SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.

About this guide

Essex County is a county in New Jersey with about 882,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 7 county office pages for Essex County, every one opened and checked.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, County Prosecutor, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where Essex County public records live

Each kind of Essex County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

Back to the topics

Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Essex County

A person arrested in Essex County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Essex County.

  • Website: essexdoc.com/inmate-info (page title: Inmate Info | Department of Correction)
  • Address: 354 Doremus Avenue Newark, NJ 07105
  • Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm.
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.

Back to the topics

Court records and case lookups in Essex County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Essex County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Essex County.

Back to the topics

County Clerk of Essex County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Essex County.

  • Website: essexclerk.com (page title: The Essex County Clerk's Office)
  • Phone: 973-621-4960
  • Address: 495 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Newark NJ 07102
  • Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.

Back to the topics

Deeds, land records and property values in Essex County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Essex County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: County Clerk (records)

Property values: Tax Assessor

  • Website: essexcountynjtaxboard.org (page title: New Jersey Essex County Tax Board)
  • Phone: 296 276 8519
  • Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.

Back to the topics

Birth, death and marriage records in Essex County

In New Jersey, certified birth and death certificates are ordered from the state vital records office rather than a county office. Marriage license records are kept locally; the county clerk listed above can say where in Essex County.

Back to the topics

County Prosecutor for Essex County

The County Prosecutor is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Essex County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

  • Website: njecpo.org (page title: Essex County Prosecutor's Office)
  • Address: 50 West Market Street - Newark, NJ 07102
  • Hours: Mon - Fri: 8:30AM - 4:30PM
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

Back to the topics

Public records requests to Essex County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Essex County.

  • Website: njecpo.org/resources-group/f-a-q-open-public-records-act (page title: Open Public Records Act | Essex County Prosecutor's Office)
  • Phone: (973) 621-5241
  • Address: 50 West Market Street - Newark, NJ 07102
  • Hours: Mon - Fri: 8:30AM - 4:30PM
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

Back to the topics

Statewide New Jersey sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the New Jersey state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

Back to the topics

These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Essex County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

Back to the topics

Cities and towns in Essex County

Essex County has 7 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city. SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of each linked city; the linked names open them.

Back to the topics

Essex County Arrest Records

The Essex County arrest records guide names the 29 agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 11,312 arrests the 21 agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

Back to the topics

Essex County Records Guides

SearchSystems has nine more guides to Essex County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Essex County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Essex County inmate search (the custody page of the Essex County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Essex County criminal records (the court file, the New Jersey criminal history and the local arrest records), Essex County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Essex County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the Open Public Records Act requires), Essex County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Essex County DUI (the DWI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Essex County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Essex County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

Back to the topics

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Essex County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in Essex County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Essex County at essexdoc.com/inmate-info. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Where do I look up a court case in Essex County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Essex County is at njcourts.gov/public/find-a-case. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in Essex County?

The County Clerk (records), at www1.njcountyrecording.com. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Essex County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Essex County?

From the New Jersey state vital records office at nj.gov/health/vital/order-vital, which issues certified copies for every event in the state.

How do I request a public record from Essex County?

Through the records request page at njecpo.org. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.

Population
882K
County Seat
Newark
Libraries
33
Schools
236