Ocean County Property Records
Ocean County property records are on file at the County Clerk office in Toms River, New Jersey. You can search deeds, mortgages, tax liens, and other land documents through the county's online portal or by visiting in person. The clerk has online records going back to 1977. Ocean County also has branch offices in Lakewood and Manahawkin for added convenience. This guide explains how to find and use property records in Ocean County.
Ocean County Quick Facts
Ocean County Clerk Property Records Office
John Catalano serves as the Acting Ocean County Clerk. The main office is at 118 Washington Street in Toms River. This is where all property records for the county are filed and indexed. The clerk records deeds, mortgages, tax liens, lis pendens, and UCC filings for every municipality in Ocean County.
Ocean County is the second largest county in New Jersey by land area. It stretches along the coast from Point Pleasant south to Little Egg Harbor. Inland towns like Lakewood, Jackson, and Manchester are also part of the county. With rapid growth over the past few decades, the clerk office processes a high volume of property records each year.
The county runs two branch offices to make access easier. The northern branch is at 631 Main Street in Lakewood. The southern branch is at 191 Route 9 in Manahawkin. These branches can help with many clerk services, though the main office in Toms River holds the full collection of property records.
The image below shows the Ocean County Clerk website where you can find office locations and hours.
Check the site for the latest hours at all three Ocean County clerk locations.
| Main Office |
Ocean County Clerk 118 Washington Street Toms River, NJ 08753 Phone: (732) 929-2016 |
|---|---|
| Acting Clerk | John Catalano |
| Website | oceancountyclerk.com |
How to Search Ocean County Property Records Online
Ocean County has an online land records search tool. It covers deeds and mortgages from 1977 to the present. It also includes tax liens, lis pendens, and UCC filings. The search is free to use.
Go to the Ocean County land records search to start. You can look up records by name, document type, recording date, or book and page. Results show the parties on the document, the type, and the recording date. Many results include a link to view the full document image.
The screenshot below shows the Ocean County land records search application.
This is the main tool for looking up property records in Ocean County from home.
When searching by name, use the last name first. Common names may return many results. Add a first name or date range to narrow the list. For deed searches, you can look up either the grantor or grantee. Mortgage searches work the same way. If you know the book and page number, that is the fastest way to pull up a specific Ocean County property record.
For records before 1977, visit the main office in Toms River. Older deed books and index volumes are on site. Staff can help you search through these older Ocean County property records. Title companies and attorneys who need deep historical searches often visit in person for this reason.
Ocean County Tax Records
Property tax records in Ocean County are maintained at two levels. The county clerk records tax liens. Municipal tax offices handle assessments, billing, and payments. Both types of records are public.
The Ocean County Tax Board has its own website at tax.co.ocean.nj.us. This site provides tax assessment data for properties across the county. You can search by municipality and property address. Results show assessed values, tax amounts, and owner names.
The screenshot below shows the Ocean County Tax Board site used for looking up property tax records.
Use this tool to check what any property in Ocean County is assessed at and how much it pays in taxes each year.
Each town in Ocean County also has its own tax assessor and collector. The assessor sets the value. The collector sends bills. Under N.J.S.A. 54:4-1, all real property in New Jersey must be assessed at its true value. You can also use the state tax records portal to look up Ocean County properties. The state site pulls data from local rolls and lets you compare values across towns.
Note: Tax liens show up in both the county clerk land records and the municipal tax office, so you may want to search both for a complete picture of a property in Ocean County.
Ocean County Property Records Fees
Recording fees in Ocean County follow the state schedule. These fees are set by N.J.S.A. 46:26A-1 and apply to all counties in New Jersey.
Standard fees for filing property records in Ocean County:
- Deed: $40 first page, $10 each added page
- Mortgage: $30 first page, $10 each added page
- Certified copy: $10
- Self-service copies: $0.05 per page
Realty transfer fees are paid to the municipality at closing, not to the county clerk. These fees are based on the sale price. The seller pays the transfer fee in most New Jersey sales. Title companies and closing attorneys factor all of these costs into the settlement for Ocean County transactions. If you just need to look up a record, the online search tool is free. You only pay if you need copies.
Types of Property Records in Ocean County
The Ocean County Clerk records many kinds of land documents. Each type serves a distinct legal purpose. Knowing what each one does can help you find the right record.
Deeds transfer land from one owner to another. This is the basic property record. Every sale in Ocean County produces a deed that gets recorded with the clerk. The deed shows who sold, who bought, the price, and the legal description of the land. Warranty deeds and bargain and sale deeds are the most common types in the county.
Mortgages give a lender a claim on the property as security for a loan. When you borrow to buy a house in Ocean County, the lender files a mortgage. It stays on record until the loan is paid off. Then the lender files a discharge. Both show up in the clerk's index.
Tax liens are filed when a property owner fails to pay taxes. The municipality can sell the lien at a tax sale. The buyer of the lien gets a certificate, and the lien is recorded with the Ocean County Clerk. If the owner does not pay, the lien holder can eventually foreclose. Lis pendens notices flag properties involved in lawsuits. UCC filings cover interests in personal property and business assets. All of these are part of the Ocean County property records system.
Public Access to Ocean County Property Records
Property records in Ocean County are open to the public. Anyone can search them. You do not need to be the owner, a buyer, or a resident of the county. Deeds, mortgages, liens, and all other recorded documents are available for review. This is a basic feature of the land recording system in New Jersey.
The Open Public Records Act at N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 gives you the right to request any government record in New Jersey. If you cannot find what you need through the online search tool or an in-person visit, file an OPRA request. The Ocean County Clerk must respond within seven business days. Property records are almost always approved because they are public by default.
Cities in Ocean County
Ocean County has 33 municipalities. All property records are filed with the Ocean County Clerk in Toms River. Below are city pages with local property record details.
Other towns in Ocean County include Manchester, Stafford, Berkeley, Barnegat, Little Egg Harbor, Point Pleasant, and Seaside Heights. All property records for these towns are on file with the Ocean County Clerk.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Ocean County. If a property is near a county line, verify which county it belongs to before searching. Each county keeps separate property records.