New Jersey Open Records

New Jersey laws and court cases

New Jersey Open Public Records Act

OPRA (external link)

New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act

State Statutes from the NJ Legislature's webpage

The Government Records Council is the administrative body in New Jersey that enforces the Open Public Records Act.

Open Government Guide to New Jersey

Projects and Happenings

What's happening on New Jersey's open government front? See update at NJ Local Briefs (Last updated 11/08/07)

The Open Public Meetings Act is enforced in the New Jersey Superior Court. See Lawnside Lawsuit for an activist's pro se lawsuit against a Borough government in Camden County, New Jersey.

A "model Sunshine Ordinance" for New Jersey municipalities that are chartered under a form of government (i.e. the "Faulkner Act") that permits citizens to initiate ordinances by petition and have them passed by the voters by ballot referendum.

One of the main reasons why New Jersey local governments so frequently disobey the Open Public Meetings Act is because the county prosecutors refuse to enforce it. See Monmouth Prosecutor's brush-off. Also see, Burlington Prosecutor's response.

Sunshine Troublemaker of the Week

New Jersey resident (and active WikiFOIAN!) John Paff received the coveted STOTW award the week of September 26, 2007. Read all about it, and see what other states have citizens that have earned the award, here.

Sunshine Activist

New Jersey citizen John Paff has been interviewed for his work with open records. Read the interview, and those from other Sunshine Activists, here.

Police Disciplinary Records

Learn more about obtaining police disciplinary records in New Jersey

Public Meeting Minutes

Do public meeting minutes of municipal governing bodies need to be "approved" before they are publicly released?

For more information

Open Government Guide to New Jersey's open records legislation by The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Letter Generator

Generate an open records request that conforms to New Jersey's requirements

(The letter the above link will generate may get you the requested record. Users should note, however, that the Government Records Council has issued an advisory ruling that record custodians may insist upon having the requestor complete the agency's official records request form. For a copy of this advisory opinion, click here. Many state agencies will reliably respond to an on-line form available here.)

New Jersey contacts (where to send your request)

This list contains contact information for New Jersey School Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents and Business Officers.

State Salary Database

the Asbury Park Press has assembled the following listing from a variety of sources, and it is current through 2006: New Jersey Public Employees 2006. The Courier Post Online also offers a datebase of public records, including the public payroll through 2007.

To see what other states have salary databases, click here.

Blogs, websites and resources that use open records

(add yours!)

The Barnegat Press

The County Watchers (Union County)

Hoboken's Activist Community

Long Hill Observer

New Jersey Foundation for Open Government

NJ Justice Oversight

VoteRoxbury (Roxbury Township--Morris County Board of Education)

Union County Watchdog

Press

Head to Sunshine Review for the most recent open record updates in New Jersey.

2008

October 27, 2008: N.J. GOP's requests for public records criticized by Senate Dems

October 20, 2008: County clerk defends $24.5G in trips

October 17, 2008: Documents reveal how Dems controlled $128 million fund

October 16, 2008: Brightbill: Town could release résumés and financial disclosure forms

October 15, 2008: Editorial: How to waste taxpayers' money

October 9, 2008: High Bridge Ed Board To Obey State's Rules

October 2, 2008: Dispute over documents in county sheriff race

October 1, 2008: GOP lawmakers unhappy with turnpike records delay

September 28, 2008: Stealth spending on RU shows the public wasn't in the game plan

September 24, 2008: Municipalities wrestle with open records, e-mail use

September 21, 2008: Trenton quietly sent $2.25 million to Rutgers University sports

August 25, 2008: Open records advocate wants more on police

August 24, 2008: Bloomingdale open-records dispute reaches impasse

August 22, 2008: Beth Mason settles with City over cell phone lawsuit

August 20, 2008: School chief's salary private

August 13, 2008: Judge reserves decision on Keyport access suit

August 9, 2008: Housing activists get sympathetic hearing

August 8, 2008: County reaches settlement in open public records case

August 4, 2008: Make e-mails accessible through OPRA

August 3, 2008: Dover not handling severance saga well

July 29, 2008: Wildwood commissioner to make recordings of meetings available to the public

July 25, 2008: Ex-Dover administrator got $25K after dismissal

July 24, 2008: In Dover, a healthy sum for unused days

July 22, 2008: N.J. Supreme Court declines to extend deadline to sue for public documents

July 17, 2008: AG's office subpoenas records in Downe

July 15, 2008: Mason wins hospital records access suit

July 9, 2008: Suit leads to cheaper copies in Cape Clerk's Office

July 2, 2008: Longport says non-N.J. resident not entitled to public records

June 23, 2008: Camden creating searchable database for its records

June 20, 2008: DEP and records requests / A better solution

June 19, 2008: Hearings will continue on the release of disciplinary files

June 19, 2008: Court ruling is a first

June 17, 2008: Public document copy plan postponed, would hike rates

June 15, 2008: A step back on open records

June 15, 2008: State may hike cost of DEP records

June 13, 2008: Lawsuit resolution expected

June 13, 2008: Records case is based on the common law

June 11, 2008: Camden school budget is under wraps

June 6, 2008: State records council rules e-mails are public records

June 6, 2008: Clayton man sues Glouco over public record access

June 5, 2008: County sued over records

June 3, 2008: Internet Posting of Court Records Considered

June 3, 2008: Should you see Corzine e-mails?

June 3, 2008: State League of Municipalities faces public records challenge

June 1, 2008: Corzine stalling on details of Katz e-mails

May 30, 2008: Corzine, Katz lose bid to keep e-mails secret

May 29, 2008: Open-records activists get their day in court

May 29, 2008: Access to court records debated before justices

May 28, 2008: Open-records monitor is not so open

May 27, 2008: OPRA watchdog, snarled in red tape, needs watchdog itself

May 8, 2008: Settlement is going public

May 8, 2008: Lawnside clerk: Ordinance is in violation of state law

April 29, 2008: Court sides with state in open records case

April 28, 2008: NJ court upholds $1,900 fee for public records

April 26, 2008: Carbone: Dark side to the Sunshine Law

April 23, 2008: Open-records activist targets Washington

April 9, 2008: Atlantic City's redactions may draw legal action

April 1, 2008: N.J. courts send data on lawyers to Web Site operator

April 1, 2008: Court rules for both sides in cell phone case

March 31, 2008: Appellate Court Hands Mason A Victory

March 31, 2008: Toms River must pay lawyer fees for withholding letter, panel rules

March 18, 2008: Lawmakers to push for improved public access to government

March 13, 2008: Don't hit that delete button

March 13, 2008: Web site: Courts withhold public data

March 12, 2008: Web site claims NJ courts withholding public information

March 11, 2008: Legislators push Corzine to probe McGreevey's e-mail purge

March 10, 2008: McGreevey era e-mails routinely destroyed

March 10, 2008: Open records law / Comply - or pay

March 4, 2008: Records council questions Fredon

February 26, 2008: Councilwoman’s Strategy for Open Government: Sue and Sue Again

February 21, 2008: Top Jersey court to decide how open public records are

February 20, 2008: Justices to hear suit on access to Hoboken records

February 12, 2008: Toll highway records must be open to public

February 10, 2008: Mason loses court case to get city records

January 25, 2008: E-mail use creates problems for public officials

January 25, 2008: Judge's ruling expected in sex harassment case

January 23, 2008: In search of local information and then banished to OPRA

January 16, 2008: Amended suit seeks to compel Atlantic City to turn over tax-appeal records

January 15, 2008: County right to put reports about restaurants online

January 4, 2008: Settlement hearings set in public-records-fees suit

January 4, 2008: Man sues W. Milford for cop's records

January 3, 2008: Hearings set for Somerset, Union counties OPRA class-action suits

January 3, 2008: Council closed session practices questioned

January 2, 2008: Chairman of NJ open records council stepping down

2007

December 29, 2007: Lawsuit may stop Vineland master plan - Alleges violations of open-meeting law

December 27, 2007: N.J.'s public-records law / Raise hell

December 26, 2007: OPRA leader charges critic

December 23, 2007: Open Public Records Act a step forward; next move is citizens' responsibility

December 22, 2007: Evesham video suit by ACLU not resolved

December 21, 2007: Open records or harassment?

December 20, 2007; Mayor: Police must disband or rebuild

December 17, 2007 Open access advocate never avoids a fight - Editorial

December 11, 2007: Court rules that Education Department must release memo

December 9, 2007: Hardyston man fighting for 'change'

November 27, 2007: Toll road study exempt from public records law

November 27, 2007: Evesham fights e-mail request

November 15, 2007: Adler Urges Legislative Ethics Committee to Open Up Records

November 11, 2007: Open records law makes salaries difficult to check

November 11, 2007: How we spent our summer (and more) getting payroll figures

October 26, 2007: Bay Head Council to change how it announces executive sessions

October 24, 2007: Official must think before they delete

October 23, 2007: Suit Tests Validity of Public Entities' Nondisclosure Pacts in Settlements

October 23, 2007: Limecrest still looking for more info. following release of contract

October 23, 2007: Local conflict, state crisis. Budget clash points to OPRA shortcomings

October 22, 2007: Libertarian takes on towns to keep government open

October 19, 2007: Open-government complaint filed against W'boro board

October 18, 2007: Activist can claim a victory (Editorial)

October 17, 2007: Mt. Arlington plans to review disclosure rules

October 16, 2007: Suit demands details of schools' deal

October 16, 2007: Council snubbed on financial data subpoena

October 15, 2007: Closed sessions under fire

October 12, 2007: Sparta ordered to make contract public

October 11, 2007: Open government scrutinized by Libertarians

October 5, 2007: Libertarian puts Mount Arlington on notice

October 4, 2007: OPRA needs an overhaul

October 3, 2007: Somerset watchdog continues vigilance

October 1, 2007: N.J. isn't done with open-government reform (Opinion column)

September 29, 2007: Lawsuit seeks look at toll road report

September 28, 2007: Council passes ordinance to change fee schedule for pets and records

September 27, 2007: Report says OPRA allows exemption of records

September 26, 2007: Report says New Jersey public records laws are weak

September 26, 2007: New Jersey Open Records Law called 'largely illusory'

September 20, 2007: Sea Girt alters closed session policy

September 20, 2007: Come clean on e-mails (Opinion column)

September 20, 2007: Suit claims township violated OPRA rules

September 19, 2007:Town caught violating Sunshine Law

September 11, 2007: Washington Township faces lawsuit over records

September 5, 2007: Sea Girt targeted for its closed session practices

September 3, 2007: State courts slow to put documents on Internet

August 23, 2007: Democracy at your fingertips

August 22, 2007: Gloucester Twp., Cherry Hill work to preserve records

August 18, 2007: Advocate questions the minutes from board

August 9, 2007: Board of Education, after 10 years, correctly advertises meetings

August 4, 2007: Judge Orders Corzine Mail Turned Over to the Court

August 2, 2007: Open access to documents worth the price (Opinion column)

August 1, 2007: Medford settles Open Public Meetings Act lawsuit

August 1, 1007: Records returned to West Amwell

July 22, 2007: Man didn't give up fight for release of records in Chester Twp., Jefferson

July 21, 2007: Pleasantville school board pays $1,100 for not providing public records

July 19, 2007: AP Newsbreak: New request for Corzine e-mails denied

July 15, 2007: E-mail ruling to shape future state conversation (Opinion)

July 14, 2007: N.J. treasury will release some asset sale documents

July 13, 2007: Justices rule out request for notes

July 12, 2007: Facing a Lawsuit, Corzine Swears Off E-mail

July 10, 2007: Suit accuses Medford of meetings violations

July 7, 2007: Officials still debating legislative exemption

July 6, 2007: Political operatives mine records to use in campaign

July 5, 2007: Central Jersey 'gadflies' call open records a vital tool

July 5, 2007: Law gives watchdogs expanded access

July 4, 2007: DEP faces bulk of records requests

June 22, 2007: County prosecutor will not act on Open Public Meetings Act complaints

June 18, 2007: Newspaper Wins Open-Records Fight

June 16, 2007: South Bound Brook official facing new OPRA complaint

June 15, 2007: Glassboro officials promise sunshine on gov't

June 14, 2007: Open Government Advocate to Speak

June 13, 2007: Critics have little recourse after freeholders' hire

June 9, 2007: Governor's e-mails to ex-girlfriend raise larger access issue

May 31, 2007: Records council slaps South Bound Brook clerk with $1K fine This marks the first time that the Government Records Council has fined anyone for non-compliance to a public records request. Here's hoping that it spurs NJ government staff to stop ignoring such requests!

May 2007: Man takes suit on open records to top N.J. court

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