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NJ Public Records Law

Open Public Records Act (OPRA)

N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.

Initial response
7 business days
Penalties
Per-day + fee shifting
Attorney fees
Discretionary
ALPR exemption
None
Burden of proof
On the agency

Response timeline

Custodian must respond within 7 business days (14 for verified commercial-purpose requests). If unable to fulfill within the deadline, must notify the requester and provide a specific date. Failure to respond is a deemed denial.

Appeal process

Administrative appeal required?
No, can go directly to court
Appeal deadline
45 days from denial
Appeals body
Government Records Council (GRC) or Superior Court
Advisory resource

The Government Records Council (GRC) can provide guidance and advisory opinions on your request.

Website
www.nj.gov/grc/
Phone
(609) 292-6830
Address
PO Box 819, Trenton, NJ 08625-0819

Enforcement

Court action
Civil action or GRC complaint in Superior Court
Filing fee
~$300
Filing deadline
No specific deadline
Attorney fee trigger
Following 2024 reforms, attorney fees are now discretionary. Prevailing requesters may recover fees when the agency acted unreasonably or in bad faith. Civil penalties for knowing and willful violations: $1,000 first offense, $2,500 second, $5,000 third (plus potential discipline), with a 10-year lookback period.

Fees

Copy fee
$0.05/page
Search fees
Not allowed
Electronic delivery
Required when requested

Letter-size copies at $0.05/page; legal-size at $0.07/page. Electronic records provided free of charge. Agencies may charge special service fees only for unusually demanding requests requiring extensive IT or clerical resources.

ALPR-specific provisions

Favorable

No ALPR-specific exemption. ALPR data is subject to standard OPRA exemptions only. No ALPR-specific exemption. A pending bill aims to restrict sharing of license plate data in reproductive health investigations. ALPR data is subject to standard OPRA exemptions.

Exemptions to watch for

These are the exemptions agencies most commonly invoke to deny surveillance records requests. Knowing them helps you anticipate and counter a denial.

  • Criminal investigatory records
  • Personal privacy (personnel and medical records)
  • Emergency security information
  • Trade secrets and proprietary competitive information
  • Attorney-client privileged communications
  • Homeland security and anti-terrorism records

Agencies in New Jersey

Newark Police Department
Newark active
Bergen County Sheriff's Office
Bergen County active

Generate a request letter

For Newark Police Department

When to use

You want to see what the cameras actually recorded — plates, vehicle descriptions, images, timestamps.

Generated letter
To: Records Access Officer From: [Your Name] Date: 2026-08-30 Subject: OPRA Request — ALPR/Flock Safety Detection Data Dear Records Access Officer: Pursuant to New Jersey's Open Public Records Act (N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.), I request access to and copies of the following records: All automated license plate reader (ALPR) detection logs, images, and associated metadata captured by any ALPR device (including but not limited to Flock Safety cameras) operated by or on behalf of Newark Police Department during the following time period: Date: [Date] Time: [Start Time] to [End Time] __IF_LOCATION__Location: __USER_LOCATION__ This includes but is not limited to: license plate numbers, vehicle make/model/color, vehicle images, detection timestamps, camera identification numbers, and any alerts generated. I request that records be provided in electronic format, which is free of charge under OPRA. If fulfilling this request will cost more than $25, please provide an estimate before proceeding. I expect a response within seven business days as required by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(i). If you deny any portion of this request, please cite the specific statutory basis for denial and provide a written explanation. Thank you for your assistance. [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email]