New Brunswick Criminal Records
New Brunswick criminal court records are processed at the municipal court on Kirkpatrick Street in the Civic Square complex. As the county seat of Middlesex County and home to Rutgers University, New Brunswick has a large and varied caseload. The court holds eight weekly sessions to handle traffic violations, disorderly persons offenses, and local ordinance cases. Searching for criminal court records in New Brunswick is possible through online state databases or by visiting the court office in person during business hours.
New Brunswick Quick Facts
New Brunswick Municipal Court
The New Brunswick Municipal Court sits at 25 Kirkpatrick Street in the downtown Civic Square area. This courthouse handles all criminal court records for non-indictable offenses in the city. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for payments, record requests, and general court business.
| Court | New Brunswick Municipal Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 25 Kirkpatrick Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901 |
| Phone | (732) 745-5089 |
| Fax | (732) 745-5180 |
| nbmc@cityofnewbrunswick.org | |
| Office Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Court Code | 1214 / MVC# M16 |
New Brunswick is easily reached by NJ Transit rail and bus. The New Brunswick train station is a short walk from the courthouse. The city is also close to major highways, making it accessible from across Middlesex County. Being the county seat means both the municipal court and the Middlesex County Superior Court are located in the same city, which can simplify the process when criminal court records in New Brunswick need to be transferred between court levels.
New Brunswick Court Sessions
New Brunswick holds eight court sessions each week. This is an unusually high number for a municipal court and reflects the city's large caseload. The Rutgers University campus brings a significant student population, and the downtown area with its bars and restaurants generates additional cases. The presence of major medical facilities also adds hospital-zone traffic violations to the criminal court records in New Brunswick.
The weekly session schedule is:
- Monday at 8:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 4:45 p.m.
- Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.
- Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.
- Thursday at 8:45 a.m.
Three judges rotate across these sessions. Chief Judge James Hoebich leads the bench. Judge Mary Casey and Judge Philip A. Borow also preside over criminal court matters in New Brunswick. Court Administrator Kimberly A. Milligan, M.C.A., oversees all scheduling and staff. The late afternoon sessions at 4:45 p.m. give working residents a chance to attend court without missing a full day of work.
Note: In 2018, the New Brunswick court processed over 3,350 disorderly persons offenses and more than 13,800 moving traffic violations, showing the high volume of criminal court records generated each year.
Search New Brunswick Criminal Court Records
You can search for criminal court records from New Brunswick using several online tools. The Municipal Court Case Search lets you find cases by ticket or complaint number. This state-run database covers all municipal courts in New Jersey, including New Brunswick. It shows case status, court dates, and basic disposition details at no cost.
The NJ Courts case finder is another tool for looking up criminal court records. It covers both municipal and superior court cases. If a criminal case from New Brunswick was sent up to Middlesex County Superior Court because the charges were indictable, you can track it through the PROMIS/Gavel Public Access system. This tool provides details on superior court criminal cases across the state.
To request copies of criminal court records from New Brunswick, you can also use the Judiciary Electronic Document Submission system. Known as JEDS, it lets you upload documents and request records tied to a municipal court case. For more formal requests, the Records Request Form can be sent by email to SCCO.Mailbox@njcourts.gov. Standard copy fees are $0.05 per letter-size page and $0.07 per legal-size page. Certified copies cost $15 per document.
New Brunswick Police Records Bureau
The New Brunswick Police Department operates a Records Bureau that is nearly paperless. The bureau uses a computer-driven records management system to store and retrieve data. This system provides accurate and efficient access to police reports, accident reports, and background checks for current and former residents of New Brunswick.
The source below shows the New Brunswick Police Records Bureau page with request procedures and fee details.
This page outlines the steps for requesting police reports that may be linked to criminal court records in New Brunswick.
The Records Bureau is at 25 Kirkpatrick Street and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. You can call (732) 745-5212 for questions. Walk-up service at the window is cash only. Copy costs are $0.05 per letter-size page and $0.07 per legal-size page. If you request copies by mail, an extra $5.00 fee may be charged for administrative costs. Checks or money orders must be made payable to "New Brunswick Police Department/Records Bureau." Credit cards are not accepted for mail requests.
When requesting a police report tied to criminal court records in New Brunswick, you need the exact spelling of the name and date of birth given to the officer, the date and time of the incident, the location, and the type of incident. Some reports are restricted under the Open Public Records Act, including juvenile reports, details of ongoing investigations, and reports for major crimes pending trial.
Note: Police reports from New Brunswick are separate from criminal court records, but they often serve as key evidence in municipal court cases.
Criminal Cases in New Brunswick
The New Brunswick Municipal Court handles disorderly persons offenses, petty disorderly persons offenses, traffic violations, and ordinance cases. The city's location as both a college town and county seat creates a unique mix of criminal court records. Bar fights from the downtown area, student-related incidents near Rutgers, and hospital-zone violations from the medical district all come through this court.
Common charges include simple assault, disorderly conduct, shoplifting, drug possession, harassment, driving while intoxicated, and driving on a suspended license. These are all non-indictable offenses. The criminal court records from these cases stay at the municipal level in New Brunswick. If someone is charged with an indictable offense such as robbery or aggravated assault, the case goes through an initial appearance at the municipal court and then transfers to the Middlesex County Superior Court at 56 Paterson Street. In 2018, there were 1,933 indictable crime complaints filed in New Brunswick that were transferred to the county court.
The court also offers diversionary programs. Pre-Trial Intervention and conditional discharge give first-time offenders a path to avoid a permanent criminal record in New Brunswick. These programs require the approval of the judge and prosecutor, and successful completion results in the dismissal of charges.
Paying Court Fines in New Brunswick
Defendants can pay fines for criminal court matters in New Brunswick through several methods. Online payments are handled through NJMCDirect.com, the state's official payment portal. You need your ticket number and license plate number to use the site. It accepts Visa and MasterCard.
In-person payments are accepted at the court office on Kirkpatrick Street during business hours. The source below shows the NJ Courts municipal court portal with information on payment tools and record request options.
The statewide portal provides links to NJMCDirect and the case search tool used for criminal court records in New Brunswick.
NJMCDirect also lets defendants enter a not-guilty plea, request a plea agreement from the prosecutor, or set up an installment payment plan. These features reduce the need for in-person visits for routine criminal court matters in New Brunswick. For more complex cases, such as disorderly persons charges, the defendant must appear before a judge before paying any fines.
Middlesex County Superior Court
New Brunswick is the county seat of Middlesex County. The Middlesex County Superior Court is at 56 Paterson Street, just a short distance from the municipal court. The Criminal Division of the Superior Court handles all indictable offenses from across the county, including cases that originate in New Brunswick. The division's caseload is split among a presiding judge and six other criminal judges.
Criminal court records at the county level include cases involving homicide, carjacking, robbery, sex crimes, serious assault, drug trafficking, and major theft offenses. To request these records, contact the Criminal Division Records Office at the county courthouse or submit a request by email to SCCO.Mailbox@njcourts.gov. Payments for copies must be made by check or money order payable to Treasurer, State of New Jersey.
The Family Courthouse at 120 New Street in New Brunswick handles family-related matters separately. The main county court phone number is (732) 645-4300 for all divisions. Having both the municipal and superior courts in New Brunswick makes it a central point for criminal court records across Middlesex County.
Note: The Middlesex County Superior Court Criminal Division carries one of the larger caseloads in New Jersey, given the county's population of nearly 850,000 residents.
Middlesex County Criminal Records
New Brunswick is in Middlesex County, and all indictable criminal cases from the city are handled by the Middlesex County Superior Court. For details on the county court system, record request procedures, copy fees, and additional resources for accessing criminal court records from across the county, visit the Middlesex County page.