Letter from the Clerk

The Office of the County Clerk is one of the first and oldest in the state. The County Clerk, in the State of New Jersey, is 1 of 3 Constitutional Officers, along with the sheriff and surrogate, elected by the people of their respective counties. Although the office was not provided for in the Constitution of New Jersey until 1884 and again in 1947, the history of the “keeper of records” dates back to the late 1600s.

At that time, it was decided a register, within the Providence of West Jersey, would keep exact entries and records of all public affairs, land grants and leases. Today’s Burlington County Clerk's Office retains records dating back to the mid-1770s.

In the State of New Jersey, there are 21 County Clerks, each elected to a term of 5-years. The Burlington County Clerk still has the responsibility of recording land transactions, such as deeds and mortgages, from the 40 Municipalities within Burlington County, as traced back to the office’s humble beginning.

In addition, the County Clerk plays a significant role in the conducting of elections in Burlington County. The office supplies petitions for county and municipal offices, is the filing office for petitions for county office, and independent petitions for both county and municipal office, designs and prints all election ballots; processes all vote-by-mail applications; and Supplies and Accepts Petitions for "School Board".

Although this list is extensive, it is not exhaustive. Please feel free to explore the Clerk’s Office website for all that we have to offer.
- Timothy D. Tyler, Clerk