Rules of Court · Part 5 · New Jersey
R. 5:3-2 New Jersey Rules of Court, R. 5:3-2: Closed Hearings; Record, rendered as code with every cross-reference linked
Closed Hearings; Record
(a) Hearings on Welfare or Status of a Child. Except as otherwise provided by rule or statute requiring full or partial in camera proceedings, the court, in its discretion, may on its own or party's motion direct that any proceeding or severable part thereof involving the welfare or status of a child be conducted in private. In the child's best interests, the court may further order that a child not be present at a hearing or trial unless the testimony, which may be taken privately in chambers or under such protective orders as the court may provide, is necessary for the determination of the matter. In matters brought by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, the court shall accommodate the rights of the child as provided by N.J.S.A. 30:4C-61.2, prior to entering a permanency order. A verbatim record shall, however, be made of all in camera proceedings, including in-chamber testimony by or interrogation of a child.
(b) Sealing of Records. The court, upon demonstration of good cause and notice to all interested parties, shall have the authority to order that a Family Part file, or any portion thereof, be sealed.
Note: Source-R. (1969) 5:5-1(b). Adopted December 20, 1983, to be effective December 31, 1983; paragraphs (a) and (b) amended July 14, 1992 to be effective September 1, 1992; paragraph (a) amended June 28, 1996 to be effective September 1, 1996; paragraph (a) amended July 27, 2015 to be effective September 1, 2015.
Verbatim rule text, unmarked. Nothing here is a summary.
rule 5:3-2 "Closed Hearings; Record" {
(a) Hearings on Welfare or Status of a Child. Except as otherwise provided by rule or statute requiring full or partial in camera proceedings, the court, in its discretion, may on its own or party's motion direct that any proceeding or severable part thereof involving the welfare or status of a child be conducted in private. In the child's best interests, the court may further order that a child not be present at a hearing or trial unless the testimony, which may be taken privately in chambers or under such protective orders as the court may provide, is necessary for the determination of the matter. In matters brought by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, the court shall accommodate the rights of the child as provided by N.J.S.A. 30:4C-61.2, prior to entering a permanency order. A verbatim record shall, however, be made of all in camera proceedings, including in-chamber testimony by or interrogation of a child.
(b) Sealing of Records. The court, upon demonstration of good cause and notice to all interested parties, shall have the authority to order that a Family Part file, or any portion thereof, be sealed.
Note: Source-R. (1969) 5:5-1(b). Adopted December 20, 1983, to be effective December 31, 1983; paragraphs (a) and (b) amended July 14, 1992 to be effective September 1, 1992; paragraph (a) amended June 28, 1996 to be effective September 1, 1996; paragraph (a) amended July 27, 2015 to be effective September 1, 2015.
}
referenced_by: 1:38-3
source: njcourts.gov // verbatim; changed 2025-09-16; corpus harvested 2026-09-02← R. 5:3-1 · R. 5:3-3 → · chapter 5:3 · all rules
The Rules of Court are a government edict and carry no copyright; the text above is the Judiciary’s own publication, unchanged. Structure, links and highlighting are ours and carry no legal weight. Read the rule on njcourts.gov before you rely on it; amendments take effect each September 1.