Every civil action filed in the Superior Court, except civil commitment actions brought pursuant to R. 4:74-7 and actions in probate, foreclosure and all other general equity actions, shall be assigned by case type as prescribed by the Case Information Statement in Appendix XII to these Rules to one of the four tracks as therein specified, namely, Track I, Track II, Track III, and Track IV. The court shall make the assignment at the time the complaint and Case Information Statement are filed. All summary actions commenced by order to show cause shall be assigned to Track I.
Rule 4:5A-1.Tracks defined
Last amended September 5, 2000 · Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 7, 2026
In one sentenceRule 4:5A-1 assigns most Superior Court civil cases to one of four case-management tracks (I through IV) by case type at filing, based on the Case Information Statement, with summary actions by order to show cause placed on Track I.
Full Text of Rule 4:5A-1
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.
Adopted July 5, 2000 to be effective September 5, 2000.
Plain-English Summary
New Jersey manages civil cases by track. This rule assigns every Superior Court civil action — except civil-commitment, probate, foreclosure, and other general-equity matters — to one of four tracks according to its case type, as prescribed by the Case Information Statement in Appendix XII. The court makes the assignment when the complaint and Case Information Statement are filed.
The track sets the rhythm of the case, most visibly the length of the discovery period, so getting the case type right at filing matters. Summary actions commenced by order to show cause are placed on Track I. The details of notice and any change of assignment follow in Rule 4:5A-2.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the New Jersey civil case tracks?
Four case-management tracks, Track I through Track IV, assigned by case type under the Case Information Statement. The track largely determines the discovery period and pace of the case.
Which cases are not assigned to a track?
Civil-commitment actions under Rule 4:74-7, probate actions, foreclosure actions, and other general-equity actions are outside the four-track assignment. Summary actions by order to show cause are placed on Track I.
Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the
official New Jersey Rules of Court (N.J. Ct. R. 4:5A-1). 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: case trackstrack assignmentTrack I II III IVdiscovery trackcase type assignment