County clerk

The term "county clerk" has been commonly applied, in several English-speaking countries, to an official of a county government.

United States

Most counties in the U.S. have an elected county clerk whose responsibilities typically include election administration, the collection and filing of vital records such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses. A county clerk may also be the clerk to the local court system, with responsibilities for accepting and maintaining case files and other legal records. In some states, such as New Jersey, the County Clerk is also the recorder of deeds. In some rural counties with relatively small populations, the clerk also exercises basic oversight and administrative authority over personnel and day to day operations of county government. These duties are often performed by a county administrator or other such executive officer in counties with larger populations.

New Zealand

New Zealand had counties in 1876-1989. Originally, the chief administrative officer of each county was titled "County Clerk". In the 1970s the city and county administrative procedures were largely merged; the Local Government Act 1974 declared that every such person (along with his or her urban counterpart the town clerk) should henceforth be styled the "Chief Administrative Officer".

See also

Recorder of deeds