Berkeley Township (Bayville) Municipal Court – What To Know

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

Berkeley Township Municipal Court operates out of the township’s Police Building at 631 Pinewald-Keswick Road, Bayville, NJ 08721, and it sits mainly on Mondays, with morning and afternoon sessions and many hearings conducted by Zoom. Judge James J. Gluck rules on Berkeley’s traffic summonses, impaired-driving arrests, disorderly persons charges and ordinance complaints, covering Bayville, Pinewald, Holiday City, Silver Ridge and the rest of Berkeley. The township’s caseload grew sharply in the most recent court year. To talk about a Berkeley Township charge, phone (848) 238-2100, any day and at any hour; ofrecemos atención en español.

Berkeley Township Criminal Defense Lawyer

Berkeley Township runs from its Parkway interchanges to the Barnegat Bay waterfront, and its cases come from Parkway Exits 77 and 80, Route 9, Route 35 toward Island Beach State Park, and the neighborhoods in between. The consequences in this court are significant: a disorderly persons offense can mean six months in jail and $1,000 in fines at the maximum, and for drunk driving, a mandatory interlock or suspension, surcharges and possible jail on a repeat offense. Our Ocean County criminal defense practice takes Berkeley cases from the complaint through trial or resolution.

Why Berkeley Township Clients Call Us

• A calendar that changes month to month. Berkeley sits mostly on the first three Mondays of the month, with an occasional Tuesday, and splits many days into morning and afternoon sessions. We make sure you know exactly which session is yours.
• Strict adjournment rules. Berkeley wants written postponement requests at least four business days ahead, with documents attached. We handle those requests so they are filed correctly and on time.
• Traffic volume is climbing. Moving violations rose to 2,094 from 1,623 in the July 2025–June 2026 statistics, an increase of about 29%.
• A judge with a large Ocean County docket. Judge Gluck also presides in Toms River, the county’s second-busiest municipal court by filings.

A Court Inside the Police Building

Berkeley’s courtroom and Violations Bureau are in the Police Building at 631 Pinewald-Keswick Road, right next to the municipal building at 627. Mail for the court goes to P.O. Box B, Bayville, NJ 08721.

Directions from the Parkway:

• Heading north: take Exit 77, turn left at the light onto Pinewald-Keswick Road, and go about two miles; the Police Building is on the left.
• Heading south: take Exit 77, turn left onto Double Trouble Road, then right at the only light onto Pinewald-Keswick Road; after about a mile, the Police Building is the second building on the left.

The Violations Bureau keeps weekday hours of 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. but closes to the public while court is in session. Residents who want to file a citizen complaint can do so between 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on days without court, by appointment.

Berkeley’s Session Calendar

Berkeley publishes a yearly court calendar listing each court date and whether it has a morning session, an afternoon session or both. Most sessions fall on the first three Mondays of the month, with an occasional Tuesday date mixed in, and many days carry both a morning and an afternoon session. Your notice lists your exact date and session; call the court at 732-240-6661 to confirm the start time. If a trial notice gives a different date than your summons, the trial notice controls.

What Berkeley Township’s Court Numbers Mean

Berkeley’s court got noticeably busier. State court data covering the twelve months that ended in June 2026 shows the court received 3,347 filings, up about 16.9% from 2,863. Moving violations, at 2,094, made up about 63% of the total. Criminal filings came to 1,118, including 273 indictable complaints filed here before transfer, and disorderly persons complaints alone rose to 553 from 427. DWI filings ticked up to 68 from 63.

Berkeley resolved 3,139 matters, for a 94% clearance rate. Since the court closed fewer cases than came in, its open docket grew; by June 30, 2026, 631 cases were in backlog and 1,048 were pending. These counts reflect how much work the court is carrying, and they cannot tell anyone how their own case will come out.

Zoom Hearings in Berkeley Township

Berkeley conducts many sessions over Zoom, so call the court to find out whether your appearance is virtual or in person. The township posts the Zoom meeting information on its court page. Its rules for virtual court include:

• Be identifiable. Log in under your real first and last name and allow the camera and microphone.
• Find a closed, quiet room. The township asks that you appear from a private space with the door shut.
• Have a backup. If the video connection fails, call in by phone instead.
• Observers need permission. Anyone who is not a party must submit a written request to attend a virtual hearing.
• No recording. Recording any part of a hearing is prohibited.

What Cases Does Berkeley Township Municipal Court Handle?

Below the indictable level, Berkeley’s judge hears it all: motor vehicle summonses, DWI, petty disorderly and disorderly persons offenses, and township ordinance violations. Charges seen here include:

Criminal and Disorderly Persons Offenses

• N.J.S.A. 2C:20-11 — shoplifting of lower-priced merchandise
• N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10(b) and 2C:36-2 — drug-use and paraphernalia charges
• N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(a) — simple assault after a confrontation
• N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4 — harassment, often alongside a domestic dispute
• N.J.S.A. 2C:20-7 — receiving stolen property of modest value
• N.J.S.A. 2C:21-5 — passing a bad check for a smaller amount

DWI and Traffic Offenses

• N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 — Berkeley Township DWI
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4a — refusal to provide breath samples
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-97.3 — using a handheld phone while driving
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-129 — failing to stop and report after a collision
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-144 — failure to stop or yield at a stop sign
• N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2 — no insurance

Berkeley tickets are commonly written on the Garden State Parkway near Exits 77 and 80, on U.S. Route 9, on Route 35 leading to Island Beach State Park, on the short stretch of Route 37 in the township, and on local roads like Pinewald-Keswick and Double Trouble.

Paying or Contesting a Berkeley Township Ticket

For a Berkeley ticket with no mandatory appearance, payment options include online through NJMCdirect, by phone, by mail, or at the Violations Bureau. The court accepts cash, checks, money orders, Visa and MasterCard. Berkeley also provides the Judiciary’s Plea by Mail form.

A payment is a guilty plea, and it is final. Points, surcharges and insurance increases come with it. If a Berkeley ticket could bring points or a license suspension, get legal advice before you pay anything. If you need a public defender, fill out the court’s financial questionnaire and return it by mail, by fax to 732-240-0984, or in person.

Preparing for Your Berkeley Township Court Date

• Ask whether you appear on Zoom or in person. Call 732-240-6661 to confirm the format.
• Request a postponement in writing. Get it to the court no later than four business days ahead, attach proof of the reason, and fax it to 732-240-0984 unless there is a genuine emergency.
• Avoid the window during court. The Violations Bureau closes to the public during sessions, so plan payments and questions for other times.
• Prepare for a video hearing. Test your device ahead of time and keep a phone ready in case the video fails.
• Order records in writing. Recordings and other court records are requested with the Judiciary Records Request Form, sent to P.O. Box B or by fax.

If you are convicted and want to appeal, the court can give you its appeal packet; deadlines are short, so ask right away.

When a Berkeley Township Charge Leaves Municipal Court

Burglary, aggravated assault and other indictable charges from Berkeley are only filed at Pinewald-Keswick Road. The complaint moves to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and the crime is prosecuted from there in Ocean County Superior Court, which sits in Toms River. When the evidence supports only a lesser offense, the prosecutor may downgrade the complaint and return it to Berkeley Township Municipal Court. Someone charged for the first time may be a candidate for diversion; Pretrial Intervention in Superior Court and conditional dismissal in municipal court can each finish without a conviction.

Nearby Courts

Berkeley Township borders a long list of Ocean County towns. Neighbors with their own courts include Toms River, South Toms River, Manchester, Lacey Township, Ocean Township, Island Heights, Pine Beach, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park and Ocean Gate, which Berkeley surrounds. Beachwood and Barnegat Light also border the township. A stop on the wrong side of a town line puts the ticket in that town’s court.

Official court page: Berkeley Township court page (berkeleytownship.org)

Berkeley Township Municipal Court FAQs

Talk to a Berkeley Township Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

Berkeley’s four-day adjournment rule means waiting until the week of court can leave you without options. Reach us at (848) 238-2100 to schedule a free, confidential consultation. We take calls at all hours, and clients can speak with us in Spanish. Phone and video meetings are available, or we can meet you in person.