Search Essex County Birth Records

Essex County is the second most populous county in New Jersey with over 800,000 residents. Its county seat, Newark, is also the largest city in the state. The county has 22 towns and cities, and each one has a local registrar who keeps birth records for that place. Whether you need a birth certificate from Newark, East Orange, Montclair, or any other Essex County town, there are clear steps to follow. This guide covers how to request birth records from local offices in Essex County and from the state, along with key details about fees, forms, and who can place a request.

Birth Records in Essex County

New Jersey runs a split vital records system. Births are first filed with the local registrar in the town where the birth happened. A copy then goes to the State Office of Vital Statistics in Trenton. You can get a certified birth certificate from either place. The local registrar may be faster for recent records. The state office holds records from 1925 to now.

The Essex County government does not issue birth certificates. The County Clerk at 465 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Room 131, Newark, NJ 07102 handles land records and elections. Phone is 973-621-4960. For birth records, go to the local town registrar or the state office. This trips up many people, so keep it in mind.

Under Title 26 of the New Jersey Statutes, birth records are not public. Only the person on the record, a parent, a legal guardian, a legal rep, or someone with a court order can get a certified copy. The law protects privacy and sets penalties for misuse.

Essex County Local Registrars

Each of the 22 towns in Essex County has its own registrar. You can find the full list on the state registrar page for Essex County. The registrar only has records for births in that town. You must know where the birth took place to ask the right office.

Some of the bigger towns with their own vital statistics offices include Newark, East Orange, and Montclair. Smaller places like Essex Fells, Glen Ridge, and Roseland also have registrars. The town size does not matter. Each one files and keeps its own records.

Here are some of the largest municipalities in Essex County:

• Newark, population about 280,000, the largest city in New Jersey
• East Orange, with roughly 70,000 residents
• Bloomfield and Irvington, both sizable townships
• Montclair, Livingston, and West Orange
• Millburn, South Orange, and Maplewood

Newark Birth Records

Newark is the county seat and the biggest city in New Jersey. About 280,000 people live here. The City Clerk handles vital records for births in Newark. You can reach them at 973-733-6760. Since Newark is so large, a big share of Essex County birth record requests come from this city.

If the birth took place in Newark, the city clerk can issue a certified copy. You will need a valid photo ID and proof of your link to the person on the record. The fee is $25 for the first copy and $2 for each extra copy of the same record ordered at the same time. Walk-in requests are often the fastest way to get a Newark birth certificate.

The image below shows the Essex County government site, a starting point for finding county services and local offices.

This site links to all 22 municipalities in the county and their contact details.

East Orange and Montclair Birth Certificates

East Orange has its own Vital Statistics Office at 143 New Street, East Orange, NJ 07017. Call East Orange at 973-266-5330 for birth records. The office keeps records of births that happened in East Orange only. About 70,000 people live in this city.

Montclair also has a dedicated Office of Vital Statistics at 205 Claremont Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042. Their phone is 973-509-4975. Montclair handles birth records, death records, marriage records, civil unions, and domestic partnerships. Both offices charge the state rate of $25 for the first certified copy.

Note: Each town only keeps records for events that happened within its borders, so make sure you know the right municipality before you request.

State Options for Essex County Residents

You do not have to use the local registrar. The state office is an option for anyone born in Essex County. The ordering page lays out four ways to request a birth certificate. Walk in at 140 E. Front Street, Trenton for same-day service. Mail Form REG-27A to P.O. Box 370, Trenton, NJ 08625. Call VitalChek at 877-622-7549. Or order online through VitalChek. Phone and online orders carry an extra fee.

Mail orders take 8 to 12 weeks. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You need a valid ID and proof of relationship for all methods. Payment by mail must be a check or money order made out to "Treasurer, State of NJ." Cash works for walk-in visits. The toll-free phone for the state office is 1-866-649-8726.

Historical Essex County Birth Records

The New Jersey State Archives holds birth records through 1924. These records sit at 225 West State Street, Level 2, Trenton. The Archives is open by appointment for research. Essex County has been settled since the colonial era, so many families trace their roots here over many generations. Genealogists use the Archives often for this kind of work.

The CDC guide for New Jersey confirms the state office has records from 1918 to the present. For anything before that, the Archives is the right source. New Jersey has kept some form of birth records since 1848, which means older Essex County births may still be on file. The state FAQ page can help if you are not sure where to look.

The state registrar tool below shows how to find each local registrar in Essex County.

Use this tool to look up the address and phone number for any of the 22 registrars in the county.

Note: Adoptees born in Essex County can check the adoptee information page for rules on getting original birth certificates.

Cities in Essex County

Nearby Counties