Union County, New Jersey public records
In Union County, deeds are recorded by the Union County Clerk - Recording Office; property values come from the Union County Board of Taxation; court files are kept by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Union Vicinage.
On this page
- Where to get each record
- Deeds and land records
- Property values, owners and tax bills
- Court records: which clerk keeps which case
- Marriage records
- Divorce records
- Birth certificates
- Death certificates
- Probate records and wills
- Business names (DBA)
- Historical records
- Good to know about Union County records
- Office addresses, phones and hours
- Records that are not online: public records requests
- Questions people ask
- Official copies vs look-alike sites
- Sources
Where to get each record
| Record | Office | Search online | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deeds and land records | Union County Clerk - Recording Office4 | Search deeds2Free search | $2.00 per page (copy of any document)3 |
| Property values and owners | Union County Board of Taxation5 | Property search5 | — |
| Court cases | Superior Court of New Jersey, Union Vicinage3 | — | Statewide Superior Court Clerk's Office fees: plain copies $0.05 letter page / $0.07 legal page; certified copy $15; seal $10; exemplified $50 plus plain copy fees; certificate of divorce $10; certified final judgment of divorce $256 |
| Marriage records | Municipal Local Registrar where the marriage took place, or the NJ Department of Health; not the County Clerk7 | — | — |
| Divorce records | Superior Court (Family Division, Union Vicinage)6 | — | — |
| Birth certificates | Municipal Local Registrar of the municipality of birth, or NJ Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics and Registry7 | — | — |
| Death certificates | Municipal Local Registrar of the municipality where the death occurred8 | — | — |
| Probate and wills | Union County Surrogate: probate of will up to 2 pages $100.00 (extra pages $5.00 each)9 | — | — |
| Business names (DBA) | Trade Name Certificate filed with the Union County Clerk by mail or appointment: $54.00 (four notarized originals)10 | — | — |
Deeds and land records
Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Union County are recorded by the Union County Clerk - Recording Office (land records).4
- Online search
- clerk.ucnj.org/UCPA/DocIndex2Free search
- Cost
- Free to search and view published images (no fee stated); certified copies ordered online by credit card2
- Years online
- Index June 1, 1977 through October 28, 2026 (as of Nov. 4, 2026); images being added for documents before January 1986; Record Room holds all land transactions from 1857 to the present2
- Copy fee
- $2.00 per page (copy of any document)3
- Certified copy fee
- $8.00 first page, $2.00 each additional page3
- How to order
- Add documents to a Request List from the online search, then order online (credit card) or print the list and mail it with a check, money order or credit card; or visit the Record Room11
- Recording fee
- Deed: $45.00 first page including tax abstract, $10.00 each additional page; mortgage $35.00 first page, $10.00 each additional page; plus $5.00 Homeless Trust Fund surcharge per document3
- Alerts
- Property Fraud Alert: free notification when a registered name is used in recordings (vendor-run, linked by the County Clerk: www.propertyfraudalert.com/NJUnion, 1-800-728-3858)4
Property values, owners and tax bills
The Union County Board of Taxation (assessments are made by each municipality's tax assessor) sets property values5.
- Property search
- taxrecords-nj.com/pub/cgi/prc6.cgi5
- Appealing a value
- Union County Board of Taxation: file online (njappealonline) or on paper; paper appeals must be physically in the office by 4 pm on April 1, with copies served on the municipal assessor and clerk. Added/omitted assessment appeals: December 1 at 4:00 PM (2026: Tuesday, December 1st, paper only)12
How property tax works in New Jersey
Court records: which clerk keeps which case
| Court | Cases | Records kept by | Case search |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Court of New Jersey, Union Vicinage | Civil, Special Civil, Criminal, Family (including divorce) and General Equity; probate matters start at the County Surrogate | Superior Court of New Jersey, Union Vicinage (state judiciary) | — |
- 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 plus plain copy fees; certificate of divorce $10; certified final judgment of divorce $256
- How to request
- Records Request Form through the Judiciary Electronic Document System (JEDS) choosing SCCO and the county, or by mail to the Superior Court Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 971, Trenton; customer service 609-421-61006
How New Jersey courts keep their files
Marriage records
Municipal Local Registrar where the marriage took place, or the NJ Department of Health; not the County Clerk7
New Jersey marriage records, statewide
Divorce records
Superior Court (Family Division, Union Vicinage); closed divorce files are archived by the Superior Court Clerk's Office in Trenton. Certificate of divorce $10; certified final judgment $25. Inventory chart lists Union divorce files through case year 2015 at the Records center.6
Birth certificates
Municipal Local Registrar of the municipality of birth, or NJ Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics and Registry7
Ordering a New Jersey birth certificate
Death certificates
Municipal Local Registrar of the municipality where the death occurred8
Ordering a New Jersey death certificate
Probate records and wills
Union County Surrogate: probate of will up to 2 pages $100.00 (extra pages $5.00 each); administration $135.00; short certificates $5.00; search fee $10.00 per estate. Original probated wills stay on file and are public records.9
Finding a will or probate case in New Jersey
Business names (DBA)
Trade Name Certificate filed with the Union County Clerk by mail or appointment: $54.00 (four notarized originals); cancellation $27.00; recorded trade names are searchable on clerk.ucnj.org10
Historical records
County Clerk Record Room holds copies of all land transactions from 1857 (the county's formation) to the present2
Good to know about Union County records
- Union County was formed in 1857 out of Essex County; its first County Clerk served 1857-187713
- In Union County the County Clerk (not a separate register) records deeds and mortgages for all 21 municipalities4
- Online land-records index starts June 1, 1977; documents before January 1986 are still being imaged2
- Recording cover sheet: from August 10, 2026, documents with an outdated cover sheet are rejected2
- Daniel's Law: protected public servants (judges, law enforcement, prosecutors) can have personal information redacted from county records after registering with the NJ Office of Information Privacy4
Office addresses, phones and hours
Union County Clerk - Recording Office (land records)
- Address
- 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207 (Elizabeth main office)4
- Union County Clerk's Office, 2 Broad Street - Room 114, Elizabeth, NJ 07207 (address given for trade-name filings)10
- Phone
- 908-527-47874
- Hours
- Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm; over-the-counter recording 8:30 am-3:30 pm; no appointment needed4
- Website
- ucnj.org/county-clerk4
Union County Clerk (passports, trade names, notaries, elections, veteran IDs)
- Address
- Elizabeth main office: 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207; Westfield satellite office: 300 North Avenue East, Westfield, NJ 070904
- Phone
- 908-527-4787 (Elizabeth); 908-654-9859 (Westfield)4
- Hours
- Elizabeth Business Office Mon-Fri 7:30 am-4:00 pm; Westfield Mon/Wed/Fri 8:00 am-4:00 pm, Tue/Thu 8:00 am-7:30 pm, Sat 9:00 am-1:00 pm; appointments required for most services4
- Website
- ucnj.org/county-clerk14
Union County Surrogate's Court
- Address
- Union County Surrogate Court, 2 Broad Street, Old Annex, Second Floor, Elizabeth, NJ 07207; also Westfield office, Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield, NJ 0709015
- Phone
- 908-527-428015
- [email protected]15
- Hours
- By appointment only15
- Website
- ucnj.org/surrogate14
Union County Board of Taxation (assessments are made by each municipality's tax assessor)
- Address
- 300 North Avenue East, Westfield, NJ 070905
- Phone
- 908-527-4775; fax 908-527-47795
- [email protected]5
- Hours
- Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:00 pm5
- Website
- ucnj.org/board-of-taxation5
Superior Court of New Jersey, Union Vicinage (state judiciary)
- Address
- Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey 0720716
- Phone
- 908-787-165016
- Hours
- Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.16
Union County Sheriff's Office
- Address
- 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, NJ 0720717
- Phone
- 908-527-445017
- Website
- ucnj.org/sheriff14
Union County Clerk Election Office (unioncountyvotes.com) and Union County Board of Elections
- Address
- 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207 (County Clerk Election Office)4
- Phone
- 908-527-49964
- Hours
- Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm; expanded hours during elections4
- Website
- unioncountyvotes.com14
Municipal Local Registrars (vital records are kept by the municipality, not the county)
Records that are not online: public records requests
- Request page
- ucnj.org/…18
- Where to send it
- Office of the Clerk of the Board, Union County Administration Building, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, 6th floor, Elizabeth, NJ 07207; 908-527-4140; [email protected]18
How to write a public records request
Questions people ask
How do I get a copy of a deed in Union County?
The Union County Clerk - Recording Office (land records) keeps deed records. To order copies: Add documents to a Request List from the online search, then order online (credit card) or print the list and mail it with a check, money order or credit card; or visit the Record Room. Plain copies: $2.00 per page (copy of any document). Certified copies: $8.00 first page, $2.00 each additional page.4113
Can I search Union County land records online for free?
Yes. Free to search and view published images (no fee stated); certified copies ordered online by credit card. The official search: clerk.ucnj.org/UCPA/DocIndex2
Where do I get a divorce decree in Union County?
Superior Court (Family Division, Union Vicinage); closed divorce files are archived by the Superior Court Clerk's Office in Trenton. Certificate of divorce $10; certified final judgment $25. Inventory chart lists Union divorce files through case year 2015 at the Records center.6
How do I look up who owns a property in Union County?
Use the property search of the Union County Board of Taxation (assessments are made by each municipality's tax assessor): taxrecords-nj.com/pub/cgi/prc6.cgi5
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 Union 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, Ocean County, Passaic County, Salem County, Somerset County, Sussex County. Every county in the state: New Jersey county list. Looking for another Union County? Union County, Ohio.
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.
- Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
- Union County Clerk's Office Public Land RecordsUnion County Clerk (clerk.ucnj.org)
- Fee Schedules - County ClerkCounty of Union, New Jersey
- County ClerkCounty of Union, New Jersey
- Union County Board of Taxation
- Copies of Court RecordsNew Jersey Courts, Superior Court Clerk's Office
- Vital Statistics FAQsNew Jersey Department of Health
- Surrogate Frequently Asked QuestionsUnion County Surrogate
- Surrogate Forms and FeesUnion County Surrogate
- Business Trade NamesCounty of Union, New Jersey (County Clerk)
- Requesting Certified Copies of DocumentsUnion County Clerk (clerk.ucnj.org)
- Appeals - Union County Board of TaxationUnion County Board of Taxation
- History of the County ClerkCounty of Union, New Jersey (County Clerk)
- County of Union, New Jersey (home)County of Union, New Jersey
- Union County SurrogateCounty of Union, New Jersey (Surrogate)
- Union VicinageNew Jersey Courts
- Union County Sheriff's OfficeCounty of Union, New Jersey (Sheriff)
- OPRA - Union County Board of County CommissionersCounty of Union, New Jersey
- County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau