Where to file bankruptcy in New Jersey

Which New Jersey court you file in, its divisions and phone, and what happens after you file.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

New Jersey has one bankruptcy court with three offices. You file there if you lived (were domiciled) in New Jersey for most of the 180 days before filing.

Federal bankruptcy courts: 1
Courts: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey

Which court you file in, in New Jersey

New Jersey has one bankruptcy court with three offices. You file there if you lived (were domiciled) in New Jersey for most of the 180 days before filing. Your county (and in some places your town or ZIP code) decides whether you file in Newark, Trenton or Camden. See the court's 'Where to File - By County' list: https://www.njb.uscourts.gov/sites/njb/files/Where%20to%20File%20By%20County%20and%20Shared%20Zip%20Codes%20revised%208-24-24.pdf

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey

Divisions: Newark, Trenton, Camden (by county; parts of Burlington, Atlantic, Warren and Union counties are split by town and ZIP code)

Clerk's phone: (973) 645-4764 (Newark); (609) 858-9333 (Trenton); (856) 361-2300 (Camden)

Court's self-help page

In nearby states

Delaware: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware
Maryland: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland
Connecticut: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut

Your next steps in New Jersey

Check where you lived
The court is set by where you lived for most of the past 180 days.
Read your court's pages
Local forms and rules are on U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.
Take credit counseling
Use an approved agency. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Prepare the forms
Get the official bankruptcy forms.
Ask for free help
Legal aid can help for free: Legal Services of New Jersey (statewide network of free legal aid offices; LSNJLAW hotline) and U.S. Bankruptcy Court, D.N.J.: Resources for Legal Assistance (Newark area: legal aid offices and county bar lawyer referral numbers).

Free help in New Jersey

Questions about filing in New Jersey

Where do I file bankruptcy in New Jersey?

What income passes the means test in New Jersey?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $87,173; 2 people: $106,876; 3 people: $137,136; 4 people: $168,127; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Where can I get free help with bankruptcy in New Jersey?

Legal Services of New Jersey (statewide network of free legal aid offices; LSNJLAW hotline), U.S. Bankruptcy Court, D.N.J.: Resources for Legal Assistance (Newark area: legal aid offices and county bar lawyer referral numbers) and U.S. Bankruptcy Court, D.N.J.: Resources for Legal Assistance (Trenton area).

More for New Jersey

What it costs to file

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

After you file: the meeting

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

Credit counseling and debtor education

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in New Jersey

Short answer

Which court you file in, in New Jersey

In nearby states

Your next steps in New Jersey

Check where you lived

Read your court's pages

Take credit counseling

Prepare the forms

Ask for free help

Free help in New Jersey

Questions about filing in New Jersey

More for New Jersey