Barnegat Municipal Court – What To Know

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

Barnegat Township Municipal Court is located at 900 West Bay Avenue, Barnegat, NJ 08005, and it meets on Wednesdays, with each session held either on Zoom or in person as stated on the court notice. It handles Barnegat motor vehicle tickets, DWI cases, disorderly persons charges and township ordinance violations. Judge Benjamin H. Mabie III presides, Martin J. Buckley, Esq. prosecutes, and John J. Novak, Esq. serves as public defender. Questions about a Barnegat case can go to (848) 238-2100, which we answer 24/7, and hablamos español with anyone who prefers it.

Barnegat Criminal Defense Lawyer

Barnegat cases come from Route 9 through the town center, from the Garden State Parkway and Route 72 on the way to Long Beach Island, as well as from neighborhood disputes and store complaints closer to home. A conviction in this court for a disorderly persons offense exposes you to a jail term as long as six months, and a DWI brings driving-privilege consequences such as an ignition interlock or license suspension, plus fines and surcharges. Our Ocean County criminal defense attorneys represent people charged in Barnegat at every stage of the municipal case.

Why Barnegat Clients Call Us

• A DWI count that rivals larger towns. Barnegat logged 96 DWI filings in July 2025 through June 2026, the fifth-most in Ocean County and more than Stafford, Lacey or Manchester.
• A virtual registration form with an attorney step. Barnegat’s registration form for Zoom hearings has a separate process for attorneys. When we represent you, we handle that part so the court knows counsel is appearing.
• Known players. Martin J. Buckley, Esq. is the Barnegat prosecutor, John J. Novak, Esq. is the public defender, and Gregory J. Hock, Esq. is conflict public defender. Knowing who is across the table helps shape a realistic plan.
• Criminal complaints are a big share of the docket. Almost a third of Barnegat’s filings last year were criminal, a much higher share than in most nearby courts.

Barnegat’s Wednesday Court Calendar

Every Barnegat court session falls on a Wednesday, and your notice tells you whether to log in by Zoom or come to the building. Sessions start at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m., and some Wednesdays are held in person while others run virtually.

Court regularly sits on the second, third and fourth Wednesdays of the month. The notice mailed to you gives the precise Wednesday, the hour and whether to log in or appear; for anything else, phone 609-698-0080. Barnegat’s court office is staffed weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., so call during those hours with any question about your session.

What Barnegat’s Court Numbers Mean

Barnegat’s caseload fell sharply in the latest court year. The NJ Judiciary reports 3,429 filings for July 2025 through June 2026, down about 30.5% from 4,935 a year earlier, and nearly all of that drop came from moving violations, which fell from 3,730 to 2,229. Moving violations still made up about 65% of the docket. Criminal filings totaled 1,092, which includes indictable complaints filed here before transfer, and DWI filings held level at 96.

Barnegat resolved 3,406 matters, a 99% clearance rate, meaning it closed almost exactly as many cases as it received. When June 2026 closed, 456 Barnegat cases were in backlog and 742 were pending. These counts reflect the court’s overall workload, not the likely outcome for any individual defendant.

Appearing on Zoom in Barnegat

Barnegat holds many sessions virtually, and the township publishes a Virtual Municipal Court Registration Form that must be filled out for a Zoom hearing. Key rules for a Barnegat Zoom hearing:

• Register through the form. Use the township’s online registration form for your hearing; attorneys follow a separate request process on the same form.
• Plan for up to an hour. Expect to be in the session for as long as one hour.
• No recording. Recording a virtual Barnegat court session is not permitted.
• Need your case number? Call 609-698-0080, extension 110.

What Cases Does Barnegat Municipal Court Handle?

Judge Mabie’s Barnegat docket is limited to non-indictable matters: motor vehicle cases, DWI, both grades of disorderly persons offenses, and local ordinance complaints. Charges that come before him here include:

Criminal and Disorderly Persons Offenses

• N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4 — harassment by text, phone or in person
• N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(a) — Barnegat simple assault charges
• N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3 — theft when the item taken is worth less than $200
• N.J.S.A. 2C:36-2 — pipes, scales and other paraphernalia
• N.J.S.A. 2C:18-3 — staying on property after an owner or officer orders you off
• N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2.1 — loitering to obtain or distribute a controlled substance

DWI and Traffic Offenses

• N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 — Barnegat DWI arrests
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4a — not providing breath samples at headquarters
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-98 — radar and laser speed enforcement tickets
• N.J.S.A. 39:3-10 — driving without a valid license of your own
• N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2 — an uninsured car on Barnegat roads

In Barnegat, the north-south corridors of Route 9 and the Parkway produce many of the tickets, and on County Routes 554 and 539. Route 72, the main road toward Long Beach Island, also passes through the township and carries heavy summer traffic.

Paying or Contesting a Barnegat Ticket

Barnegat accepts several forms of payment, including cards at the window:

• Online. Use NJMCdirect.com with Barnegat’s court code, 1533, and the number on your ticket.
• Mail. Send a check or money order made out to “Barnegat Municipal Court,” with your ticket number on it, to 900 West Bay Avenue, Barnegat, NJ 08005.
• In person. The window accepts cash, checks, money orders and credit cards, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Not by phone. The court does not take payments over the telephone.
• Complaints. New complaints are not accepted after 3:00 p.m. or on court days.

The township also links a Plea by Mail form. Keep in mind that paying a Barnegat ticket, or pleading by mail, ends the case with a conviction. Any points go on your record and insurance can rise, and you give up the chance to challenge the stop or the officer’s evidence. Get legal advice first when the charge carries points, a suspension or a criminal record. Defendants without the means to hire counsel may request the municipal public defender, John J. Novak, Esq.

Getting Ready for Court in Barnegat

• Find your slot. Barnegat sessions start at different times, so look for the hour, not just the date, on your notice.
• Know the court staff. Barnegat’s team includes Court Administrator Lauren L. Romano at extension 133, Deputy Administrator Sherene Cornelius at extension 131 and Violations Clerk Amanda Stott at extension 132.
• Keep the court’s email and fax handy. The court’s email is barnegattwp.mc@njcourts.gov, and its fax is 609-698-8542.
• Prepare as if for a meeting. For Zoom, find a quiet place with a steady connection; for an in-person date, bring your license, registration, insurance card and the summons.

When a Barnegat Charge Leaves Municipal Court

Barnegat Municipal Court can only decide lower-level offenses. When police file an indictable charge, such as burglary or distributing drugs, Barnegat sends the complaint on to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and the case continues in Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River. A prosecutor who decides the facts support only a disorderly persons offense can downgrade the charge and send it back to Barnegat. For eligible first-time defendants, diversion options like Pretrial Intervention and conditional dismissal can lead to a dismissal instead of a conviction.

Nearby Courts

Barnegat’s neighbors include Lacey Township, Ocean Township and Stafford Township, with Little Egg Harbor a short drive south. On the barrier island, reached by causeway from Stafford, are Long Beach Township and Harvey Cedars, and Bass River and Woodland Townships in Burlington County lie to the west. Whichever town the officer was in when writing the ticket hears the case.

Official court page: barnegat.net municipal court page

Barnegat Municipal Court FAQs

Talk to a Barnegat Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

If a Barnegat summons or complaint just arrived, now is the right time to look at your options. Dial (848) 238-2100 and we will go over your Barnegat case free of charge, in confidence. We take calls at all hours, and you can speak with us in Spanish. Meeting by phone or video is often easiest, though we are glad to meet in person when that is the better fit.