Stafford Township (Manahawkin) Municipal Court – What To Know

Reviewed by William A. Proetta, Esq. · Updated October 2026

Stafford Township Municipal Court is at 260 East Bay Avenue, Manahawkin, NJ 08050, and all of its sessions fall on Wednesdays: the first three Wednesdays of the month are virtual on Zoom, and the fourth Wednesday is in person. Its docket includes Stafford motor vehicle summonses, drunk-driving arrests, minor criminal complaints and local code violations, and it sits on the Route 72 corridor that carries traffic to and from Long Beach Island. With 9,689 filings in the latest court year, it is the seventh-busiest municipal court in Ocean County. Anyone with a Stafford charge can phone (848) 238-2100 at any hour of any day; se habla español.

Stafford Township Criminal Defense Lawyer

Every car going to or from Long Beach Island passes through Stafford, and the township’s court sees the results: speeding and DWI stops on Route 72, retail complaints in Manahawkin’s shopping centers, and Parkway tickets near Interchange 63. Disorderly persons offenses in Stafford carry a possible six-month jail term, and a DWI conviction brings an ignition interlock requirement and, in many cases, a license suspension. Our Ocean County criminal defense practice represents people with Stafford Township charges from the first appearance onward.

Why Stafford Township Clients Call Us

• Sessions are split by who is in the room. Stafford sets separate times for people without a lawyer, people with a private attorney and people with a public defender. Having counsel changes which session you attend.
• Some adjournments are off the table. Stafford will not postpone a first appearance on a DWI, driving while suspended or uninsured driving charge, or an indictable arraignment. Those first dates have to be ready.
• A fast-growing docket. Stafford’s total filings rose about 13% in a year, and its 7,706 moving violations were the fifth-most in the county.
• Fees after payment. Drivers whose license was suspended for an unpaid ticket owe a $100 MVC restoration fee even after the court is paid.

Stafford’s Wednesday Session Pattern

Stafford follows a set monthly rhythm:

• First, second and third Wednesdays: virtual sessions on Zoom.
• Fourth Wednesday: in-person session at 260 East Bay Avenue.

Some Wednesdays have no session. Zoom start times are 9:00 a.m. for people representing themselves, 10:30 a.m. for those with a private attorney and 11:00 a.m. for public defender clients. Your notice lists your exact date and time.

What Stafford Township’s Court Numbers Mean

Stafford’s caseload grew noticeably. The NJ Judiciary’s figures for July 2025 through June 2026 list 9,689 filings, up about 13.2% from 8,556 in the prior year. Moving violations made up 7,706 of them, close to 80%. Criminal filings totaled 1,795, a count that includes indictable complaints first filed in Stafford, and DWI filings increased from 68 to 75.

The court resolved 9,261 cases, for a 96% clearance rate. Because slightly fewer cases were closed than opened, the docket grew a little over the year. By June 30, 2026, Stafford had 620 cases in backlog and 1,402 pending. Think of these as a gauge of the court’s load; they cannot tell you how your own matter will end.

Virtual Court Rules in Stafford Township

Most Stafford appearances happen on Zoom, and the township sets these requirements:

• Register individually. Each person appearing must register for the session on their own, even if family members or co-defendants are attending the same day.
• Watch the opening remarks. The township asks defendants to view the judge’s opening remarks, which explain rights and procedures, before their session.
• Send documents electronically. Papers can be submitted to the court through JEDS, the Judiciary Electronic Document Submission system.
• Ask about accommodations. Requests for accommodations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act go through the court.

What Cases Does Stafford Township Municipal Court Handle?

Everything below the indictable level that happens in Stafford, from Manahawkin to the bay, lands on this Wednesday calendar. A sample of what comes through:

Criminal and Disorderly Persons Offenses

• N.J.S.A. 2C:20-11 — shoplifting at Manahawkin’s retail centers
• N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10 — possession of controlled substances handled as disorderly persons offenses
• N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(a) — bodily-injury assault without a weapon
• N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2 — fights or public disturbances charged as disorderly conduct
• N.J.S.A. 2C:18-3 — trespass, which can come up alongside burglary investigations
• N.J.S.A. 2C:29-2(a) — resisting arrest without force

DWI and Traffic Offenses

• N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 — Manahawkin drunk-driving charges
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4a — chemical breath test refusal
• N.J.S.A. 39:3-40 — driving with a suspended license
• N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2 — an insurance lapse on a car being driven
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-98 — going over the limit on Route 72
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-88 — failure to maintain a lane or an unsafe lane change

Route 72 is the center of Stafford traffic enforcement: it runs from Garden State Parkway Interchange 63 through Manahawkin to the Manahawkin Bay Bridge, the only road onto Long Beach Island. U.S. Route 9 and County Route 539 also cross the township, and summer weekends and events such as Founders Day in June add heavy traffic.

Paying or Contesting a Stafford Township Ticket

Stafford’s window does not take plastic, which surprises some drivers:

• At the court: cash, check or money order only. No credit or debit cards.
• Online: card payments go through NJMCdirect.com.
• To plead not guilty: the township FAQ tells defendants to call the court before the scheduled date.
• Bail on a warrant: bail can be posted at the court or at any local police department, 24 hours a day.

Paying a Stafford ticket is a guilty plea that closes the case. Points, MVC surcharges and an insurance increase may follow, and if the payment comes after a suspension, the $100 restoration fee still applies. If your ticket involves points or the possibility of losing your license, have a lawyer look at it before you pay. To request a public defender, file the financial questionnaire with the court; Stafford warns that a fee of as much as $200 can be charged for that application.

Getting Ready for Your Stafford Township Court Date

• Know whether your date is a Zoom Wednesday or the in-person one. The fourth-Wednesday session is the one held in the building.
• Request postponements early. Call the court to ask for an adjournment; the township will not grant one on the court date itself.
• Reach the right line. Call 609-597-1000 and choose option 4, then 1, or email Stafford.MC@njcourts.gov.
• Do not drop off a complaint on a court day. Citizen complaints are not taken on court dates. On other weekdays, arrive by 3:30 p.m. to file one.
• Bring proof. Have your license, registration, insurance card and the ticket, plus whatever papers or pictures support your version.

When a Stafford Township Charge Leaves Municipal Court

Stafford’s judge cannot try an indictable offense, the New Jersey term for a felony. Complaints of that kind, such as burglary, drug distribution or serious assault, travel from Manahawkin to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and the ones that go forward are heard at Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River. A downgraded charge, on the other hand, can be sent back to Stafford for a municipal resolution. Defendants with a clean or limited history should ask whether diversion through Pretrial Intervention or conditional dismissal is available, since completing either one results in dismissal.

Nearby Courts

Stafford’s mainland neighbors are Barnegat up Route 9 and Eagleswood down Route 9, with Little Egg Harbor past Eagleswood. Over the causeway on Long Beach Island are Ship Bottom, Surf City, Long Beach Township and Harvey Cedars. A ticket written just after crossing the bridge is a Ship Bottom matter, not a Stafford one.

Official court page: staffordnj.gov court and violations bureau page

Stafford Township Municipal Court FAQs

Talk to a Stafford Township Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

Since Stafford refuses to move certain first appearances, it pays to get help before the date on your notice. Call (848) 238-2100 to have your Stafford Township case reviewed for free and in confidence. Our line is open 24/7, and Spanish-speaking clients are welcome. We are happy to talk by phone or over video, and we can arrange an in-person meeting if you would rather.