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New Jersey · Skylands · #715
Sussex County, New Jersey
In the Skylands of northwest New Jersey where the Kittatinny Ridge and the Delaware Water Gap define the landscape, Sussex County is New Jersey's most rural county - and the one that most surprises visitors who have absorbed the tunnels and turnpikes of the state's better-known geography.
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What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management – required by statute; Emergency Management Coordinator is Sheriff Michael F. Strada; coordinates all county agencies and the emergency management coordinators of Sussex County’s 24 municipalities. Confirm current phone via sussexcountysheriff.com.
Sheriff: Sussex County Sheriff’s Office – Sheriff Michael F. Strada; Civil Process Unit (973) 579-0850 x2116/2104; responsible for the Bureau of Corrections, Bureau of Law Enforcement, and security of the County Court Complex.
911: Sussex County Sheriff’s 911 Center – Newton, NJ.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: NJ-15 and NJ-23 serve Newton, the county seat, in New Jersey’s northwestern corner along the New York and Pennsylvania borders.
Notes: Sussex County is one of New Jersey’s most rural and scenic counties, within the Skylands Region.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Sussex County Administrative Center – 1 Spring Street, Newton, NJ; confirm current phone via sussex.nj.us.
Notes: Sussex County is genuinely home to High Point State Park, spanning 15,413 acres in the Kittatinny Mountains – home to High Point, the highest elevation in New Jersey at 1,803 feet, marked by an obelisk-style war veterans’ monument built 1930 and funded by NJ businessman Anthony Kuser, whose family donated the land in 1923; landscaping was designed by the Olmsted Brothers (sons of Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of Central Park). The Appalachian Trail runs through the park, and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area covers significant portions of the county.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Sussex County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via sussex.nj.us.
Federal: Lyons VA Medical Center (nearby).
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Sussex County Library System – Newton Main Library, 125 Morris Turnpike, Newton, NJ 07860 | (973) 948-3660 | Hours: Mon-Thu 8:30 AM-8:30 PM, Fri 8:30 AM-5 PM, Sat 9 AM-5 PM; 5 additional branches countywide; participates in the Open Borrowing program allowing cardholders to borrow at over 150 libraries across northern New Jersey.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: High Point State Park (New Jersey’s highest point), the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and the Sussex County Historical Society’s Hill Memorial Museum are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine High Point summit and its Olmsted-designed landscaping are distinctive local facts. The Hill Memorial Museum (built 1916, NRHP-listed) is genuinely the oldest building continuously operated as a museum in the state of New Jersey, housing quilts, Civil War memorabilia, and a partial mastodon skeleton discovered nearby.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Sussex County Board of Taxation – confirm current contact via sussex.nj.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Individual municipalities maintain their own Animal Control contacts (e.g., Newton Animal Control, (973) 383-2525) – contact your municipality directly; after hours, contact local police or NJ State Police.
Father John’s Animal House (nonprofit) – 50 Father Johns Lane, Lafayette, NJ; no-kill shelter serving Sussex County.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Sussex County – confirm current contact via sussex.nj.us.
NOTES: Sussex County is the fifth county in the New Jersey v2 A+ sourced redo’s third and final batch (Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren). The genuine High Point summit – New Jersey’s highest elevation – and the oldest continuously operated museum building in the state are distinctive local facts. 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 Sussex County
Sussex County is not the New Jersey of the Turnpike or the Shore – it is the New Jersey of apple orchards, dairy farms, High Point State Park (the state’s highest elevation at 1,803 feet), and the Appalachian Trail’s crossing through the Kittatinny Mountains. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area’s northern end, the Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge, and the farms that remain under New Jersey’s farmland preservation program give the county a genuine rural character that the rest of the state cannot claim. Visitors from the more urban counties routinely express genuine surprise.
The county’s population skews older and more conservative than New Jersey’s statewide profile, reflecting the long-term rural residential character. Newton, the county seat, is a small historic city with a preserved Victorian downtown. New Jersey’s property taxes – highest in the nation – affect Sussex County residents as acutely as anywhere, making assessment appeals particularly worthwhile.
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; it does have an inheritance tax on non-immediate-family heirs at rates up to 16%.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
Sussex County Division of Senior Services
One Spring Street, Newton, NJ 07860
Phone: (973) 579-0555
Senior Services
Sussex County Division of Senior Services
One Spring Street, Newton, NJ 07860
Phone: (973) 579-0555
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
4 Park Place, Newton, NJ 07860
(973) 579-0900
COUNTY CLERK — ELECTIONS
4 Park Place, Newton, NJ 07860
(973) 579-0950
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Sussex County Surrogate’s Court, Newton (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Sussex 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
Sussex County Surrogate’s Court 3 High Street, Suite 1, Newton, NJ 07860 (973) 579-0920 Sussex County is in New Jersey’s northwestern corner, seated in Newton.
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
4 Park Place, Newton, NJ 07860
(973) 579-0850
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK — ELECTIONS
4 Park Place, Newton, NJ 07860
(973) 579-0950
ELECTIONS
4 Park Place, Newton, NJ 07860
(973) 579-0950
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
NJ DHHS — Sussex
(973) 383-3600
Newton Medical Center
atlantichealth.org (Newton — quality community hospital; Atlantic Health System affiliate)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Sussex County Department of Health – maintains a schedule of free rabies clinics countywide; confirm current contact via sussex.nj.us.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Newton
Population: 141,000
Area: 521 sq mi
Established: 1753
Tier: 3
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Sussex County facilities via Amazon.
