New Jersey: Juvenile Court Records and Law Enforcement Records (NJ-AR-1)

Records relating to a juvenile delinquency complaint may be vacated and sealed upon petition, so long as two years have elapsed since final discharge from custody or supervision, or since the entry of any other court order not involving custody or supervision, and the person is not subject to a disqualifying event. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:4A-62(a).

Record Detail(s)

Charges adjudicated

Previous Conviction Disqualifying

No statutory language

Mandatory / Discretionary

Discretionary

Hearing

No statutory language

Clearance Process

By petition or court's own motion

Remedy

Seal

Ineligible Category or Citation

A person is ineligible for sealing under this provision if the person has been convicted of a crime, or a disorderly persons offense or adjudged delinquent, during the two years prior to the filing of the motion, or if a proceeding or complaint is pending seeking such conviction or adjudication. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:4A-62(a).

Procedure General

A petition can be filed with the court. For the specific procedure, see N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:4A-62(b)-(d) and (f).

Fees

Payment of fees is not required. N.J. Stat. § 2C:52-29.

Effect

Upon the entry of the order, the proceedings in the case will be sealed and all index references will be marked "not available" or "no record." Law enforcement officers and departments will reply, and the person can reply, to any inquiry that there is no record with respect to such person, except that records can be maintained for purposes of prior offender status, identification, and law enforcement. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:4A-62(d). Any adjudication of delinquency or conviction of a crime subsequent to sealing will nullify the sealing order. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:4A-62(e).

Forms

There is no statutory language on forms.

Waiting Periods

A petition can be filed when two years have passed since discharge from custody or supervision or since the entry of any other court order not involving custody or supervision.

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