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.
Also called: City Clerk · City Recorder · Court Clerk · License Clerk · License Specialist · Motor Vehicle Field Representative (MVFR)
Median pay (national)
$47,700
$34,860–$72,370 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
170,010
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3%
~18,500 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for court, municipal, and license clerks shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $72,370 versus $34,860 at the bottom 10% — 2.1x. The median of $47,700 leaves roughly 52% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 18,500 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 50 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $62,460, +31% vs the national median), while Mississippi sits lowest at $36,070 — a 73% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Instruct parties about timing of court appearances.
- Perform administrative tasks, such as answering telephone calls, filing court documents, or maintaining office supplies or equipment.
- 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.
- Prepare documents recording the outcomes of court proceedings.
- Prepare and issue orders of the court, such as probation orders, release documentation, sentencing information, or summonses.
- Examine legal documents submitted to courts for adherence to laws or court procedures.
- Verify the authenticity of documents, such as foreign identification or immigration documents.
- Question applicants to obtain required information, such as name, address, or age, and record data on prescribed forms.
- Answer questions or provide advice to the public regarding licensing policies, procedures, or regulations.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- Zoom
- Abilis CORIS Offender Management System
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Data Technologies Summit
- IBM Judicial Enforcement Management System JEMS
- IBM Notes
- LexisNexis
- Spreadsheet applications
- Syscon Court Clerk
- Thomson Reuters Westlaw
- Work scheduling software
- Adobe Acrobat
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- Law and Government
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Personnel and Human Resources