Constitutional Officers

Office of the County Clerk
The County Clerk is one of three elected "Constitutional Officers" within Atlantic County. The County Clerk is the official recorder of all legal documents related to real estate in Atlantic County.

Documents such as deeds, mortgages, cancellations, federal tax liens, and maps related to the subdivision of land, are all maintained in the Record Room of the Atlantic County Clerk's Office inside the Government Complex in Mays Landing. Approximately 140,000 documents are processed and recorded annually.

The County Clerk designs and produces the official ballots for the annual Primary, General and School Elections and maintains Elections Reports as required by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Division. Additionally, the Clerk's Office is responsible for processing Absentee Ballots for all elections in Atlantic County and certifying election results.

The County Clerk also serves a wide range of public service functions including; County Clerk photo ID cards, U.S. Passport Acceptance Agent, Notary Public Oaths, Business Trade Name Certificate filing, and Veteran Vendor's licenses. The County Clerk conducts Outreach Programs on a regular basis for senior citizens, civic and community organizations in Atlantic County providing ID cards and other services.

The County Clerk's main office is located inside of the Atlantic County Government Complex in Mays Landing as well as satellite locations in Atlantic City and on a limited basis in Hammonton and Galloway.

Office of the Prosecutor
The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office follows a statutory mandate to prosecute all indictable criminal activity in the County, through the lawful detection, arrest, indictment and conviction of offenders.

As the chief law enforcement officer in Atlantic County, the Prosecutor provides guidance and direction to municipal police departments to ensure uniform conduct of law enforcement personnel and implements all directives from the State Attorney General.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office is comprised of three divisions, each of which functions under the Prosecutor's guidance in it's respective area of responsibility.

The Litigation Division processes criminal cases through the courts. It handles functions mandated by Megan's Law and includes the Grand Jury, Trial, Juvenile, Domestic Violence, Special Litigation, and Victim-Witness units. Included within the Trial Section is the Gun Violence Prosecution unit.

The Investigations Division is comprised of specialized units that address certain categories of crime through detection, investigation, arrest and prosecution of offenders. The units include Major Crimes, which investigates all homicides in Atlantic County, Violent Crimes, Narcotics, Intelligence, Financial Crimes, Insurance Fraud, Official Corruption, Arson, Crimes Against Children, Sex Crimes, Fatal Collision,
Computer Crimes, and Forensics/Identification.

The Administration Division is responsible for office and budget management, personnel, computer information systems, records management, building operations and security and employee safety.

Sheriff's Office
The Atlantic County Sheriff's Office is a law enforcement agency with county wide jurisdiction mandated by the State Constitution. As the only elected law enforcement officer, the Sheriff is responsible for providing a variety of functions associated with the judicial process and enforcement of law.

The Office is comprised of two Divisions, Operations and Staff Services. Special Sections function within each Division with appropriate management oversight.

The Operations Division fields sections which carry out judicial security, prisoner transport, identification, arrest of fugitives, crime scene processing and emergency response.

The Staff Services Division is comprised of sections including Legal Services, which provides for the services of all civil process and sheriff's sales. Community Affairs administers the "Crime Prevention Programs" and Community Awareness Projects associated with crime prevention targeting children and the elderly. Communications is the hub for county law enforcement inquiries and requests for mutual aid and provides response to requests from municipal, county, and state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Surrogate's Court Judge, Deputy Clerk of Superior Court, Chancery Division - Probate Part
The Surrogate acts in a dual capacity, as Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court, (Chancery Division, Probate Part) and as Judge and Clerk of the Surrogate's Court.

All filings in the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part, are done in the Surrogate's office, and after processing, are made part of the case file and presented to the appropriate Judge. After hearings are completed the filings are then recorded and acted upon by the Surrogate's office. Among those matters handled are estate accountings, incapacitated person proceedings, contested probate and similar matters. The Surrogate's office audits all accountings filed by fiduciaries. Handled in the same fashion are all adoption pleadings in the Chancery Division, Family Part. The Surrogate's Court handles all probating of wills, appointment of executors, administrators, guardians, trustees and other matters pertaining to the administration of estates. The Office also administers the Intermingled Fund for minors and incapacitated persons.