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Finding a will or probate case in New Jersey

Who holds it: County Surrogate in each of the 21 counties. The Surrogate is elected for 5 years, serves as Judge of the Surrogate's Court and Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part. Some matters, such as admitting a copy of a lost will, go to the Superior Court.1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. How to search and order
  2. Fees
  3. Who may order and what is restricted
  4. Older records and indexes
  5. More details
  6. Related records in New Jersey
  7. How New Jersey handles it
  8. Probate and wills in New Jersey counties with a full guide
  9. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  10. Sources

Search fee (Union)

$10.00 per estate2

Fee charged

How to search and order

Waiting period
Probate cannot be completed until the day after the 10th day after death3

Fees

Fees
Union County example: probate of will $100.00 for up to 2 pages + $5.00 each extra page; Surrogate's short certificates $5.00 each; search fee $10.00 per estate; exemplified will for other states $84.002

Who may order and what is restricted

Wills public
Probated original wills stay on file with the Surrogate and are public records3
Remote access
surrogate.simande.com Varies by county; e.g., Camden Surrogate links a 'Records Database' (surrogate.simande.com, vendor)4

Older records and indexes

Older records
NJ State Archives holds all original wills and inventories 1670–1900 (1901–1952 on microfilm) and microfilm of most County Surrogate records to 1900 (Morris not filmed)5

More details

Short certificates
$5.00 each (Union)2
Courts: court system
State judicial branch (not county government): Supreme Court, Superior Court of New Jersey (with county-based vicinages), municipal courts and the Administrative Office of the Courts; the Tax Court hears property-tax appeals. Court records are kept by the judiciary, not by the County Clerk.6
Death certificates: who holds it
Local Registrar of the municipality where the death occurred, or the NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry3
Older records: wills
Original wills and inventories 1670–1900; microfilm to 19525

How New Jersey handles it

  • County Surrogate = probate court. Each county elects a Surrogate who probates wills and also serves as deputy clerk of the Superior Court's Probate Part.1

Probate and wills in New Jersey counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Atlantic CountyAtlantic County Surrogate's Office7—Plain copy of will $3.00 per page; certified copy of will (not more than two pages) $50.00 + $5.00 each additional page; exemplified $84.00; search fee $10.00 per estate8
Bergen CountyBergen County Surrogate's Court9—Copy fees: Plain copy of will $3.00 per page; certified copy of will $50.00 (up to two pages) + $5.00 each additional page; exemplified $75.0010
Burlington CountyBurlington County Surrogate's Court12Search11Free search—
Camden CountyCamden County Surrogate Court13Search13Short certificate $5; other copies $3 per page; search fee $10 per estate; exemplified copy of probate proceedings $84; probate of will $100 (up to two pages)14
Cape May CountyCape May County Surrogate's Court15——
Cumberland CountyCumberland County Surrogate's Court16——
Essex CountyEssex County Surrogate's Court: written search request on the NJ Judiciary Surrogates' records form, $10.00 per name searched, copies $3.00 per page17——
Gloucester CountyGloucester County Surrogate Court18—certified copy of will (up to 2 pages) $50; exemplified copy of will $75; plain copy of will $3 per page19
Hudson CountyHudson County Surrogate's Court20——
Hunterdon CountyHunterdon County Surrogate's Court21——
Mercer CountyMercer County Surrogate - Surrogate's Court22—Plain copy of a two-page will $6, each additional page $3; short certificates $5 each; general administration $125; search fee $10 per estate23
Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County Surrogate24——
Monmouth CountyMonmouth County Surrogate26Search25Plain extra copy of will $3.00 per page; certified copy of will with proofs $50.00 for up to two pages, then $5.00 per page27
Morris CountyMorris County Surrogate (fees under N.J.S.A. 22A:2-30): probate of will (2 pages) including 1 certificate $100, each additional page $528——
Ocean CountyOcean County Surrogate's Court30Search29Copy of will $3.00 per page; certified extra copy of will $5.00 per page; each certificate $5.0031
Passaic CountyPassaic County Surrogate: probate of a will starts at $100.00 (two-page will with one Surrogate's certificate)32——
Salem CountySalem County Surrogate's Court33—Plain copy of will $3.00 per page; certified copy $5.00 per page plus $5.00 certificate34
Somerset CountySomerset County Surrogate36Search35—
Sussex CountySussex County Surrogate37——
Union CountyUnion County Surrogate: probate of will up to 2 pages $100.00 (extra pages $5.00 each)38——

For any other county, see the county list on the New Jersey guide.

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 New Jersey office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: probate records and wills in every state. Everything else in New Jersey: New Jersey public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 38 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. About the SurrogateUnion County Surrogate
  2. Forms and FeesUnion County Surrogate
  3. Frequently Asked QuestionsUnion County Surrogate
  4. Surrogate CourtCamden County Surrogate
  5. Genealogical CollectionsNJ State Archives
  6. A Citizen's Guide to the Open Public Records Act, Fifth EditionNJ Government Records Council (Dept. of Community Affairs)
  7. County OfficesAtlantic County Clerk
  8. Surrogate's Office: Surrogate FeesCounty of Atlantic
  9. Constitutional OfficersCounty of Bergen
  10. FeesBergen County Surrogate's Court
  11. Surrogate Records Search (disclaimer page)Burlington County, NJ
  12. SurrogateBurlington County, NJ
  13. Surrogate CourtCamden County, New Jersey
  14. Surrogate Court Forms and FeesCamden County, New Jersey
  15. Constitutional OfficesCounty of Cape May
  16. Cumberland County, NJ home pageCounty of Cumberland, NJ
  17. FAQsEssex County Surrogate's Court
  18. Surrogate CourtGloucester County, NJ
  19. Surrogate FeesGloucester County, NJ
  20. FAQHudson County Clerk
  21. Hunterdon County homeHunterdon County, NJ
  22. Mercer County Surrogate
  23. Mercer County Surrogate
  24. Office of the SurrogateCounty of Middlesex (NJ)
  25. Surrogate Index of EstatesMonmouth County, New Jersey
  26. Surrogate's CourtMonmouth County, New Jersey
  27. Surrogate Fee ScheduleMonmouth County, New Jersey
  28. Fees of Surrogate and Deputy Clerk of the Superior CourtMorris County Surrogate
  29. Office of the SurrogateOcean County Surrogate
  30. Constitutional OfficesCounty of Ocean
  31. Surrogate Service FeesOcean County Surrogate
  32. Surrogate FeesPassaic County Surrogate
  33. Departments, Authorities & CommitteesSalem County
  34. Surrogate: Fee ScheduleSalem County
  35. SurrogateSomerset County Surrogate
  36. Somerset County homeSomerset County, New Jersey
  37. Sussex County Surrogate's OfficeSussex County, New Jersey
  38. Surrogate Forms and FeesUnion County Surrogate