Rule 4:100.Civil docket

Last amended September 1, 1996 · Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 7, 2026

In one sentenceRule 4:100 has the court clerk enter every action in the Civil Docket, assign it a docket number on the first filing, notify each side's attorney of that number, and requires attorneys to mark every later paper with it.

Full Text of Rule 4:100

Text size

The Clerk of the Superior Court or, where provided by law or these rules, the deputy clerk of the Superior Court shall enter each action in the Civil Docket. Upon the filing of the first paper in any action the clerk shall assign a docket number to the action and promptly notify plaintiff’s attorney of such number. Like notice shall be given to the defendant’s attorney upon the filing of the first paper on behalf of the defendant. Thereafter the attorneys shall number every paper to be filed by them in the action with such docket number.

Amendment History

New Jersey publishes each rule’s amendment record in a “History” note beneath the rule. It is reproduced verbatim below; the “R.R.” citations refer to the former Revised Rules numbering the current rules replaced.

Source-R.R. 4:120-1. Amended July 22, 1983 to be effective September 12, 1983; amended July 13, 1994 to be effective September 1, 1994; amended June 28, 1996 to be effective September 1, 1996.

Plain-English Summary

Every civil action gets logged the same way: the Clerk of the Superior Court, or the deputy clerk where the rules provide for one, enters the action in the Civil Docket as soon as the first paper is filed, assigns it a docket number, and promptly tells the plaintiff's attorney what that number is. The defendant's attorney gets the same notice once the first paper on the defense side is filed. From then on, every paper either side files in the action has to carry that docket number.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is an action assigned a docket number?

Upon the filing of the first paper in the action, at which point the clerk notifies the plaintiff's attorney of the number.

Must every later filing in the case reference the docket number?

Yes, attorneys must number every paper they file in the action with the assigned docket number.

Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the official New Jersey Rules of Court (N.J. Ct. R. 4:100). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey (N.J. Const. art. VI, § 2, ¶ 3). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 7, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: civil docketdocket number