New Jersey Charge Code Lookup

Type a New Jersey charge code from a booking sheet, jail roster or ticket and see which law book and section it points to, with a link to the official text. It runs in your browser and nothing is stored.

Enter a code to see which law book it comes from and open the official text.

New Jersey criminal code books and abbreviations

New Jersey offenses are cited to one main law book:

  • New Jersey Statutes (N.J.S.A., NJSA). Sections are written as title:chapter-section (2C:12-1, 39:4-50), for example 2C:12-1, 2C:35-10, 39:4-50. Official code site

After an arrest in New Jersey: the first court appearance

If a defendant remains in custody and no detention motion is filed, the first appearance must occur within 48 hours of commitment to the county jail. (N.J. Ct. R. 3:4-2(a))

If the defendant remains in custody and the prosecutor has not filed a motion for pretrial detention, the first appearance shall occur within 48 hours of a defendant's commitment to the county jail, and shall be before a judge with authority to set conditions of release for the offenses charged.

New Jersey courts call this hearing the first appearance.

What this page does not do

  • It does not look up a person, a booking or a case.
  • It does not say what a charge will lead to; the prosecutor decides what is filed.
  • New Jersey does not publish a free page for every section, so some results link the official code index.
  • It collects nothing; what you type stays in your browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I read a New Jersey charge code?

Find the number and the abbreviation. N.J.S.A. is the New Jersey Statutes. A section is written as title:chapter-section (2C:12-1, 39:4-50). The lookup above links the official text.

How long can you be held in New Jersey before seeing a judge?

If a defendant remains in custody and no detention motion is filed, the first appearance must occur within 48 hours of commitment to the county jail. (N.J. Ct. R. 3:4-2(a)).

Sources

Checked against the sources above on October 20, 2026.

Know someone who could use this? Share this free tool:

Share: