OPRA request tool
File a public-records request with any NJ town. Type the address — we look up who handles records there and how they take requests, then fill and send the official form for you.
Start typing an address and choose from the suggestions.
How OPRA requests work
New Jersey's Open Public Records Act (N.J.S.A. 47:1A) gives anyone the right to request government records. Every municipality designates a records custodian — usually the municipal clerk — who must respond within seven business days. Some records (budgets, bills, salary rosters, contracts) must be available immediately.
The catch is that every town takes requests differently: some use an online portal, some want the official form emailed or dropped off, and a few route everything through a county system. Sending your request the wrong way is the most common reason it stalls. This tool shows each town's actual channel, from the town's own website.
What to ask for when researching a property
- Building permits and certificates of occupancy — the property's construction history, open permits included.
- Fire incident reports — the full report behind any incident (our fire map shows what exists).
- Underground storage tank records — installation, removal, and closure paperwork.
- Code violations and complaints — what neighbors and inspectors have filed.
- Health department records — septic permits, well tests, pool permits.
Requests go faster when they include the block and lot — search by address above and this tool fills them in from the state parcel map automatically. And before you file at all, run the full property report — much of what people OPRA is already public.
Independent tool, not a government site — your request goes directly to the municipality's records custodian. Contact info compiled from each town's own website and forms; when something looks off, the town's site is the tiebreaker. No owner names, no accounts.