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The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | Summer 2025
Daniel’ s Law Is Enforceable, and Actionable— But Only If You Are Registered and Vigilant If you are a public official in New Jersey, the Kratovil decision makes one thing clear: Daniel’ s Law is not just symbolic, it is enforceable. Here’ s what you need to do to protect yourself and your family:
1. Opt in to Daniel’ s Law protections – It is hard to overstate how important this step is. Daniel’ s Law only applies if you have officially opted in through the State portal and have notified the necessary agencies. If you believe you are a Covered Person, you may register for Daniel’ s Law here. If you have not taken this step, you have no protection under Daniel ' s Law, regardless of our position or the risks you face.
2. Know what ' s covered – Daniel’ s Law protects only your home address and unlisted phone number, not your name, job title, or general location.
3. Send a formal notice under Daniel ' s Law – If your information is published or re-published, and you have opted in to the protections, you must provide formal written notice under Daniel’ s Law. Once you send the notification, the person or entity has 10 business days to either remove the protected information or be prevented from publication before any enforcement measures can be pursued. Once notified, no further republication of the covered person’ s home address can occur, without consequences. If this notification is not sent to the person, association, or business, the law cannot be enforced, even if your information is supposed to be protected.
4. Remove your information from public website and records – Once you have opted in, you can request that your address and unlisted phone number be removed from online databases and certain government records. These extra steps help strengthen your privacy beyond Daniel’ s Law.
5. Educate those around you – Even if you’ ve taken the right steps, your protection under Daniel’ s Law is only as strong as the people and systems around you. Make sure your colleagues, supervisors, union representatives, and administrative staff understand what Daniel’ s Law is, how it works, and what it means for you. Taking this time helps ensure you and your family’ s privacy and safety is respected and may help others protect themselves too.
The lesson from the Kratovil decision is a reminder that public service should not come at the cost of you and your family’ s safety and privacy. In a time when personal information is more accessible than ever, Daniel’ s Law is a now court-approved tool for safeguarding public officials and their families. If you are eligible, use it.
If you have any questions about Daniel’ s Law, please visit the FAQ webpage, which can be found here.
Susan K. O’ Connor was the lead counsel representing the City of New Brunswick and Director Caputo in the matter of Kratovil v. City of New Brunswick and Director Caputo. She is a member of Hoagland Longo’ s Executive Committee and a leader of the Civil Rights and Employment Litigation practice group. Susan can be reached at soconnor @ hoaglandlongo. com or at 732-545-4717.
Special thanks to Alexandrea Williams, who assisted in writing the Supreme Court brief and this blog. She is an Associate in Hoagland Longo’ s Civil Rights and Employment Litigation practice group. Alexandrea can be reached at awilliams @ hoaglandlongo. com or at 732-545-4717
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1
N. J. S. A. 56: 8-166. 1( d); N. J. S. A. 47: 1B-1 to-2.
2
N. J. S. A. 56:8-166.1( a)( 2); N. J. S. A. 2C: 20-31.1( c).
3
N. J. S. A. 56:8-166( a)( 1); N. J. S. A. 2C: 20-31.1( b).
4
261 N. J. 1( 2025)
5
261 N. J. 1, 42( 2025)
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