Office and administrative support
Court, municipal, and license clerks
Perform clerical duties for courts of law, municipalities, or governmental licensing agencies and bureaus. May prepare docket of cases to be called; secure information for judges and court; prepare draft agendas or bylaws for town or city council; answer official correspondence; keep fiscal records and accounts; issue licenses or permits; and record data, administer tests, or collect fees.
Median pay
$48,700
Growth to 2035
+3%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
17,100
Time to qualify*
12 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Court, municipal, and license clerks
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to court, municipal, and license clerks
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Court, municipal, and license clerks: 8% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Plan or direct the maintenance, filing, safekeeping, or computerization of all municipal documents.
- Examine legal documents submitted to courts for adherence to laws or court procedures.
- Record case dispositions, court orders, or arrangements made for payment of court fees.
- Answer inquiries from the general public regarding judicial procedures, court appearances, trial dates, adjournments, outstanding warrants, summonses, subpoenas, witness fees, or payment of fines.
- Perform general office duties, such as taking or transcribing dictation, typing or proofreading correspondence, distributing or filing official forms, or scheduling appointments.
- Question applicants to obtain required information, such as name, address, or age, and record data on prescribed forms.
- Instruct parties about timing of court appearances.
- Perform administrative tasks, such as answering telephone calls, filing court documents, or maintaining office supplies or equipment.
Also called: City Clerk · City Recorder · City Secretary · Court Clerk · License Clerk · License Specialist · Motor Vehicle Licensing Clerk · Municipal Clerk
Outlook and AI
Court, municipal, and license clerks held 187,000 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 193,300 by 2035 (+3%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Court, municipal, and license clerks vs. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Court, municipal, and license clerks vs. Compliance officer
- Court, municipal, and license clerks vs. Office clerks, general
- Court, municipal, and license clerks vs. Paralegal
- Court, municipal, and license clerks vs. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Court, municipal, and license clerks vs. Administrative assistant
- Court, municipal, and license clerks vs. Correspondence clerk
- Court, municipal, and license clerks vs. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Court, municipal, and license clerks vs. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Court, municipal, and license clerks vs. Receptionists and information clerks