New Jersey Certificate of Divorce Online Application

Divorce Decree vs. Certificate of Divorce in New Jersey

A New Jersey divorce decree, formally called a Final Judgment of Divorce, is the complete court judgment that legally ends the marriage. It may also incorporate or refer to orders and agreements concerning financial matters, property, custody, parenting time, or support.

A Certificate of Divorce is a more concise document that confirms the divorce took place. It generally provides key identifying details about the case without reproducing the complete terms of the judgment.

Which document you need depends on why proof of divorce has been requested. A certificate may be appropriate when an organization only needs confirmation of marital status, while a certified Final Judgment may be required for a legal proceeding or another process that calls for the complete court order.

Who Can Request a Divorce Certificate in New Jersey?

New Jersey places restrictions on access to divorce documents because matrimonial case records can contain sensitive personal information.

A divorce document may generally be requested by:

Applicants requesting their own divorce documents may also need to provide valid identification with the records request.

If you’re not one of the former spouses or an attorney connected with the case, you should confirm your eligibility with the New Jersey Judiciary before submitting a request.

How to Get Your New Jersey Divorce Records Online

New Jersey court records can be requested by completing the Judiciary's records request process. To help the court locate the correct divorce case, provide as much identifying information as possible.

This may include:

New Jersey's government resources direct requests for divorce decrees to the Superior Court rather than the state's vital records office.

If you don’t know the docket number, providing accurate names, the county, and an approximate divorce date can help the court identify the correct file.

Processing Through the New Jersey Superior Court

New Jersey divorces are handled by the Superior Court, Family Division. Where a copy request is processed can depend on whether the case is recent, still held by the county court, or has been transferred for longer-term records storage.

The New Jersey Department of Health confirms that dissolution records are maintained by the Superior Court of New Jersey Records Center rather than by the Department of Health.

If you have an older divorce record, the Superior Court Records Center may hold the file. More recent records may still be associated with the Family Division in the county where the case was decided.

Providing the correct county and docket number, when known, can make it easier to identify the appropriate record.

Serving All New Jersey Superior Courts (Bergen, Essex, Hudson & More)

New Jersey divorce cases are handled through Superior Court locations across the state's countries. This includes cases filed in Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Union, and the rest of New Jersey.

The county where the divorce was granted is particularly important when requesting records because it helps court staff locate the original case.

If the record has already been transferred from the county to the Superior Court Records Center, your request may be processed centrally instead.

For applicants who are unsure where their divorce record is stored, the New Jersey Department of Health directs inquiries about divorce decrees to the Superior Court Records Center.