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New Jersey · Delaware Bay · #775
Salem County, New Jersey
On the Delaware Bay in the agricultural lowlands of southern New Jersey, Salem County holds the oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in New Jersey - Salem city, established in 1675 by Quaker John Fenwick - in one of the state's most rural and least-visited corners, where the Delaware Bay marshes, the nuclear Salem Generating Station, and working farms define a landscape that the rest of New Jersey's development pressure has largely bypassed.
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Office: Salem County Office of Emergency Management – primary Emergency Operations Center in Mannington, NJ; (856) 769-2900; Coordinator Scott Haines. Genuinely plans for both natural disasters AND incidents involving the Salem/Hope Creek nuclear generating stations on the Delaware River.
Sheriff: Salem County Sheriff’s Office – Salem County Administration Building, 94 Market Street, Salem, NJ 08079 | (856) 935-7510 x8606 | Fax: (856) 935-8880 | After hours: (856) 769-3508; Sheriff Charles M. Miller.
Corrections: Salem County Correctional Facility – 125 Cemetery Road, Woodstown, NJ 08098 | (856) 769-4300 | Fax: (856) 769-3578; Warden John S. Cuzzupe.
Communications: Salem County Communication Center – 135 Cemetery Road, Woodstown, NJ 08098 | (856) 769-2900.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. New Jersey Radiological Emergency info: (609) 963-6900 x6738.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: NJ-45 and the Delaware Memorial Bridge (I-295/US-40) serve Salem, the county seat, in the state’s southwestern corner along the Delaware River and Bay.
Notes: Salem County is New Jersey’s least populous county (roughly 62,000 residents), also one of the most rural and agricultural.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Salem County Administration Building – 94 Market Street, Salem, NJ 08079 | (856) 935-7510.
Notes: Salem County genuinely hosts the Salem Nuclear Generating Station and Hope Creek Generating Station (Artificial Island, on the Delaware River), among the largest nuclear power facilities on the East Coast and a significant regional employer. Fort Mott, in Pennsville, is a genuine 124-acre former Harbor Defenses of the Delaware coastal fortification (built 1896-1900 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, active through WWII), now a state park; the adjacent Finns Point National Cemetery is the burial site of Confederate POWs who died at nearby Fort Delaware during the Civil War. Salem County’s Delaware Bayshore hosts one of the largest horseshoe crab spawning events in the world each May-June, drawing migratory shorebirds from across the hemisphere.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Salem County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via salemcountynj.gov.
Federal: Philadelphia VA Medical Center (nearby, across the Delaware Memorial Bridge).
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Confirm current library address/hours via salemcountynj.gov.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Fort Mott State Park, Finns Point National Cemetery, and the Delaware Bayshore’s horseshoe crab spawning grounds are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine historic Fort Mott coastal fortification and the world-significant horseshoe crab spawning event are distinctive local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Salem County Tax Board – (856) 935-7510 x8274.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Salem County Humane Society – N Game Creek Rd, Carneys Point, NJ | Appointments only: (856) 299-2220; no-kill, fully donation-funded, volunteer-run since 1975.
Animal Orphanage (AO) – Voorhees, NJ; serves 4 Salem County municipalities (Alloway, Elmer, Elsinboro, Woodstown) alongside 22 Camden County towns.
City of Salem Animal Control – 125 West Broadway, Salem, NJ 08079; confirm current phone via cityofsalemnj.gov.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Salem County Solid Waste Advisory Council – (856) 935-7900.
NOTES: Salem County is the third county in the New Jersey v2 A+ sourced redo’s third and final batch (Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren). New Jersey’s least populous county, home to the state’s largest nuclear power facility and one of the world’s largest horseshoe crab spawning events. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Salem County
Salem County’s quietness is a genuine attribute – in a state that is among the most densely developed in the country, Salem County’s Delaware Bay marshes, its working farms, and its small historic city of Salem represent an older New Jersey that development pressure has not yet reached. The Quaker founding heritage is visible in Salem’s historic district and in the Friends Meeting House that dates to 1772.
The Salem Nuclear Generating Station – operated by PSEG on the Delaware Bay – is the county’s largest employer and property taxpayer, its presence defining a significant portion of the local economic base. The bay marshes support commercial crabbing, oystering, and fishing that continue a Delaware Bay tradition stretching back centuries. New Jersey’s high property taxes apply fully in Salem County, making the appeal process valuable even in a lower-value market.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
New Jersey assesses property at 100% of market value. Property owners may appeal to the County Board of Taxation. New Jersey has no estate tax; New Jersey has an inheritance tax on non-immediate-family heirs at rates up to 16%.
Courts & Legal
SUPERIOR COURT
Phone: (856) 878-5050
Address: 92 Market St., Salem, NJ 08079
Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
Website: njcourts.gov | Salem County Superior Court
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
92 Market St., Salem, NJ 08079
(856) 935-7510
COUNTY CLERK — ELECTIONS
92 Market St., Salem, NJ 08079
(856) 935-7510
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Salem County Surrogate’s Court, Salem (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Salem County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Salem County Surrogate’s Court 94 Market Street, 2nd Floor, Salem, NJ 08079 (856) 935-7510
Salem County is in southwestern New Jersey along the Delaware River, New Jersey’s least populous county, seated in Salem.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
New Jersey probate is governed by Title 3B of the New Jersey Statutes. The elected Surrogate’s Court in each county handles uncontested probate matters; contested matters are referred to the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part.
Affidavit of Surviving Spouse (N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3) – available only when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate) and the total value of real and personal assets does not exceed $50,000. The surviving spouse, civil union partner, or domestic partner may file this affidavit with the Surrogate’s Court and receive the assets without formal administration. The first $10,000 of the estate is free from the decedent’s debts. There is no affidavit shortcut if a will exists – a will must always be probated regardless of estate size.
Affidavit of Next of Kin (N.J.S.A. 3B:10-4) – available only when the decedent died intestate, there is no surviving spouse/partner, and the estate does not exceed $20,000. One of the next of kin may file this affidavit with the written consent of all other heirs of equal or greater priority.
Regular (Formal) Probate – required whenever there’s a will, or when an intestate estate exceeds the small-estate thresholds above.
Step 2: filing for regular probate
File an Application for Probate with the Surrogate’s Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled (as soon as 10 days after death).
The Surrogate admits the will and issues Letters Testamentary, or – for intestate estates – appoints an administrator and issues Letters of Administration. A surety bond may be required for an administrator.
The Surrogate issues “short certificates,” which the executor/administrator uses as proof of authority – a certificate is typically needed for each asset that must be transferred or sold.
The personal representative notifies creditors and beneficiaries; New Jersey’s creditor claim period is 9 months from death.
The personal representative inventories assets, pays debts and taxes (including any New Jersey Inheritance Tax return, if applicable), and distributes the remaining assets according to the will or New Jersey’s intestacy statute.
The estate is closed with a final accounting filed with the court.
What it costs
Surrogate’s Court filing fees generally range from about $100 to $250 depending on the county and the complexity/value of the estate.
New Jersey does NOT require an attorney for probate, but one is commonly recommended for anything beyond the simplest estates.
UNIQUE TO NEW JERSEY: New Jersey has an INHERITANCE TAX that applies to transfers to “Class C” and “Class D” beneficiaries – nieces, nephews, friends, and other non-immediate relatives – even for relatively small inheritances; there is no minimum exemption threshold. Transfers to a spouse, civil union/domestic partner, parents, children, grandchildren, and stepchildren (“Class A” beneficiaries) are exempt.
New Jersey repealed its separate state ESTATE tax for deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2018 – only the inheritance tax remains at the state level.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
94 Market St., Salem, NJ 08079
(856) 935-7510
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK — ELECTIONS
92 Market St., Salem, NJ 08079
(856) 935-7510
ELECTIONS
92 Market St., Salem, NJ 08079
(856) 935-7510
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
NJ DHHS — Salem
(856) 299-3300
Salem Medical Center
salemmedicalnj.com (Salem — quality community hospital; Virtua Health affiliate)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Salem County Health Department – confirm current contact via salemcountynj.gov.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Salem
Population: 63,000
Area: 338 sq mi
Established: 1694
Tier: 4
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Salem County facilities via Amazon.
