1. Whenever papers as described herein have been on file in the office of the county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages for more than the number of years specified, the county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages, having charge thereof, may direct the papers be removed and destroyed, subject, however, to the limitations imposed herein.

The following may be removed and destroyed pursuant to the provisions of this act:

(a) Admissions to the bar, notices of intention to apply for admissions, after one year;

(b) Appeals, notices from local criminal courts, and other papers incidental thereto, where the appeals were not heard and disposed of by specific court action, after five years;

(c) Bills of sale upon condition and other papers in the nature of conditional bills of sale, after six years; provided their expiration dates occurred prior to the six years; and further provided, if their expiration dates shall have been extended by the acts of the parties and notice of the acts shall have been given to the county recording officer, then after six years from their expiration dates as so extended; and further provided, that bills of sale under seal, after twenty-two years instead of after six years;

(d) Bonds given as bail and recognizances in connection with or in lieu of bail, and discharges of the same, after six years; provided notations thereof have been entered on the dockets;

(e) Bonds under orders of filiation, after twenty years;

(f) Certificates of authority filed by insurance and bonding companies, after six years;

(g) Chattel mortgages, after six years; provided their expiration dates occurred prior to the six years; and further provided, if their expiration dates shall have been extended by the acts of the parties and notice of the acts shall have been given to the county recording officer, then after six years from their expiration dates as so extended; and further provided, that chattel mortgages under seal, after twenty-two years instead of after six years;

(h) Contracts, plans, and specifications for the construction of buildings and other structures except for public buildings, after ten years;

(i) Convictions of disorderly persons, after five years;

(j) Costs, bills of costs taxed by the clerk, both civil and criminal, after twenty years; provided notations thereof have been entered on the dockets;

(k) Depositions, which are not within the scope of any applicable court rule and which do not pertain to any pending court action or proceeding, after ten years;

(l) Delinquent municipal tax returns for real and personal property and discharges therefor, after twenty years;

(m) Elections returns, certificates of, and all other papers relating to elections, including primary petitions, returns for primary and general elections, and statements of candidates’ campaign managers and treasurers, after five years;

(n) Executions returned by the sheriff, both satisfied and unsatisfied, after twenty years; provided notations thereof have been entered on the dockets;

(o) Extradition papers including applications for writs of habeas corpus, except judgments thereon, after five years;

(p) Indictments, accusations, informations, and complaints in the nature thereof, if nolle prossed, or if the defendant charged thereby has been convicted or acquitted, or if the court has otherwise disposed of the same, after five years;

(q) Inquests conducted by the coroners, and their reports, and other papers relating to sudden deaths, after ten years;

(r) Insolvency proceedings, assignments for the benefit of creditors, inventories in the proceedings, discharges of insolvents, and other papers relating or incidental to insolvency proceedings, after twenty years;

(s) Institutions and agencies, commitments other than in criminal or mental incapacity cases, reports, and other papers relating to institutions and agencies, after thirty years;

(t) Judgment transcripts for docketing, after twenty years; provided notations thereof have been entered on the dockets;

(u) Judgments, satisfactions and discharges, and releases of judgments, after twenty years; provided notations thereof have been entered on the dockets;

(v) Juries, lists of Grand and petit juries, and other papers relating to summoning, impaneling, and the charging of the juries, after five years;

(w) Justices of the peace bonds, dockets, files, and papers, after twenty years;

(x) Licenses for hunting, including applications, after two years;

(y) Lien notices and claims other than mechanics’ lien claims, and other than lien notices or notices in the nature of lien notices filed by any State, county, or municipal agency, after six years;

(z) Lists of causes for trial calendars, including notices of trial, after one year;

(aa) Proceedings for commitments to psychiatric institutions, including medical and other reports relating thereto, after thirty years;

(bb) Mechanics’ lien and construction lien claims, notices of intention, notices of unpaid balance and right to file lien, stop notices, and all papers relating to mechanics’ lien and construction lien claims, other than proceedings and actions in the courts brought to enforce the lien claims, after six years;

(cc) Notary public certificates and qualifying papers, after five years;

(dd) Notices and other papers, authorized or required by law to be filed but not recorded and not involving title to real or personal property or to proceedings or actions in any court, after ten years;

(ee) Oaths of office of persons whose incumbency in office has ceased, after five years; provided the term of office of the person expired prior to the five years;

(ff) Permits to carry firearms which have expired, including the applications therefor, after two years;

(gg) Prison records and reports and papers relating thereto, after five years;

(hh) Probation reports and papers relating thereto, after five years;

(ii) Referees’ reports, not forming a part of the record of a proceeding or action in court, after six years;

The several periods of time shall be computed from the date of the filing of the papers.

The county clerk and the register of deeds and mortgages may retain on file any of the papers as a part of the permanent records of the office.

L.1953, c.269, s.1; amended 2013, c.103, s.126.