When must a municipal clerk be appointed registrar based on population?

A municipal clerk must be appointed registrar when the population is less than 5,000. This is established by New Jersey law, which outlines the responsibilities and requirements for the position of registrar of vital statistics. The law designates that in municipalities with a population under this threshold, the municipal clerk takes on the role of registrar to ensure the efficient handling of vital records, such as births, deaths, and marriages. This provision helps streamline the administrative processes in smaller municipalities, where designated registrars may not be feasible.

In contrast, municipalities with populations exceeding this limit often have the resources or need to designate separate individuals for this role to handle the increasing volume of vital records. Understanding this population criterion is crucial for municipal clerks, as it dictates their responsibilities and organizational structure in relation to vital statistics management.