criminal Division Records requests: Ocean Criminal Division Customer Service/Records Requests (732-504-0700 ext. 64310); closed and archived cases via the Judiciary's Copies of Court Records request process6
Municipal courts (each municipality)Motor vehicle and traffic violations, ordinance violations, disorderly and petty disorderly persons offensesSuperior Court of New Jersey, Ocean Vicinage - Criminal Division Contact the municipal court or the Ocean Vicinage Municipal Division Manager6
Fees
Plain copies $0.05 letter page / $0.07 legal; certified copy $15; seal $10; exemplified $50; certificate of divorce $10; certified final judgment of divorce $257

Criminal records and background checks

Court records
Ocean Criminal Division handles inquiries about criminal public records6
State repository
New Jersey State Police criminal history16

How New Jersey courts keep their files

Marriage records

Local Registrar of the municipality where the marriage took place, or NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry8

Marriage license fee
$28 license application fee9

New Jersey marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Kept by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean Vicinage - Family Division.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 $10; certified copy of final judgment of divorce $257

Birth certificates

Municipal Local Registrar or NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry8

State fee
$25 search and one certified copy (state office); local fees vary by municipality9

Ordering a New Jersey birth certificate

Death certificates

Municipal Local Registrar or NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry8

Ordering a New Jersey death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Ocean County Surrogate's Court (Office of the Surrogate).12

About this search
Surrogate 'Search Records'10
Copy fee
Copy of will $3.00 per page; certified extra copy of will $5.00 per page; each certificate $5.0011
Probate fee
Probate of will (not more than 2 pages) $100.00 + $5.00 each additional page; general administration $125.0011
Payment
Cash, check or money order only; no credit or debit cards11
Records
Wills and estate papers kept permanently on microfilm and scanned10
Timing
Probate certificates issued from the 11th day after death (6th day for administration without a will)10

Finding a will or probate case in New Jersey

Historical records

Probate archive
Surrogate's wills and estate papers on microfilm (useful to genealogists)10
State archives
nj.gov/…17

Good to know about Ocean County records

  • Online land records start April 1, 1977; online images carry a watermark because of the Burnette v. County of Bergen appellate case3
  • The Clerk offers a free-to-sign-up Property Alert Service for recordings against a block/lot or name2
  • 24-hour Doc-Drop box for recording documents in front of the courthouse2
  • Clerk office in the Ocean County Mall open daily during mall hours18
  • 33 municipalities19

Office addresses, phones and hours

Ocean County Clerk (land records / recording)

Address
Ocean County Courthouse, 118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 0875318
Mail
Ocean County Clerk's Office, Courthouse, Room 112, 118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 0875420
Phone
(732) 929-2018; public records access (732) 929-20532
Hours
Monday - Friday 8am - 4:30pm; in-person services until 4:00pm18

Office of the Ocean County Clerk

Address
118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753 (main office); branches: Northern Ocean County Resource Center, 225 4th Street, Room 211, Lakewood; Southern Service Center, 179 South Main Street, Room 106, Manahawkin; Ocean County Mall office, 1201 Hooper Avenue, Toms River18
Mail
Court House, P.O. Box 2191, 118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08754-219121
Hours
Monday - Friday 8am - 4:30pm (in-person until 4:00pm); mall office open daily during mall hours18

Municipal Tax Assessors (33 Ocean County municipalities)

Address
Ocean County Board of Taxation: Ocean County Court House, Room #215, 118 Washington Street, P.O. Box 2191, Toms River, NJ 08754-219120
Mail
Ocean County Board of Taxation, P.O. Box 2191, Toms River, NJ 08754-219122
Phone
Board of Taxation 732-929-20084

Municipal Tax Collectors (property tax bills are municipal)

Ocean County Surrogate's Court (Office of the Surrogate)

Address
118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753 (Southern Service Center, 179 South Main Street, Manahawkin, every Friday by appointment)10
Hours
Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30pm; no appointment needed10

Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean Vicinage - Criminal Division

Address
Ocean County Courthouse, 118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08754 (vicinage also lists 100 Hooper Avenue)15
Phone
732-504-0700 ext. 64320 (Criminal main line); Customer Service/Records Requests ext. 643106
Hours
Mon - Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.15

Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean Vicinage - Civil Division (Law Division, Special Civil Part, General Equity)

Address
118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 0875415
Phone
732-504-0700 ext. 64360 (Civil main line)6
Hours
Mon - Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.15

Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean Vicinage - Family Division

Phone
732-504-0700 ext. 64050 (Family main line / Matrimonial)6
Hours
Mon - Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.15

Ocean County Sheriff's Office

Ocean County Clerk (Election Services) / Ocean County Board of Elections and Superintendent of Elections

Address
Board of Elections: 129 Hooper Avenue, P.O. Box 2006, Toms River, NJ 08754-200621
Mail
P.O. Box 2006, Toms River, NJ 08754-200621
Hours
8:00am-4:30pm21

Municipal Local Registrars (vital records are municipal in New Jersey) / NJ Office of Vital Statistics and Registry

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page
co.ocean.nj.us/frmOpraLaw.aspx (county OPRA page with a separate custodian and form per office)20
Where to send it
Clerk of the Board (county government records): Administration Bldg., Rm. 328, 101 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08754-2191; (732) 929-2005; [email protected]20
Response time
As soon as possible, not more than seven business days20

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

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

The Ocean County Clerk (land records / recording) keeps deed records. To order copies: Search the computer index and view/print images at the Clerk's office, or use the online public search; specific records can be requested with the Clerk's OPRA form.2

Can I search Ocean County land records online for free?

Yes. Free (a 'Free Search page' is offered; the full SearchNG application needs a one-time software install). The official search: sng.co.ocean.nj.us/searchapplication32

How much does a marriage license cost in Ocean County?

$28 license application fee.9

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

Use the property search of Municipal Tax Assessors (33 Ocean County municipalities): tax.co.ocean.nj.us/…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 Ocean 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, Essex County, Gloucester County, Hudson County, Hunterdon County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris 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; all 24 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. Records and Forms | Office of the Ocean County ClerkOffice of the Ocean County Clerk
  3. Ocean County Clerk's Office Official Records Public SearchOffice of the Ocean County Clerk
  4. Tax Board Home | Ocean County Board of TaxationOcean County Board of Taxation
  5. Tax Board List SearchOcean County Board of Taxation
  6. Ocean Court Offices/DivisionsNew Jersey Courts
  7. Copies of Court RecordsNew Jersey Courts
  8. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  9. Fees at a GlanceNJ Department of Health
  10. Office of the SurrogateOcean County Surrogate
  11. Surrogate Service FeesOcean County Surrogate
  12. Constitutional OfficesCounty of Ocean
  13. County and Municipal Web SitesState of New Jersey (NJ.gov)
  14. Fees for Recording and/or Filing Documents (as of January 2026)Office of the Ocean County Clerk
  15. Ocean VicinageNew Jersey Courts
  16. Request for Criminal History Record Information for Noncriminal Justice Purposes (NJSP)New Jersey State Police (njportal.com)
  17. Genealogical CollectionsNJ State Archives
  18. Contact | Office of the Ocean County ClerkOffice of the Ocean County Clerk
  19. Freeholder to Commissioner HistoryCounty of Ocean
  20. OPRA Law InformationCounty of Ocean
  21. County Election OfficialsNJ Division of Elections
  22. County Boards of Taxation contactsNJ Division of Taxation
  23. Ocean County Government home pageCounty of Ocean
  24. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau