Maplewood, NJ
Home MenuOPRA (Open Public Records Act) Request
Information On How To File A Request And What They Are
All requests for copies of official public records must be made in accordance with the State of New Jersey's Open Public Records Act (N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.).
A request for access to a government record must be in writing and hand-delivered, mailed, transmitted electronically, or otherwise conveyed to the appropriate custodian. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.g. The time frame to fulfill a request for access to government records under OPRA does not begin until the request form or equivalent written request has been delivered to the appropriate records custodian. After the day of receipt, the department records custodian has seven business days to respond. So if the request was received on Friday, day 1 would be Monday. However, if Monday was President's Day, for example, then day 1 would be Tuesday.
Sending a records request to the wrong officer or employee may result in a delay of the fulfillment of the request. In the Township of Maplewood, the Township Clerk is the official Records Custodian.
Requestors must be as specific as possible when requesting records. A valid request identifies a specific type of record, address, Block/Lot of property (properties), parties to the correspondence, dates/date range, and subject matter. Requests for information or requests that ask questions are NOT valid OPRA requests.
Only submit requests by one method. You do not need to hand-deliver, mail, email, and fax the completed form. Please be advised that records provided via e-mail and facsimile are free of charge.
To submit an OPRA request online, click here.
Records Custodian |
Example of Records |
For Those Buying/Selling A Home |
Open and Closed Permits, Liens On The Property or Taxes Owed, Zoning Violations, Certificate of Occupancy, and Property Record Card To find FEMA Flood Maps,please review the information given on this page. |
Building/Construction Records |
Open and Closed Permits, Permit Fee Log, Certificate of Oil Tank Removal *Building plans are protected from disclosure pursuant to OPRA |
Tax Assessor Records |
Property Record Card Please Note:The Essex County Clerk's Officemaintains deeds, previous owner information, and easement information. Also,the Township's tax map can be found here. |
Tax Collector's Records |
Sewer Bills, Delinquent Tax Report, Tax Liens Please Note:For owner information on a property, the department needs a specific address. |
Planning and Zoning Records |
Planning/Zoning Violations and Applications Please note, for Zoning reviews or information, you’ll need to fill out the following form and return it to the Zoning Officer. |
Health Records |
Animal control records, Food Inspection Reports, and Environmental records |
Human Resources/ Payroll Records |
Human Resource Procedures, and Salary and Payroll Reports |
Engineering Records |
Road maps, Street maps, zoning maps, roadwork, right of way permits, extending of driveways, and road openings |
Finance Records |
Information Regarding Budgets and Expenditures |
Fire Records |
Fire Inspection or Fire Damage Records |
Property Maintenance Records |
Vacant Property Registration, Certificate Of Occupancy Records, And Records Of Property Maintenance Inspection |
Police Records |
Body Worn Camera (Please note they only have to be kept 180 days), Police Reports, Accident Reports |