Ocean County Government
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Open Public Records Act (OPRA) Information

On July 7, 2002, P.L. 2001, c. 404 also known as the Open Public Records Act (OPRA), became effective. This law enacted changes concerning public access to government records.

For further information, please visit https://www.nj.gov/grc/.

Records for the Clerk of the Board's Office

The Ocean County Clerk of the Board is the official record keeper for the Ocean County Board of Commissioners. If your request is for the Clerk of the Board, it should be sent directly to:

Ocean County Clerk of the Board
Administration Bldg., Rm. 328
101 Hooper Avenue
Toms River, N.J. 08754-2191
Phone: (732) 929-2005 • Fax: (732) 505-1918
Email: OPRA@co.ocean.nj.us
OPRA Form: https://www.co.ocean.nj.us//WebContentFiles//OpraForm.pdf

Records For County Clerk's Office

If your request is for the County Clerk’s Office, it should be sent directly to:

Ocean County Clerk’s Office
Courthouse, Room 112
118 Washington Street
Toms River, NJ 08754
Phone: (732) 929-2018 • Fax: (732) 349-4336
Website: https://www.clerk.co.ocean.nj.us/

Records for the Election Board

If your request is for the Election Board, it should be sent directly to:

Ocean County Election Board
129 Hooper Avenue
P.O. Box 2006
Toms River, New Jersey 08754-2006
Phone: (732) 929-2167 • Toll-Free: (800) 452-5254 • Fax: (732) 506-5110
Website: http://www.co.ocean.nj.us/OC/Elections/
OPRA Form: https://www.co.ocean.nj.us//WebContentFiles//eb536edd-3edb-4bcb-8ae9-9c467d1135a3.pdf

Records for the Health Department

If your request is for records of environmental concern, it should be sent directly to the Ocean County Health Department at:

Ocean County Health Department
175 Sunset Avenue
Toms River, New Jersey 08754
Phone: (732) 341-9700 • Fax: (732) 832-6495
Website: https://www.ochd.org/
Email: OPRARequest@OCHD.org
OPRA Form: https://www.ochd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/OPRA-Request-Form-1.pdf

Records for the Prosecutor's Office

If your request is for records for the Prosecutor’s Office, it should be sent directly to:

Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office
119 Hooper Avenue
P.O. Box 2191
Toms River, New Jersey 08754-2191
Phone: (732) 929-2027 • Fax: (732) 240-3338
Website: https://ocponj.gov/
OPRA Form: https://ocponj.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OPRA-FORM.pdf

Records for the Sheriff's Office

If your request is for records for the Sheriff's Office, it should be sent directly to:

Ocean County Sheriff's Office
Ocean County Justice Complex
P.0. Box 2191
120 Hooper Ave.
Toms River, NJ 08754-2191
Phone: (732) 929-2044 • Fax: (732) 349-1909
Website: https://www.sheriff.co.ocean.nj.us
Email: OCSheriffOpraRequests@co.ocean.nj.us
OPRA Form: https://oceancounty.seamlessdocs.com/f/oprarequest

Records for the Surrogate's Office

If your request is for the Surrogate’s Office, it should be sent directly to:

Ocean County Surrogate’s Office
Courthouse, West Wing
118 Washington Street
P.O. Box 2191
Toms River, New Jersey 08754
Phone: (732) 929-2011 • Fax: (732) 506-5087
Website: http://co.ocean.nj.us/OC/surrogate/

Records for the Board of Taxation

If your request is for the Board of Taxation, it should be sent directly to:

Ocean County Board of Taxation
Ocean County Court House, Room #215
118 Washington Street, P.O. Box 2191
Toms River, New Jersey 08754-2191
Phone: (732) 929-2008
Website: https://tax.co.ocean.nj.us/
Email: TaxAdministrator@co.ocean.nj.us
OPRA Form: https://www.co.ocean.nj.us//WebContentFiles//OpraForm-TB.pdf

Records for Other Agencies

For records for the Ocean County Courts, please visit:
https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/superior/copies-court-records

For records for the Ocean County Superintendent of Schools, please visit:
https://nj.gov/education/opra/

For records for the Ocean County College, please visit:
https://www.ocean.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/OPRARequestForm11-10.pdf

For records for the State of New Jersey, please visit:
https://www.nj.gov/opra/

For records for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, please visit:
https://www.state.nj.us/dep/opra/oprainfo.html


FAQs regarding OPRA

Government Records | Exceptions to Disclosure | Fees for Copying Records | Appealing Denial of Access

Obtaining Government Records

What items are considered Government Records?
Where can I go to inspect or obtain copies of Government Records?
Do government records include electronic mail (e-mail)?
What procedure should be followed to obtain government records? Is there a form that must be completed in order to obtain government records?
Can I request copies of government records on CD-ROM or diskette?
How soon must the custodian of records grant me access to government records?
Must the custodian of records give me all the records that I request?
Does the custodian of records have the right to redact or delete certain information from government records that I request?
What is the definition of a salary/payroll record?
Is there a provision in the law that gives a public entity immunity for releasing information that should have been redacted?
If a requester files an OPRA request for a government for which a set fee is required, which prevails, the set fee or the copy fee?
Does a victim have access to his or her records?
What happens when no one is in the office during lunchtime?


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Exceptions to Disclosure

Are there any exceptions under the Open Public Records Act?
Why are exceptions necessary?
What are the "ACD" or "deliberative material" exceptions to the Open Public Records Act? Why are these exceptions necessary?
Are government records protected from disclosure by statute, resolution, Executive Order of the Governor, court ruling or Federal law?
Are the telephone numbers of pet owners that are maintained in a database considered public records?
What are the limited exceptions to the release of records by the medical examiner?
Will an anonymous request for criminal investigative records be honored?
When will criminal investigative records become available to the public?
What if a requester refuses to sign a certification declaring that he/she has not been convicted of an indictable offense? Will the requester then be denied access to personal information?
Under the personnel exception to OPRA, if the reason for separation is related to a grievance filed with the union, should this information be disclosed?
Are the telephone numbers of pet owners, which are maintained in a database, considered public records?
Are records involving juveniles; cases of domestic violence or other criminal investigative records considered exceptions under OPRA? What about Medical Examiner information, such as photos of autopsies?
Are state and local government agencies exempt under OPRA from disclosing procurement records concerning computer and building security measures?
Is information concerning surveillance equipment and investigatory services available to the public?


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Fees for Copying Records

Is there a fee for copying government records? If so what is that cost?
If there is an existing law or regulation governing the fee assessed for duplication of a government record by an agency, do the fees imposed under OPRA supersede the law or regulation?
Are there any fees or special service charges that can be imposed for items requested?
What if a person is indigent and cannot afford the fee?
May the custodian of records impose a special service charge to cover the cost of labor where complying with the request for documents involves use of technology?


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Appealing Denial of Access

What if my request for government records is denied or if information redacted or deleted is essential to my research? Do I have any recourse to require that this information be provided?
Do I have to be told why a request for access is denied and must I be notified of my right to appeal my denial of government records?
Whose responsibility is it to inform me of my right to appeal?
How do I file an appeal with the Government Records Council or in Superior Court?


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