Access Bloomfield Township Deed Records
Bloomfield Township deed records are held at the Essex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages in Newark. Every deed filed for property in Bloomfield Township goes through this office. You can search deed records in person at the Hall of Records or online through the PRESS system. The Register holds copies of all deeds, mortgages, and liens for the township. This page shows you how to look up Bloomfield Township deed records, what resources are open to the public, and where to begin your search.
Bloomfield Township Deed Records Quick Facts
Bloomfield Township Deed Records at Essex County
The Essex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages is where all Bloomfield Township deed records are kept. The office is led by Hon. Juan M. Rivera Jr. Every deed filed since 1637 is on record here. That is close to four hundred years of land transfers across Essex County, and Bloomfield Township is part of that long history.
The Hall of Records sits at 465 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Newark. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can walk in and search deed records without an appointment. Staff at the front desk can help you find a deed by name, block and lot, or book and page. Bring a form of ID when you visit. It is free to search in person.
Essex County was formed in 1683. That means deeds for land in what is now Bloomfield Township could date back to that era. The Register keeps these records in physical books and on microfilm for the oldest filings. More recent filings are also stored in digital form. The depth of this archive makes the Essex County Register one of the most complete deed record offices in the state.
The Essex County Register and Bloomfield Records
The Essex County Register serves as the central hub for all property filings in the county, including every deed tied to Bloomfield Township. The office processes new filings each day and adds them to the public index.
Once a deed is recorded, it stays on file for good. The Register does not purge old records. This means you can trace a Bloomfield Township property all the way back to its earliest recorded deed. Title searchers, historians, and home buyers all use these records for different reasons, but the process for pulling a deed is the same for everyone.
Search Bloomfield Deed Records Online
The PRESS online system lets you search Essex County deed records from May 2001 to the present. PRESS stands for Public Records Electronic Search System. It covers all of Essex County, so every Bloomfield Township deed filed since 2001 is in there. The database holds data from over 17,741 books. You can search by name, address, or book and page.
PRESS is free to use. You can view index data such as the parties on the deed, the date it was filed, and the book and page number. For a full copy of the deed, you may need to visit the Hall of Records or contact the office by phone. The system works well for quick lookups. If you need to check who owns a lot in Bloomfield Township or when a deed was last filed, PRESS can give you that answer in minutes.
For Bloomfield Township deed records before May 2001, you must go to the Hall of Records in Newark. The older books and indexes are kept on site. Staff can guide you through the system. Plan extra time for these searches since the older records take longer to pull.
Note: PRESS covers filings from May 2001 forward, so older Bloomfield Township deeds require an in-person visit.
How Deed Records Work in Bloomfield
A deed is a legal document that transfers real property from one owner to another. In Bloomfield Township, every sale, gift, or transfer of land results in a new deed being filed. The seller signs the deed. A notary witnesses the signing. Then the buyer or their attorney takes the deed to the Essex County Register to have it recorded. Once recorded, it is a public record.
New Jersey law under N.J.S.A. 46:16-1 requires that deeds be recorded in the county where the land is located. For Bloomfield Township, that is Essex County. Recording the deed gives public notice that the buyer now owns the property. It protects the buyer from future disputes about who holds title to the land.
The state follows a race-notice rule under N.J.S.A. 46:22-1. This means that if two people claim the same property, the one who recorded their deed first in good faith wins. That is why recording a deed quickly after a sale is so important. Most Bloomfield Township deeds are bargain and sale deeds with covenants against the grantor's acts. This is the standard form used across New Jersey.
Title Searches for Bloomfield Township
A title search traces the chain of ownership for a property. For Bloomfield Township, this means reviewing the deed records at the Essex County Register. A full title search covers every deed, mortgage, lien, and judgment tied to a specific lot. The goal is to confirm the seller has clear title and the right to transfer it.
Most home buyers in Bloomfield Township work with a title company. The company reviews the deed records, flags any issues, and issues a policy. But you can search on your own. Start with the current owner name or the block and lot number. Then work backward through the index. Each deed will reference the prior filing by book and page, which lets you build the chain step by step.
Issues that come up in Bloomfield Township title searches include:
- Tax liens from unpaid property taxes
- Mortgages that were never discharged
- Court judgments against a prior owner
- Easements or shared access rights
If a problem is found, it must be resolved before the sale can close. The seller may need to pay a lien or get a mortgage discharge recorded. In some cases, a quiet title action in court is the only fix.
Bloomfield Township Deed Record Resources
The PRESS portal and the in-person records room are the two main ways to access Bloomfield Township deed records. Both pull from the same archive held by the Essex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages.
Whether you search online or visit in person, the process starts the same way. You need a name, an address, or a block and lot number. From there, you can pull the deed and review the details. The record will show the buyer, the seller, the sale price, and a legal description of the land. These details help confirm ownership and build a complete picture of the property's history in Bloomfield Township.
Historical Deed Records for Bloomfield
The New Jersey State Archives hold older Essex County records that may include deed books and indexes from the early days of the county. Essex County was formed in 1683, and deeds from that era are among the oldest in New Jersey. Researchers tracing Bloomfield Township land back to the colonial period may find useful records at the State Archives in Trenton.
The Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1, ensures your right to view deed records in New Jersey. Both the Essex County Register and the State Archives must allow public access. You can view and copy any recorded deed for Bloomfield Township at either location. Old deeds often contain details about the land that you will not find in modern filings, such as references to old roads, creek beds, or neighbors by name.
Copies of Bloomfield Township Deeds
You can get copies of deed records at the Essex County Register in Newark. Standard copies are fine for personal research. Certified copies carry a seal and are accepted by courts, banks, and government offices. To request a copy, you need the book and page number. Find that through PRESS or by searching in person.
New Jersey law under N.J.S.A. 22A:4-4 sets the fees that county registers can charge. These fees apply across the state. Have your book and page numbers ready when you visit. This saves time and helps the staff pull your deed fast. For mail requests, call the Register's office and ask about the current process for Bloomfield Township deed copies.
Note: Certified copies of Bloomfield Township deeds require the exact book and page from the filing.
Essex County Deed Records
Bloomfield Township is in Essex County, and all deed filings go through the Essex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages. The county handles property records for over 20 towns, and Bloomfield Township is one of the most populated. For more on the county recording system and related resources, visit the Essex County deed records page.