Small Claims Court Bergen County NJ: Filing in Hackensack

New Jersey runs small claims cases through the Special Civil Part of the Superior Court, and every county vicinage has its own courthouse and clerk's office. The rules, forms, and fees are identical statewide — what changes county to county is the physical address, the local ombudsman contact, and whether your hearing happens in person or via Zoom.

Which County Do You File In?

Before you think about the courthouse address, you need to pick the right county. Under Rule 6:1-3, you generally file where at least one defendant lives or does business. If no defendant resides or does business in New Jersey, file where the cause of action occurred — where the contract was breached, the property damage occurred, or the work was performed.

Filing in the wrong county doesn't kill your case outright, but the defendant can file a motion to transfer, which adds weeks of delay.

County Courthouse Locations

Here are the Special Civil Part offices for the most-searched counties:

Bergen County — Bergen County Justice Center, Special Civil Part, 10 Main Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601. Bergen is one of the busiest vicinages in the state.

Essex County — Essex County Hall of Records, 465 Dr. M. L. King, Jr. Boulevard, Newark, NJ 07102.

Hudson County — William J. Brennan Jr. Courthouse, 583 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306.

Middlesex County — Superior Court, 56 Paterson Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08903.

Monmouth County — Monmouth County Courthouse, 71 Monument Street, Freehold, NJ 07728.

Morris County — Superior Court, Washington & Court Streets, Morristown, NJ 07963.

Ocean County — Ocean County Courthouse, 100 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08753.

Passaic County — Superior Court, 77 Hamilton Street, Paterson, NJ 07505.

Union County — Superior Court, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207.

Every county office accepts filings by mail, in person, or through JEDS (the Judiciary Electronic Document Submission portal). The JEDS portal is the same statewide — your county choice is selected during the submission process.

What's the Same Everywhere

Regardless of which county you're in, the filing fee is $50 for one defendant plus $5 for each additional defendant. Court mail service costs $10 per defendant. You use the same Form A (Complaint) and Form B (Summons) from packet CN 10151. The $5,000 claim limit applies in every county.

Each vicinage has an Ombudsman Office where staff can explain procedures and help you find forms. They cannot give legal advice or tell you whether your case is strong.

In-Person vs. Virtual Hearings

Many New Jersey vicinages now offer hybrid hearing options — some trial dates are conducted over Zoom or Microsoft Teams, while others remain in person. Your trial notice will specify the format. For virtual hearings, you'll need to upload your evidence through the court's Electronic Evidence Submission portal before the hearing date.

Getting Started

The county-specific detail people get tripped up on is usually venue — filing in the right county from the start avoids a motion to transfer and the delay that comes with it. Our New Jersey Small Claims Filing Guide covers venue selection, the complete filing package, service of process, and hearing preparation for every county in the state.

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