Burlington County Genealogy

Burlington County is the largest county in New Jersey by land area. The county seat is Mount Holly. It stretches from the Delaware River on the west to the Pine Barrens on the east. Genealogy records in Burlington County include birth, death, marriage, land, and probate files held at several local offices. The County Clerk issues vital records and records deeds. The Surrogate manages estate files. The Historical Society holds unique family history collections. This page shows how to search genealogy records across Burlington County.

Burlington County Clerk Genealogy Records

Joanne Schwartz serves as Burlington County Clerk. The office is at 49 Rancocas Road, Mount Holly, NJ 08060. The main phone is (609) 265-5122. For vital records, call (609) 265-5142. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. On Wednesdays, hours extend to 6:30 PM, which is helpful for those who work during the day.

The Burlington County Clerk's Office is split into two divisions. The Recording Division handles deeds, mortgages, land records, business trade names, passport applications, veteran ID cards, and notary registrations. The Vital Records Division issues marriage licenses, civil union licenses, birth certificates for Burlington County births, death certificates, and veterans' discharges.

Property records are searchable through the County Clerk's Land Records Database. Online records go back to 1983. An OPRA Request Portal is also available for formal records requests. Copies cost $0.05 per letter-size page. A satellite office is moving to a larger space on Briggs Road in Mount Laurel to better serve Burlington County residents.

Burlington County Probate Records

Brian J. Carlin serves as Burlington County Surrogate. The office is at 50 Rancocas Road, 1st Floor, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060. The mailing address is P.O. Box 6000, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060. Call (609) 265-5005 for general questions. Fax is (609) 265-4511. Email surrogates@co.burlington.nj.us.

The Burlington County Surrogate's Office handles probate of wills, estate administration, guardianships, adoptions, and management of minors' funds. The office is open by appointment only. Probate and administration appointments are in-person for New Jersey residents. Record searches are done by appointment with a 24 to 36 hour response time for calls and emails. You can reach the office by phone, email, or regular mail.

For genealogy research, probate records reveal family ties that other files may miss. A will from Burlington County might name a spouse, children, grandchildren, and even neighbors or friends. Inventories list personal property. These details paint a clear picture of daily life for your ancestors in Burlington County. Under New Jersey law, the state maintains a full index of registered vital records, and county surrogates hold the local probate files that complement those state records.

Note: All visits to the Burlington County Surrogate's Office require an appointment booked at least 24 hours in advance.

Burlington County Historical Society

The Burlington County Historical Society is one of the best places for deep genealogy research in the county. Phone is (609) 386-4773. The library and museum are open by appointment only. Research hours are Wednesday through Saturday with morning and afternoon time slots. Book at least 24 hours ahead.

The archive and library hold prints, photos, maps, manuscripts, letters, business records, and manumission papers. Deeds and genealogy sources include family albums, marriage certificates, and family files. The museum collection features quilts, samplers, decoys, paintings, furniture, tools, household items, costumes, toys, and military artifacts. These items bring your Burlington County ancestors to life in ways that paper records alone cannot.

The Society also holds church records from across Burlington County. These include Beverly Presbyterian Church, St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Chesterfield Monthly Meeting (Quaker), Medford Methodist Church, and Moorestown First Presbyterian Church. Quaker records are especially rich in Burlington County because of the strong historic presence of the Society of Friends in this area. Church records often predate civil vital records and can fill gaps in your Burlington County genealogy.

Burlington County Library Genealogy

The Burlington County Library System offers digital tools for genealogy research. The system provides eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, databases, and programs for all ages. Local history and genealogy resources are available at various branches across Burlington County.

The library has reciprocal borrowing agreements with Camden, Atlantic, and Gloucester counties as of 2024. This means a Burlington County library card gives you access to resources in those systems as well. The library also switched to a fine-free return policy, making it easier for everyone to use these research tools without worry. Free tax help is available at select branches through AARP Foundation Tax-Aide and IRS VITA programs.

State Records for Burlington County

The New Jersey State Archives at 225 West State Street in Trenton holds vital records covering Burlington County. Birth records on microfilm run from 1848 to 1923. Marriage records span 1848 to 1948. Death records cover 1848 to 1963. The search room is free and open to the public. Call (609) 292-6260 for details.

The Archives holds colonial marriage bonds from 1666 to 1799. You can search these through an online database at no cost. Probate records from 1670 to 1952 include wills and inventories from Burlington County. Manumission records required by law starting in 1786 document the freeing of enslaved persons. The Library of Congress guide notes that the 1804 Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery also required recording births of children born to enslaved mothers. These records are held at the State Archives and are open to the public.

For more recent records, the New Jersey Department of Health at 140 East Front Street in Trenton handles birth records from 1925, marriage records from 1951, and death records from 1951 onward. The toll-free phone number is (877) 622-7549. Genealogical records requests cost $25 for the first copy plus $1 for each extra year searched.

Note: For births over 80 years ago, marriages over 50 years ago, or deaths over 40 years ago, the Department of Health processes these as genealogical requests with a 10 to 12 week turnaround.

Online Genealogy Tools

Multiple online platforms hold Burlington County genealogy records. Ancestry.com offers New Jersey vital records going back to 1660, federal census data through 1950, and wills and probate records from 1656 to 1999. Libraries in Burlington County may offer Ancestry Library Edition at no charge for in-person visitors.

FamilySearch has free New Jersey collections including births and christenings from 1660 to 1980 and probate records from 1678 to 1980. The Reclaim the Records project placed about 445,000 New Jersey vital record indices on the Internet Archive for free download. These indices cover early 1900s births, marriages, and deaths and can help you identify specific Burlington County records to order from the State Archives.

The NJ GenWeb Project provides free Burlington County genealogy pages with cemetery transcriptions, query boards, and links to local resources. The Genealogical Society of New Jersey publishes quarterly journals and maintains cemetery records from across the state. Their collections are at the Alexander Library on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick.

Cities in Burlington County

Burlington County has over 40 municipalities. Evesham, Mount Laurel, Willingboro, Burlington City, and Moorestown are among the largest. All genealogy records for these places are filed through the Burlington County offices in Mount Holly.

Nearby Counties

These counties share a border with Burlington County. Some families lived in areas that shifted between county lines over the years. Check the town of residence at the time of each record to determine which county office holds it.