Westfield Town, New Jersey Public Records

Inspecting records is free under New Jersey's Open Public Records Act, electronic records are free, and letter-size copies cost 5 cents a page. The New Jersey Courts' public case search is free, and a certified New Jersey birth, death or marriage certificate costs $25 for the first copy and $2 for each additional copy, plus $6 by mail.

Ask the Westfield police department records bureau for incident and crash reports; most New Jersey towns have their own police, and areas without one are covered by the New Jersey State Police, which takes records requests by email.

Cases from Union County are heard by the New Jersey Superior Court for the county and the municipal court. The New Jersey Courts' public case search on njcourts.gov covers civil, criminal and other case databases free.

Deeds and mortgages are recorded by the Union County Clerk or Register of Deeds. Property is assessed by the municipal tax assessor, the county board of taxation keeps the tax lists, and the municipal tax collector sends the bill.

Birth, death and marriage certificates come from the local registrar in the municipality where the event happened, or from the state Office of Vital Statistics and Registry in Trenton; a certified copy is $25. Records go only to the person named, family and legal representatives.

New Jersey criminal history records from the State Bureau of Identification are released only for purposes the law allows, not as an open public name search. The New Jersey Courts' public case search shows criminal cases.

New Jersey custodians must respond as soon as possible and no later than seven business days under the Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5. No response in that time counts as a denial.