New Jersey has one of the most detailed expungement statutes in the country -- NJSA 2C:52-1 through 2C:52-32.1 covers non-conviction records, indictable offenses, disorderly persons offenses, ordinances, drug court graduates, marijuana decriminalization cases, and a Clean Slate pathway after 10 years. It also has one protective provision that stands out across this entire series: under NJSA 2C:52-30, revealing an expunged arrest or conviction to another person is itself a disorderly persons offense. New Jersey also runs the PROMIS/Gavel system for free public access to Superior Court criminal case records and the NJ Courts Public Access portal, which together provide meaningful public access without the fingerprint requirement that the NJSP's State Bureau of Identification uses for official full criminal history reports. This guide covers the full system.
What Makes New Jersey Arrest Records Public
New Jersey's public records framework is governed by the Open Public Records Act, known as OPRA, at NJSA 47:1A-1 and following. OPRA establishes that government records are public and available for inspection, copying, and examination. Most adult criminal records are public under this framework.
The New Jersey State Police State Bureau of Identification (SBI) serves as the central repository for criminal history record information. The SBI maintains the Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) system. Official criminal history reports from the SBI require fingerprints and are not available through a free online public search. The SBI processes requests at fingerprinting sites in New Jersey (in person) or by mail for out-of-state requests.
For public access without fingerprints, the PROMIS/Gavel Public Access system and the NJ Courts Public Access portal provide significant free online access to court case information.
Exemptions from public access include juvenile records, expunged records, active investigation materials, and certain victim information.
What a New Jersey Arrest Record Contains
An arrest record is a booking document. It reflects the facts of an arrest at the time of booking and carries no presumption of guilt.
A New Jersey criminal history record from the SBI typically includes the person's full name, date of birth, race, gender, fingerprints, and mugshot. It includes past criminal offenses and charges, outstanding warrants, arrest history, and conviction records. It covers indictable offenses (the equivalent of felonies in New Jersey's nomenclature) and disorderly persons offenses.
The public version accessible through court systems includes case-level information: charges filed, case status, dispositions, and sentencing data for indictable cases heard in Superior Court.
How to Search New Jersey Arrest Records
PROMIS/Gavel Public Access is the primary free online tool for indictable criminal case records. It tracks cases from arrest through every stage including appeals and shows case status, charges, court dates, and disposition details for cases adjudicated in Superior Court. The search allows queries by name, indictment number, or complaint number. Expunged records and juvenile cases do not appear in this system.
The NJ Courts Public Access portal provides additional court record access including the Municipal Court Case Search for traffic and local court matters at all 539 municipal courts and the Automated Case Management System for civil matters.
For official certified criminal history from the SBI, the process requires fingerprinting. New Jersey residents can be fingerprinted at authorized fingerprinting sites. The SBI is within the NJSP at P.O. Box 7068, West Trenton, NJ 08628.
County sheriff offices and local police departments maintain booking records for recent arrests. New Jersey has 21 counties and each county operates a county jail. Most county sheriff offices publish online inmate rosters or booking information. For anyone recently arrested, the county jail or local police department is where to look.
For broader multi-source searches that aggregate public record data across New Jersey's 21 counties and other jurisdictions, TruthFinder is a practical option.
VINELink at vinelink.com connects to the New Jersey DOC system and many county facilities and provides free real-time custody status and notification registration.
County Jail Records in New Jersey
New Jersey has 21 counties and each county operates a jail. County jails hold people recently arrested, those awaiting trial, and individuals serving shorter sentences.
When someone is sentenced to state prison, they enter the New Jersey Department of Corrections system. The NJDOC provides a free online inmate search accessible through the NJDOC website at nj.gov/corrections. You can search by name to locate current state inmates and get facility and status information.
Federal Arrests in New Jersey
Federal arrests in New Jersey are made by agencies including the FBI, the DEA, U.S. Marshals, the ATF, and Homeland Security Investigations. New Jersey is home to the U.S. District Court for both the District of New Jersey, with courthouses in Newark, Trenton, and Camden.
The BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc is the official free tool for locating anyone serving a federal sentence. Search by name or BOP register number. Federal court records are available through the PACER system at pacer.gov.
Federal arrests and convictions are not part of the NJSP SBI criminal history system.
Arrest Records Versus Conviction Records
An arrest record documents that law enforcement took someone into custody. A conviction record documents a court's finding of guilt. New Jersey's PROMIS/Gavel system primarily shows Superior Court indictable cases -- cases heard in that system appear regardless of outcome until expunged. Cases that did not result in conviction remain in the system until the person pursues expungement under NJSA 2C:52-5.
Charges can be dropped, cases dismissed, and juries acquit. Non-conviction arrests can be expunged at any time in New Jersey under NJSA 2C:52-5 -- there is no waiting period for these petitions.
New Jersey Expungement Under NJSA 2C:52-1 Through 2C:52-32.1
New Jersey's expungement framework is one of the most comprehensive in the country. Under NJSA 2C:52-1, expungement means the extraction, sealing, impounding, or isolation of all records on file within any court, detention or correctional facility, law enforcement or criminal justice agency. Expunged records include complaints, warrants, arrests, commitments, processing records, fingerprints, photographs, index cards, rap sheets, and judicial docket records.
For non-conviction arrests: Petitions may be filed at any time with no waiting period under NJSA 2C:52-5.
For indictable offense convictions: Standard 5-year waiting period from the date of conviction, payment of all fines and fees, satisfactory completion of probation or parole, or release from incarceration, whichever is later (NJSA 2C:52-2). In some circumstances the wait may be reduced to 4 years. A person may expunge no more than one indictable conviction in their lifetime.
For disorderly persons offenses: 5-year standard waiting period (NJSA 2C:52-3). Up to three disorderly persons convictions may be expunged, subject to the 5-year wait from the most recent conviction. Certain combinations of indictable plus disorderly persons convictions are also eligible.
For ordinances: 2-year waiting period (NJSA 2C:52-4).
Clean Slate Expungement (NJSA 2C:52-5.3): Persons with multiple convictions may petition for expungement of all records once at least 10 years have passed since the most recent conviction and all fines, probation, parole, and incarceration have been completed for at least 10 years.
Drug Court (Recovery Court) Expungement (NJSA 2C:35-14(m)): Courts may order expungement upon graduation from a Recovery Court program.
Marijuana and hashish expungements are addressed under NJSA 2C:52-5.1 (standard marijuana expungement) and NJSA 2C:52-6.1 (marijuana decriminalization expungements under the 2021 law).
Offenses that cannot be expunged include: crimes against persons involving violence or sexual assault in specified categories, crimes involving controlled dangerous substances trafficking, crimes involving public officials related to their official duties, and other specifically enumerated serious offenses.
After expungement in New Jersey, the proceeding is deemed not to have occurred and the person may answer "no" to questions about the arrest or conviction on most applications. Under NJSA 2C:52-30, it is a disorderly persons offense for any person to reveal information about an expunged record to another person. This is one of the strongest statutory protections for expunged records in the country.
Petitions are filed in the Superior Court in the county where the person resides or where the conviction occurred. Filing fees apply and vary. Petitions require a verified petition, a list of agencies to be notified, and other specified documentation.
InmateAid's guides on expungement cover New Jersey's framework in more detail. Mugshot removal from third-party sites after expungement is addressed in InmateAid's resources on that topic.
Frequently asked questions
Are New Jersey arrest records public?
Yes, under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) at NJSA 47:1A-1. Most adult criminal records are public. Free online access is available through PROMIS/Gavel (Superior Court indictable cases) and the NJ Courts Public Access portal. Official certified criminal history from the NJSP SBI requires fingerprints and fees. Expunged records, juvenile records, and active investigation materials are exempt from public access.
How do I search New Jersey arrest records?
PROMIS/Gavel Public Access is the primary free online tool for Superior Court indictable case records -- search by name, indictment number, or complaint number. The NJ Courts Public Access portal covers municipal court cases. For official certified criminal history, contact the NJSP SBI at P.O. Box 7068, West Trenton, NJ 08628 (fingerprint-based, not available online). For recent arrests, check the relevant county jail or police department. For multi-source results, TruthFinder aggregates public record data. For custody notifications, VINELink at vinelink.com is free. For NJDOC state prison inmates, search at nj.gov/corrections.
What does a New Jersey arrest record contain?
A New Jersey SBI criminal history record includes personal identifying information (name, date of birth, race, gender, fingerprints, mugshot), past criminal charges and offenses, outstanding warrants, arrest history, and conviction records. The public PROMIS/Gavel system provides case-level information including charges, status, and dispositions for Superior Court indictable cases.
Is an arrest the same as a conviction in New Jersey?
No. An arrest documents that someone was taken into custody. A conviction reflects a court's finding of guilt. Non-conviction arrests appear in court systems until expunged under NJSA 2C:52-5, which has no waiting period. Non-conviction expungement petitions may be filed at any time.
How do I find someone in a New Jersey county jail?
Check the county sheriff's or jail website where the arrest occurred. New Jersey's 21 counties each operate a county jail and most publish online booking information. VINELink at vinelink.com connects to many NJ facilities and provides free notification registration. For someone in state prison, use the NJDOC inmate search at nj.gov/corrections.
Can I search federal arrest records in New Jersey?
Federal court records are available through PACER at pacer.gov. For someone serving a federal sentence, the BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc is the free official tool. Federal arrests and convictions are not part of the NJSP SBI system.
How long does an arrest stay on record in New Jersey?
New Jersey arrest and conviction records remain in the SBI system and court records indefinitely unless expunged. Non-conviction arrests can be expunged at any time (no waiting period). Conviction waiting periods are generally 5 years for indictable and disorderly persons offenses, or 10 years for Clean Slate expungement covering multiple convictions.
Who qualifies for expungement in New Jersey?
Under NJSA 2C:52-1 through 2C:52-32.1: non-conviction arrests can be expunged at any time; indictable convictions (one per lifetime) require 5 years; disorderly persons convictions (up to three) require 5 years; ordinance violations require 2 years; Clean Slate expungement (for multiple convictions) requires 10 years. Drug court graduates may receive expungement upon graduation. Marijuana convictions have specific expanded pathways. Violent crimes, certain sex offenses, drug trafficking, and public official crimes related to official duties are ineligible.
Can employers see expunged records in New Jersey?
Generally no. After expungement, the proceeding is deemed not to have occurred and the person may legally deny it ever happened. Under NJSA 2C:52-30, revealing information about an expunged record to another person is itself a disorderly persons offense -- one of the strongest statutory protections in any state. Limited exceptions exist for certain law enforcement and criminal justice purposes.
Why does my record show an arrest but no conviction?
Non-conviction arrests appear in PROMIS/Gavel and court records until expunged under NJSA 2C:52-5. There is no waiting period for non-conviction expungement in New Jersey -- a petition may be filed immediately after the case closes without a conviction. Filing in the Superior Court in the county where the arrest occurred is the path to removal. ---
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