Pine Beach Municipal Court – What To Know

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

Pine Beach Municipal Court holds its sessions on the first Wednesday of every month, with virtual Zoom appearances at 3:00 p.m. and in-person appearances at 4:00 p.m. at Pine Beach Borough Hall, 599 Pennsylvania Avenue, Pine Beach, NJ 08741. The court handles traffic, quasi-criminal, disorderly persons and petty disorderly persons cases from the borough, and most of its docket is moving violations. If you are facing a Pine Beach charge, phone (848) 238-2100; we take calls 24/7, and we offer help en español.

Pine Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer

Pine Beach is a small residential borough along the Toms River, but its court sees far more traffic tickets than its size would suggest, and U.S. Route 9 runs along its border. A speeding or DWI case that starts on Route 9 can mean points, a suspended license and steep insurance costs, and a disorderly persons conviction leaves a criminal record. Our Ocean County criminal defense attorneys handle cases in Pine Beach Municipal Court, whether they are set for Zoom or for Borough Hall.

Why Pine Beach Clients Call Us

• Two formats on one afternoon. Virtual cases are called at 3:00 p.m. and in-person cases at 4:00 p.m. on the same first Wednesday. Showing up at the wrong hour or in the wrong format can be treated as a missed appearance.
• Mostly a traffic court. State figures show 858 of the court’s 999 filings were moving violations, about 86%, which is why points and license consequences dominate most Pine Beach cases.
• Zoom requires pre-registration. Registration for Pine Beach virtual court is mandatory, and defendants should be ready to stay on for up to an hour.
• A firm deadline for postponements. Adjournment requests must be made in writing at least four business days ahead, with supporting papers, and sent by fax.

Pine Beach’s Court Schedule And Virtual Sessions

Pine Beach holds a single monthly court day with two parts. Your notice will tell you which part is yours:

• 3:00 p.m., virtual. Sessions on Zoom start first. Join from a closed room under your first and last name, with Zoom audio and video allowed.
• 4:00 p.m., in person. Defendants appearing in person come to Borough Hall at 599 Pennsylvania Avenue.

To be placed on a virtual list, email the court administrator at court@pinebeachnj.gov with your full name, complaint number, phone number and email address, and say yes or no to whether you need an interpreter and whether you have an attorney. Lawyers may ask for virtual dates and enter their appearance by email. Recording the proceeding in any form is strictly prohibited, and copies have to be requested through the Judiciary’s records request process.

Pine Beach And Lacey Township

Pine Beach shares its court administrator with Lacey Township, and Lacey’s website also carries information about the Pine Beach Borough Municipal Court. That arrangement is administrative only. Pine Beach cases stay in Pine Beach: in-person sessions are held at Pine Beach Borough Hall, and the court keeps its own phone, fax, email and post office box. If your paperwork mentions Lacey, call 732-349-6453 and the court will tell you where and how to appear.

What Pine Beach’s Court Numbers Mean

The NJ Judiciary’s figures for July 2025 through June 2026 record 999 filings in Pine Beach, down about 32.9% from 1,488 the year before. That is the steepest percentage decline among the Ocean County municipal courts in the report. Moving violations fell to 858 from 1,357 but still made up roughly 86% of all filings, while parking tickets were only 39. The court received 95 criminal filings, and DWI filings rose to 7 from 5.

Pine Beach resolved 1,003 matters, a 100% clearance rate, so it kept pace with new filings and closed slightly more than it received. The report shows 48 cases in backlog and 119 pending at the end of June 2026. A court this size can see large shifts from a handful of cases or a change in local patrols. These numbers show how much work the court handled, not how your case will end.

Interpreters And Postponements In Pine Beach

Defendants with limited English should ask for an interpreter as soon as possible by emailing pinebeach.mc@njcourts.gov. If you are requesting a virtual appearance, your email to the administrator must state whether you need one.

To move a court date, send a written request at least four business days before the session, with documentation that backs up the reason, to the court’s fax line at (732) 240-0533. The only exception is a genuine emergency. If your summons and your trial notice show different dates or times, the trial notice is the one to follow.

What Cases Does Pine Beach Municipal Court Handle?

This court hears traffic and quasi-criminal matters, along with disorderly and petty disorderly persons offenses; heavier charges go up to the county. Charges commonly seen there:

Criminal And Disorderly Persons Offenses

• N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10(b) — being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance
• N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(a) — simple assault
• N.J.S.A. 2C:25-19 — disorderly persons offenses that count as domestic violence
• N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4 — harassment
• N.J.S.A. 2C:17-3 — criminal mischief
• N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2 — disorderly conduct

DWI And Traffic Offenses

• N.J.S.A. 39:4-98 — speeding
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 — driving while intoxicated
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4a — breath test refusal
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-81 — failure to observe a traffic signal
• N.J.S.A. 39:4-96 — reckless driving
• N.J.S.A. 39:3-10 — unlicensed driving

The main highway at Pine Beach is U.S. Route 9, which runs along the borough’s line with Berkeley Township; the rest of the borough is residential streets near the Toms River. NJ Transit’s 559 bus also travels through the borough.

Paying Or Contesting A Pine Beach Ticket

The borough accepts payment several ways:

• In person. On Wednesdays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at 599 Pennsylvania Avenue, with exact cash, a check payable to “Pine Beach Municipal Court,” or a money order.
• By mail. Send a check or money order to Pine Beach Municipal Court, PO Box 425, Pine Beach, NJ 08741, with your summons number and full name.
• Online. Credit card payments go through NJMCdirect.com. The court does not take card payments over the phone.
• Time payments. To ask for a payment plan, fill out the Financial Questionnaire and mail it in with a payment.

Allow about a week for a payment to be entered.

Keep in mind that paying a ticket is a plea of guilty. It ends your chance to contest the charge and brings whatever points, surcharges and insurance effects the offense carries. On a speeding ticket or any other charge that carries points, a short conversation with a lawyer before paying can change the outcome. If you face a charge with possible jail or license loss and cannot afford counsel, you can ask the court to appoint a public defender for municipal court.

Preparing For Your Pine Beach Court Date

• Check the hour, not just the day. Virtual cases begin at 3:00 p.m. and in-person cases at 4:00 p.m.
• Register for Zoom ahead of time. Virtual court requires pre-registration, and you may need to stay connected for up to an hour.
• Use the right contact. Scheduling and virtual requests go to court@pinebeachnj.gov; interpreter requests go to pinebeach.mc@njcourts.gov; adjournments go by fax.
• Follow the trial notice. If it conflicts with the summons, the trial notice controls.
• Have documents ready. Bring or keep handy your summons, license, registration, insurance card and any evidence, such as dashcam video, photos or repair records.

When A Pine Beach Charge Leaves Municipal Court

Charges of greater magnitude are handled by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and the Superior Court. Indictable cases are reviewed by the prosecutor and, if they go forward, proceed in Ocean County Superior Court, located in Toms River. A downgrade by the prosecutor to a disorderly persons offense sends the matter back to Pine Beach. First offenders may qualify for diversionary programs like Pretrial Intervention or a conditional dismissal, where completing the terms can lead to dismissal.

Nearby Courts

Pine Beach borders Berkeley Township, along Route 9, and Beachwood. Other courts in the area include Ocean Gate, Island Heights, South Toms River, Toms River and Lacey Township. Your case belongs to the court of the municipality where the alleged offense took place.

Official court page: Pine Beach Borough municipal court page

Pine Beach Municipal Court FAQs

Talk To A Pine Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

Pine Beach gives you one court day a month and a four-business-day cutoff for postponements, so it pays to start early. Call (848) 238-2100 to set up a confidential case review at no cost. We are available every hour of every day, and our team speaks Spanish. We can work with you by phone or video conference, or meet face to face when that suits you better.