Choose the right New Jersey criminal-history check before you pay
A New Jersey criminal history records check can mean several different things. You might need your own fingerprint-based State Police record, an authorized name-based check for employment or volunteer work, a Superior Court criminal judgment, a municipal complaint, an incarcerated-person record, or a nationwide FBI history. These are separate systems, and using the wrong one can waste money or produce an incomplete answer.
New Jersey does not use one database for every kind of criminal record
The first step is deciding what information you actually need. New Jersey State Police criminal-history records, Superior Court files, municipal complaints, prison records and FBI records serve different purposes.
| What you need | Official source | Best method | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own New Jersey criminal history | NJ State Police SBI | Fingerprint Personal Record Request | New Jersey record only; not a nationwide FBI history. |
| Employment / volunteer name check | NJSP SBI | Form 212B when legally appropriate | Subject approval is generally required. |
| Superior Court criminal judgment | New Jersey Courts | Criminal Judgments Search | Online judgment availability has date limits. |
| Municipal complaint | New Jersey Municipal Courts | NJMCdirect / local Municipal Court | You may need complaint or ticket information. |
| Prison / correctional record | NJ Department of Corrections | Offender Search Engine | Not a full criminal-history search. |
| Sex-offender registration | NJ State Police | Sex Offender Internet Registry | Registry rules determine which offenders appear publicly. |
| Nationwide fingerprint history | FBI | Identity History Summary | Different from the NJ-only Personal Record Request. |
What the New Jersey State Bureau of Identification does
The State Bureau of Identification (SBI), within the New Jersey State Police, serves as New Jersey’s central criminal-history repository.
SBI manages systems that receive, verify, update and disseminate criminal history record information used by criminal-justice agencies and by authorized noncriminal-justice users for purposes such as employment and licensing.
Fingerprint-supported records
Arrest fingerprints and identifying data help SBI associate criminal events with the correct person.
Disposition reporting
SBI’s systems interface with New Jersey court systems so qualifying criminal dispositions can update criminal-history records.
Corrections and expungements
SBI maintains record-integrity functions and implements qualifying court-ordered expungements.
How to obtain your own New Jersey criminal-history record
If your goal is to see exactly what New Jersey State Police has associated with your identity, use a fingerprint-based Personal Record Request.
This is different from Form 212B. The Personal Record Request is specifically designed for the subject to obtain their own New Jersey criminal-history information.
Start with the NJSP Personal Record Request instructions
Choose the Personal Record Request category that fits your purpose rather than borrowing a service code from an unrelated employment, licensing or volunteer program.
Schedule with IdentoGO
IdentoGO is the fingerprint vendor used by New Jersey State Police for applicant and noncriminal fingerprint services.
Take acceptable identification
Use the identification specified during enrollment. A mismatch can require a new appointment and create additional expense.
Complete Live Scan fingerprinting
Your fingerprints are electronically submitted for a New Jersey identity-based criminal-history search.
Save the IdentoGO PCN/TCN
This tracking number is important for retrieving an eligible no-record letter and for troubleshooting your request.
How Personal Record Request results are delivered
NJSP’s current Personal Record Request portal treats a “no record” response differently from a criminal-history response.
Download the letter online
The NJSP portal says an eligible Personal Record Request no-record letter can normally be accessed after fingerprint processing using the PCN/TCN, applicant surname and date of birth.
Result is mailed
When a criminal record is found, NJSP says the criminal-history information is mailed rather than made available for download through the Personal Record Request retrieval portal.
The no-record Personal Record Request letter remains available for download for 90 days from the fingerprint date.
NJSP guidance says to allow processing time before retrieving the result and to contact the Criminal Information Unit if a response is not received within the published processing window.
Retrieve Personal Record RequestGetting your New Jersey record when you live outside the state
A former New Jersey resident can still request their own New Jersey criminal-history record. The procedure depends on whether an IdentoGO Universal Enrollment location is available near the applicant.
New Jersey’s current guidance provides two common routes:
Universal Enrollment location available
Pre-enroll with IdentoGO, choose the correct NJSP Personal Record Request service, and use a participating enrollment location.
No suitable enrollment site
Certain applicants may use a fingerprint hard-card / Card Scan process after completing the required IdentoGO pre-enrollment.
SBI Form 212B is the New Jersey name-based criminal-history check
New Jersey provides an online SBI 212B Criminal History Record Request for qualifying noncriminal-justice purposes.
The portal lists permitted requester categories including:
- government entities for official governmental purposes
- persons or non-government entities for employment
- qualifying volunteer-work checks
- other qualifying performance-of-services purposes
- licensed New Jersey private detectives acting within authorized functions
| 212B item | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Standard submission fee | $20 |
| Volunteer-work submission | $12 |
| Personal self-background check | Not permitted through 212B; use fingerprint Personal Record Request. |
| Subject approval | Required for ordinary requests except qualifying licensed private-detective submissions. |
| Approval period | The subject currently has 7 days from submission to approve. |
How the approval process works
Requester enters the subject’s information
The application collects identifying data and the permissible purpose of the request.
The subject receives an email
For requests requiring consent, the subject receives a link to validate their information and approve or decline the application.
The subject approves the check
Without the required subject approval and payment, the SBI cannot process the ordinary 212B application.
SBI processes the request
The requester receives email status updates. A qualifying criminal-record result may require additional SBI correspondence.
Form 212A serves a different New Jersey purpose
Form SBI 212A is used through a local police department or state agency for qualifying noncriminal-justice matters such as certain employment, licensing and local-ordinance purposes.
Before submitting the online form, the applicant must obtain the correct ORI — Originating Agency Identifier from the responsible police department or state agency.
The current online Form 212A charge is $20. The resulting criminal-history information goes to the responsible local licensing authority or state agency; it is not sent to the applicant as a personal RAP sheet.
NJSP Form 212A PortalUse New Jersey Courts when you need the actual criminal case
A State Police criminal-history check and a court case are not interchangeable. New Jersey Courts maintains the judicial record showing charges, judgments and other court events.
New Jersey’s court structure is also important:
Indictable criminal offenses
Superior Court handles New Jersey crimes classified by degree, including first-, second-, third- and fourth-degree offenses.
Lower-level matters
Municipal courts handle disorderly persons and petty disorderly persons offenses, along with traffic, ordinance and other matters within municipal jurisdiction.
Search New Jersey Superior Court criminal judgments online
The New Jersey Judiciary provides a public Criminal Judgments Search. The system can be used to search criminal judgments using identifying information such as defendant name, SBI number, complaint information or indictment information.
Public online criminal judgments include records such as:
- Judgments of Conviction
- Judgments of Dismissal
- Judgments of Acquittal
- qualifying electronically available judgment information
Municipal criminal cases use a different search path
New Jersey municipal courts handle matters such as disorderly persons and petty disorderly persons offenses, along with traffic and municipal violations.
The NJMCdirect Municipal Complaint system can help a defendant locate and manage a non-traffic municipal complaint when the necessary complaint information is available.
If you do not have enough case information, contact the municipal court serving the city or town where the charge was filed.
New Jersey Municipal Court HelpOlder criminal records may require the county Criminal Records Room
New Jersey maintains Criminal Division records rooms across the state’s county vicinages. These offices become particularly useful when an older judgment is outside the online Criminal Judgments Search window.
Useful information to gather before contacting a county records room includes:
- full defendant name
- aliases or former names
- date of birth when known
- SBI number when known
- indictment or accusation number
- complaint number
- arrest date
- sentencing or disposition date
How to request an official New Jersey court record
When you need documentation rather than an online search result, request the record from the Judiciary office that maintains the case.
New Jersey’s records-request form allows delivery methods such as pickup, mail, on-site inspection, fax or email where appropriate.
Judiciary rules distinguish ordinary copies from special authenticated copies such as certified, sealed or exemplified records. Fees depend on the record and authentication requested.
Use NJDOC for incarceration and sentence information
The New Jersey Department of Corrections Offender Information system is the appropriate state source when your question concerns incarceration rather than simply court history.
Depending on the offender and record, NJDOC information can include details such as:
- current correctional location
- offender identifiers
- county of commitment
- sentence history
- release-date information
- parole-eligibility information
Parole records are handled separately
For information about an individual who has been paroled, the New Jersey State Parole Board provides public-information contacts and directs users to the NJDOC Offender Search for basic offender information.
Current State Parole Board public-information email: SPB-Public-Info-Office@spb.nj.gov.
NJ Parole Offender InformationThe New Jersey Sex Offender Registry is a specialized search
NJ State Police maintains the New Jersey Sex Offender Internet Registry using registration information reviewed through the state’s Megan’s Law system.
New Jersey Sex Offender RegistryA New Jersey record check is not a nationwide FBI check
The ordinary NJSP Personal Record Request supplies New Jersey criminal-history information. It should not be described as a nationwide criminal-history search.
If you need your own nationwide FBI Identity History Summary, use the FBI’s separate fingerprint-based process.
FBI Identity History SummaryFederal court cases are also separate
A federal prosecution filed in the U.S. District Court will not appear merely because you searched the New Jersey Superior Court. Federal cases use PACER.
Search Federal Court RecordsWhat to do when your New Jersey criminal history is wrong
If your fingerprint-based New Jersey record contains inaccurate or incomplete information, contact the New Jersey State Police Criminal Information Unit and identify the entry you are disputing.
Before contacting SBI, collect:
- your SBI number when available
- arresting agency
- arrest date
- court name
- complaint or indictment number
- final judgment or disposition
- expungement order if applicable
- your IdentoGO PCN/TCN
NJSP’s Criminal Information Unit can be reached through the State Police main number at 609-882-2000. Current NJSP materials direct criminal-history questions to the appropriate Criminal Information Unit extension.
New Jersey expungement can remove a case from public view
An expungement is different from simply having a charge dismissed. New Jersey’s expungement process can seal or isolate qualifying criminal-history information maintained by courts, law-enforcement agencies and other criminal-justice entities.
New Jersey Courts provides an electronic expungement process covering several forms of relief, including regular expungement and Clean Slate relief where statutory requirements are met.
NJ Courts Expungement HelpCurrent NJSP processing timeline
As of September 2026, a settlement involving the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender and State Police requires NJSP to process qualifying expungement orders within 120 days of receipt, subject to limited situations requiring additional information. NJSP is also expected to use best efforts toward a 90-day turnaround.
New Jersey’s Public Defender reported in September 2026 that most orders had been processing within approximately 60–90 days during the monitored period.
Read the 2026 Expungement UpdateDismissed and expunged do not mean the same thing
The case ended without that conviction
New Jersey Courts explains that a dismissed case can still leave a public court record of the case.
Public access is removed
When a case is properly expunged, the Judiciary removes it from public court databases and court staff cannot disclose it as an ordinary public case.
Employment criminal-history checks have their own rules
New Jersey offers several employment-related criminal-history processes depending on the job, employer and statute.
A private employer might use an authorized 212B name check in a qualifying situation, while regulated professions, schools, health programs, childcare programs or licensing agencies may require a fingerprint-based state or state-and-FBI check using a specific service code.
If an employer or licensing agency tells you to get fingerprinted, use the form and service code provided by that specific agency.
Consumer reporting companies and employers can also be subject to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and New Jersey employment laws. A public court-record search is not automatically the same thing as a compliant employment background-screening process.
New Jersey State Police criminal-history contact information
Criminal-history questions
NJ State Police:
609-882-2000
NJSP currently directs applicant and noncriminal fingerprint questions through its Criminal Information Unit.
IdentoGO scheduling
Telephone:
1-877-503-5981
Use IdentoGO for NJSP-authorized fingerprint enrollment and appointment support.
Division Headquarters
New Jersey State PoliceP.O. Box 7068
West Trenton, NJ 08628
Name-check processing
SBI 212B application questions can be directed to the State Bureau of Identification through the contact information published in the 212B portal.
New Jersey State Police headquarters map
New Jersey State Police Division Headquarters is in West Trenton. The official NJSP mailing address is a post-office box, and NJSP’s directions place the headquarters complex on River Road.
New Jersey criminal-history search tips that prevent common mistakes
Your own RAP sheet?
Skip 212B and use the fingerprint Personal Record Request.
Checking an employee?
Verify whether your industry requires 212B, 212A or a statutory fingerprint process before paying.
Just researching a conviction?
The Judiciary’s Criminal Judgments Search may be more appropriate than ordering a background check.
Judgment before June 2017?
Contact the Criminal Division records staff in the county where the matter was disposed.
Municipal charge?
Search the municipal-court route instead of assuming every criminal matter is a Superior Court case.
Keep the fingerprint receipt
Your IdentoGO PCN/TCN is needed for result retrieval and troubleshooting.
No-record letter?
Download it promptly; the NJSP Personal Record Request portal keeps eligible letters available for 90 days.
Criminal history found?
Expect NJSP to mail the history rather than provide it through the no-record download portal.
Dismissed isn’t expunged
A dismissal can remain publicly visible until a qualifying expungement removes it from public access.
Common questions about New Jersey criminal-history record checks
1. How do I get my own New Jersey criminal record?
Use the New Jersey State Police fingerprint-based Personal Record Request process. Schedule fingerprinting through the authorized IdentoGO system and retain the PCN/TCN from your receipt.
2. Is there a public New Jersey criminal-history name search?
New Jersey does not operate an unrestricted anonymous public RAP-sheet search. SBI Form 212B provides qualifying name-based checks for permitted noncriminal-justice purposes such as employment and volunteer work, and ordinary requests require the subject’s approval. Public court judgments can also be searched through New Jersey Courts.
3. How much does SBI Form 212B cost?
The current online SBI 212B fee is $20 for ordinary qualifying submissions and $12 for volunteer-work submissions.
4. Can I use Form 212B to check my own background?
No. The 212B portal specifically states that it cannot be used for a personal background check. Use the fingerprint-based Personal Record Request instead.
5. Does the person being checked have to approve a 212B request?
Generally yes. Ordinary 212B submissions require subject approval before SBI processes them. The current portal provides seven days for the subject to approve. Licensed private-detective submissions operate under a separate authorized process.
6. Can I search New Jersey criminal convictions online through the courts?
Yes. New Jersey Courts provides a Criminal Judgments Search for qualifying judgments. Internet-accessible judgments include qualifying convictions, dismissals and acquittals finalized on or after June 30, 2017. Older judgments can require a county Criminal Division records request.
7. Does the NJSP Personal Record Request include FBI records?
The ordinary New Jersey Personal Record Request supplies New Jersey criminal-history information. A nationwide FBI Identity History Summary is a separate fingerprint-based service.
8. Where can I find someone incarcerated in New Jersey?
Use the New Jersey Department of Corrections Offender Information system for people within the state correctional system. County-jail custody and municipal detention can require a separate local search.
9. Will a dismissed New Jersey criminal case disappear from public records?
Not automatically. New Jersey Courts explains that a dismissed case can remain a public record. An expungement is a separate legal process that removes qualifying records from ordinary public access.
10. How long does NJSP take to process an expungement order?
Under the statewide settlement announced in September 2026, NJSP is required to process qualifying expungement orders within 120 days of receipt, subject to limited situations requiring additional information, with best efforts directed toward a 90-day turnaround.
Official New Jersey sources used for this guide
- New Jersey State Police — State Bureau of Identification
- NJSP — Fingerprint-Based Personal Record Request
- NJSP — SBI 212B Name Check
- SBI 212B Frequently Asked Questions
- NJSP — Form 212A
- IdentoGO — New Jersey Fingerprint Enrollment
- New Jersey Courts — Find a Case
- New Jersey Courts — Criminal Judgments Search
- New Jersey Courts — Municipal Court Self-Help
- New Jersey Courts — Criminal Practice Division
- New Jersey Courts — Expunging Your Court Record
- New Jersey Office of the Public Defender — Expungement Unit
- NJOPD — September 2026 Expungement Processing Update
- New Jersey Department of Corrections — Offender Information
- New Jersey State Parole Board — Offender Search Information
- New Jersey Sex Offender Internet Registry
- FBI — Identity History Summary Checks
- PACER — Federal Court Case Search