Each action is assigned a case number by the Clerk's Office. Essentially, the case number is composed of five parts, although it is not always written completely in that form. The first digit is the division where the case was filed (1: Camden, 2: Newark, and 3: Trenton). For example, a case filed in Trenton would start with 3. After the division number and colon is the year the case was filed (e.g., 98, 99, 00) and cv for civil, cr for criminal, mc for miscellaneous, and m for magistrate. This is followed by the sequential case number, and then the initials of the presiding judge.

Sample Case Number: 3:00-cv-5 (GEB).

The sample indicates the case was filed in Trenton (Office 3), that it is the fifth case filed in the District in 2000 and that it was assigned to Judge Garrett E. Brown.

Usually the Case Number is written in this form: Civil 00-5 (GEB), however in the computer database you will see it written as 3:0 -cv-5.