Union County Arrest and Booking Records

Union County sits in northeast New Jersey. Elizabeth is the county seat. Sheriff Peter Corvelli runs the sheriff's office at 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, NJ 07207. The county jail handles all bookings for arrests made within Union County. Several large towns fall inside the county, including Elizabeth, Plainfield, and Union Township. Booking records here come from the sheriff, local police, and the courts. The county runs one of the more detailed public inmate search tools in the state.

Union County Inmate Lookup System

Union County runs a public inmate lookup tool at inmate.ucnj.org. This tool is one of the best in the state. You can search by name, booking number, case number, or ID number. There is also a check box to include released inmates in the results. The system is updated daily.

Results from the Union County inmate search show a lot of detail. Each record lists the person's name, ID numbers, date of birth, and physical traits such as height, weight, eye color, and hair color. It shows the charges, any known aliases, and the booking photo. This makes it a strong tool for finding booking release data in Union County. Keep in mind that records for people who have been paroled or released are not updated once they leave custody. The data shown reflects what was on file at the time of their last booking in Union County.

For written requests about an inmate, send them to the Classification Unit at 15 Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth. The unit only takes written requests. Phone calls will not get you a detailed record. Put the person's full name and any ID numbers you have in your letter. This helps staff find the right file fast.

The Union County Sheriff's website has more on jail services and programs.

Use the state tools as a backup when the county site is down or when you need records from a state facility.

Union County OPRA Booking Record Requests

The Open Public Records Act gives you the right to request booking records from Union County. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 defines what counts as a public record. Booking logs, arrest reports, and inmate data fall under this law. The county OPRA portal is at ucnj.org/opra. Fill out the form there to start your request.

N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5 says the records custodian has seven business days to respond. They can grant the request, deny it, or ask for more time. If your request is too broad, the custodian may ask you to narrow it. Be clear about dates, names, and the type of record you want. This speeds up the process in Union County. If your request is denied, you can appeal to the Government Records Council. The GRC website has the full text of the act and complaint forms. You can also call the GRC hotline at 1-866-850-0511 for help with a dispute about records access in Union County or any other jurisdiction in the state.

Elizabeth Police Booking Records

The Elizabeth Police Department is at 1 Police Plaza. Call (908) 558-2000. Elizabeth is the largest city in Union County. Its police handle many arrests each year. Booking records from the Elizabeth Police are available through OPRA. You must use approved forms and send your request to the City Clerk or the Services Bureau.

Elizabeth police process arrests at their station. The person is then sent to the county jail for booking. The county jail creates the formal booking record. So for most cases, you will find the full booking data through the county system. The Elizabeth police keep their own arrest reports. These are separate from the jail booking record but often have more detail about the incident. If you need both, file requests with each office in Union County.

Union County and Plainfield Police Records

The Union County Police cover county parks and roads. Their office is at 400 N. Avenue East in Westfield. The records unit can be reached at (908) 654-9809. They provide copies of reports. The first ten pages are free. After that, regular copies cost $0.05 per page and letter-size copies cost $0.07. There is also a $2 archive fee for older records.

Plainfield has its own police force. The Plainfield Police Department is at 200 E. 4th St. Call (908) 753-3131 for general help. They also run a tip line at (908) 753-8477. Plainfield police arrest reports go through the county jail for booking. You can look up anyone booked from a Plainfield arrest through the Union County inmate search tool.

Each local police force in Union County keeps its own arrest logs. But the jail booking record is the one central file that covers all arrests across the county.

Union County Superior Court Criminal Records

The Superior Court is at 2 Broad St in Elizabeth. The Criminal Division phone is (908) 787-1650. Once a booking leads to charges, the case moves to the court. The court file has the complaint, bail decisions, and case outcome. Under N.J.S.A. 2B:1-4, the courts follow rules set by the Administrative Office of the Courts for record keeping. You can search for case data through the New Jersey Courts Union vicinage page.

Court records and booking records are not the same thing. A booking record shows who was taken into custody and when. A court record shows what happened with the charges. Many people check both. The booking record gives the arrest details. The court record gives the legal outcome. Both are public in most cases in Union County, unless the record has been expunged under N.J.S.A. 2C:52-1 through 2C:52-32.

Union County Clerk Office

County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi has an office at 2 Broad St, Room 113, Elizabeth. Call (908) 527-4787. The clerk's website lists the services this office provides. The clerk does not hold booking records directly. But the clerk handles documents that may tie to a criminal case, such as liens or name changes that result from a court order in Union County.

For booking release records, go to the sheriff or use the inmate lookup tool. The clerk is the right office for property records, election data, and notary services. If you are not sure which office has what you need, call the clerk and they can point you to the right place in Union County.

Statewide Booking and Custody Tools

New Jersey runs tools that cover all counties. The NJ DOC Inmate Finder shows people in state prison. It does not show county jail inmates. For Union County jail data, use the county tool. But if someone was moved to a state facility after their case, the DOC finder will have their record.

You can track custody status changes through VINELink. This free service sends you a call, text, or email when an inmate is moved or released. It works for Union County and all other counties in New Jersey. You can also use the NJ OPRA Portal to file records requests with many state agencies at once. This portal does not replace the Union County OPRA form but adds another way to reach state-level offices.

Cities in Union County

Union County has over 20 towns and cities. All arrests within the county are processed through the Union County jail. The following cities have their own pages with more detail on local booking records.

Nearby Counties

Union County shares borders with four other counties. An arrest near a border may be processed in the neighboring county. Check the right county based on where the arrest took place.