Harvey Cedars Municipal Court – What To Know

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

Harvey Cedars Municipal Court is at 7606 Long Beach Boulevard, Harvey Cedars, NJ 08008 (76th Street and Long Beach Boulevard), and the court meets once a month, usually on the second Monday, at 10:00 a.m. Its cases are mostly Harvey Cedars motor vehicle and parking tickets, along with a small number of DWI, disorderly persons and ordinance matters. Judge Stacey Kerr and court administrator Karen Garcia serve both this court and the Beach Haven Municipal Court. For a Harvey Cedars ticket or complaint, comtact us; the line is staffed 24 hours a day, and we can speak with you in Spanish.

Harvey Cedars Criminal Defense Lawyer

Harvey Cedars has fewer than 400 year-round residents, yet its summer population is estimated at about 12,000, and most of the cases in its court are traffic or parking tickets written on this stretch of Long Beach Island. A speeding ticket on the boulevard can still mean points, and a DWI or disorderly persons charge can still mean license consequences or a lasting record. Our Ocean County criminal defense team works with people charged in Harvey Cedars, including summer residents whose permanent homes are elsewhere.

Why Harvey Cedars Clients Call Us

• A twelve-session year. The court sits once a month, so there is little room to reschedule without losing weeks.
• Not every session lands on the second Monday. In some months the session falls on a later Monday, so go by the date printed on your Harvey Cedars notice.
• The court shares its judge and staff with Beach Haven. Questions often go to an administrator who also runs another borough’s court, so knowing which number to call matters.
• Short office windows. The Violations Bureau is open only on Tuesdays and Fridays from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Harvey Cedars and Beach Haven Court Arrangement

The Harvey Cedars court is its own municipal court, with its own caseload figures, while Judge Stacey Kerr and court administrator Karen Garcia, CMCA, serve both Harvey Cedars and Beach Haven. Because the administrator post is a combined Beach Haven/Harvey Cedars job, one person manages both dockets, and the same judge hears cases from both boroughs.

For a Harvey Cedars case, call the court administrator at 609-494-9026 during Violations Bureau hours, Tuesdays and Fridays from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., or email HarveyCedars.MC@njcourts.gov. Your court notice tells you where and how to appear.

Harvey Cedars’ Monthly Court Schedule

Harvey Cedars Municipal Court holds twelve Monday sessions a year, one per month, each at 10:00 a.m. Most fall on the second Monday, and in some months the session moves to a later Monday.

There are no extra summer sessions and no separate DWI calendar; the court meets once a month all year. Go by the date printed on your notice, and phone 609-494-9026 if you need it confirmed.

What Harvey Cedars’s Court Numbers Mean

Harvey Cedars has the second-smallest municipal court caseload in Ocean County, ahead of only Barnegat Light. The NJ Judiciary’s data for July 2025 through June 2026 show 322 filings, down about 3.6% from 334 the year before. Moving violations were 221 of those, about 69%, and parking tickets 78. The court received 21 criminal filings, 1 indictable and 6 disorderly persons, and 2 DWI filings, compared with 1 the year before.

It resolved 321 cases, a 100% clearance rate, meaning it kept up with its intake. The year closed with 25 cases in backlog and 71 pending. With totals this low, a few cases can move the numbers noticeably from one year to the next, and the figures tell you about the court’s load rather than what will happen in your matter.

Appearing in Harvey Cedars Court

Harvey Cedars posts a separate Virtual Court Information page on the borough website for people attending remotely. Your court notice states whether your listing is virtual or in person and gives the instructions to follow. Before the session:

• Call the administrator’s line. The court administrator’s direct number is 609-494-9026. The borough’s main number is 609-361-6000.
• Use the Violations Bureau hours. Staff are available Tuesdays and Fridays from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Email if you cannot call in those hours. Write to HarveyCedars.MC@njcourts.gov, or fax 609-361-5247.
• Be ready at 10:00 a.m. Every listed session starts at that time, whether you join online or arrive in person.

What Cases Does Harvey Cedars Municipal Court Handle?

Harvey Cedars Municipal Court hears borough ordinance cases, parking and motor vehicle tickets, DWI charges, and disorderly and petty disorderly persons offenses. Examples:

Criminal and Disorderly Persons Offenses

• N.J.S.A. 2C:18-3 — trespassing on private property or docks
• N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2 — disorderly conduct
• N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3 — theft
• N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(a) — simple assault

DWI and Traffic Offenses

• N.J.S.A. 39:4-98 — speeding
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 — drunk or drugged driving (DWI)
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-97 — driving carelessly
• N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.2f — seat belt violations

Harvey Cedars has no state highway. Long Beach Boulevard, County Route 607, is its main road, connecting Barnegat Light to the north with the rest of Long Beach Island to the south. Moving violations make up most of this court’s caseload.

Paying or Contesting a Harvey Cedars Ticket

NJMCdirect handles online payment of Harvey Cedars parking and traffic tickets, and the court supplies a Plea by Mail form for eligible cases. A few cautions:

• Payment ends the case. Paying online is the same as pleading guilty, and any points or surcharges follow.
• Plea by mail is not a shortcut for every case. Call the court before relying on the form; criminal complaints and DWI charges need a court appearance.
• Check points before you pay. Where points or a license suspension are on the table, get legal advice before paying.
• Ask about a public defender. If you cannot afford counsel and face jail, a license loss or a large fine, request the application from the court before your date.

Preparing for Your Harvey Cedars Court Date

• Verify the date against the borough calendar. Some sessions fall on a Monday other than the second one, so go by your notice.
• Plan any calls around Tuesday and Friday afternoons. That is when the Violations Bureau is open.
• Read the borough’s virtual court page if your notice says you will appear remotely.
• Have your ticket, license, registration and insurance card in front of you at 10:00 a.m.

When a Harvey Cedars Charge Leaves Municipal Court

A Harvey Cedars municipal judge has no power to decide an indictable crime. Any such complaint is sent on to the county prosecutor and, if pursued, prosecuted in the Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River, on the mainland. The prosecutor may instead downgrade the charge to a disorderly persons offense and remand it to Harvey Cedars. First offenders should ask about New Jersey diversion programs, which can end in a dismissal after a period of supervision.

Nearby Courts

Farther north, at the tip of the island, is Barnegat Light, which has its own court. To the south are sections of Long Beach Township and then Surf City and Ship Bottom. Beach Haven shares Harvey Cedars’s judge and administrator. Across Barnegat Bay are Barnegat and Stafford Township. Long Beach Township surrounds several island boroughs, so a ticket written just outside Harvey Cedars may land in that court instead.

Official court page: Harvey Cedars Municipal Court (Borough of Harvey Cedars)

Harvey Cedars Municipal Court FAQs

Talk to a Harvey Cedars Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

A Harvey Cedars charge is decided on a calendar of just twelve sessions a year, so it pays to have a plan before your Monday arrives. For a free consultation that stays private, call (848) 238-2100. We pick up day and night, seven days a week, and Spanish is spoken. We are glad to meet by phone or on video, wherever you are spending the season, or in person if that suits you better.