Union County Criminal Arrest Records

Union County arrest records are managed by the Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Criminal Identification, and the courts in Elizabeth. The county has more than 575,000 residents and sits in the northeast part of New Jersey. Elizabeth is the county seat and the fourth largest city in the state. The Bureau of Criminal Identification serves as the central hub for all criminal records in Union County. It holds thousands of files with fingerprints, photos, and arrest data. Public access to these records follows the Open Public Records Act.

Union County Jail Inmate Search

The Union County Sheriff's Office runs an online inmate lookup tool. The system is updated each day and is OPRA compliant. You can search for any person held at the Union County jail by name or booking number. The results show charges, booking dates, and bail status. The Classification Unit is at 15 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, NJ 07207. You can reach them at 908-558-2600.

The image below shows the Union County Sheriff's Office inmate lookup page.

The inmate search tool at inmate.ucnj.org lets you look up current bookings in Union County.

The jail holds people who have been arrested in Union County and are waiting for trial. It also holds those who are serving short sentences. If you need to find out if a person is in custody, the online tool is the fastest way to check. You can also call the facility for more details about a specific arrest or booking.

Bureau of Criminal Identification Records

The Bureau of Criminal Identification, or BCI, is the central store for all criminal records in Union County. The office is at 2 Broad St, Elizabeth, NJ 07201. The phone number is 908-558-2630. This unit keeps thousands of files that hold fingerprints, photos, and details on every arrest processed in the county.

The BCI collects DNA samples as part of the CODIS program. CODIS is a federal database that links DNA from crime scenes to known offenders. The Union County BCI also runs Live Scan, which sends digital fingerprints to the NJ State Police and the FBI in real time. This means new arrest records are logged at the state and federal levels right away.

The bureau also issues EPIC cards for people with special needs. These cards hold key medical and contact data that first responders can use during an emergency. While this is not tied to arrest records, it shows the range of work the BCI does in Union County. For arrest record searches, the BCI is the best place to start if you need a full criminal history from Union County.

Union County OPRA Record Requests

Union County handles OPRA requests through the Office of Clerk of Board on the 6th floor of Elizabethtown Plaza. The phone number is (908) 527-4140, and you can email requests to opra@ucnj.org. Under the Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1, any person can ask for government records without giving a reason.

Fees for copies in Union County are low. The first 10 pages are free. After that, each page costs $0.05. Archived records that must be pulled from storage cost $2 per box. The law requires a response within seven business days. If the office needs more time, it must send you a notice with the reason for the delay.

Not all records are open. Under N.J.S.A. 2C:52-1, a person can ask the court to expunge certain arrest records. Once expunged, the record is sealed and will not come up in a public search. Juvenile records, grand jury materials, and active investigatory files are also closed to the public in Union County. All standard arrest records that have not been sealed or expunged remain open.

Union County Prosecutor Criminal Cases

Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel leads the office at 32 Rahway Ave in Elizabeth. The phone number is 908-527-4500. The Prosecutor reviews all felony arrests in Union County and decides which cases go to a grand jury. The office holds case files, arrest reports, and evidence for every case it handles.

The Prosecutor's Office runs two notable programs in Union County:

• ARRIVE Together pairs police with mental health workers on crisis calls
• Operation Helping Hand connects people with addiction treatment after arrest

These programs can change how an arrest is handled and what shows up in the record. For example, a person who enters treatment through Operation Helping Hand may have a different case outcome than someone who goes through the normal court process. If you are searching Union County arrest records and see a case with an unusual outcome, one of these programs may be the reason.

OPRA requests for Prosecutor case files should go to the office at 32 Rahway Ave. The Prosecutor will not release records tied to open cases, grand jury work, or sealed files. All other arrest records from the Union County Prosecutor are open to the public under state law.

Search Union County Criminal Cases

You can search Union County criminal cases through the PROMIS/Gavel system run by the New Jersey Courts. The tool lets you look up cases by name, indictment number, or complaint number. Results show the charges, court dates, and how the case ended. The system is free and updates each day. For municipal court cases, use NJMCDirect, which covers traffic and minor offense records from each town in Union County.

Criminal Judgments for Union County are also online for cases since June 2017. These show the final result of a case, such as a conviction, acquittal, or dismissal. Copy fees are $0.05 per page for letter size and $0.07 for legal. A certified copy costs $15. Court staff can help with older records that are not yet in the digital system.

Cities in Union County

Union County has 21 municipalities. All felony cases are handled at the county level in Elizabeth. Each town runs its own municipal court for minor charges and local arrest cases.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Union County. If you are not sure where an arrest took place, check the town name. Each county has its own court system and records offices.