PRINCIPAL TITLE EXAMINER
To land Principal Title Examiner in New Jersey you go through the competitive route: you sit an announced exam and the score puts you on the eligible list agencies hire from.
A bachelor's degree is the listed credential, and extra years on the job can be traded for it. The FY2026 range lands between $77,144 and $113,264, and state payroll currently lists 4 people in the title, most of them at Transportation.
How to apply
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Exam
This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.
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Exam
Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.
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Agency posting
Department of Transportation posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 4 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $105,251. The agencies employing the most are:
- Transportation (4)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.
Definition
Under the direction of a Title Officer, or other higher supervisory official in the Department of Transportation, performs work in one or several disciplined areas involved in applying the laws and principles of Eminent Domain activities associated with the acquisition and disposition of real property; supervises staff and work activities; supervise an operational area of one or more of the following disciplines: field searching; title examining; outside consultants or title companies; agreement processing; condemnation processing; records retention; special projects; prepares and signs official performance evaluations for subordinate staff; does related work as required.
Examples of work
Reviews title commitments for title agencies for compliance with Department standards, New Jersey Real Estate Law and Practice, and New Jersey State Statutes as part of the Dedication process. As requested, reviews files and records to gather the appropriate information to meet the requirements of OPRA requests. Determines if property being acquired is encumbered by a dominant estate (DE) and if a DE parcel is necessary. Performs map reviews determining the accuracy of the Department's General Property Parcel Maps and verifies descriptions associated with individual parcels. Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees. Advises property owners and their attorneys as to the validity of titles, the removal of encumbrances, and the procedures to be taken to remove title defects. May testify in Court as to title investigations. Assigns preliminary project requests to field personnel and tracks progress; prepares reports of findings. Assigns or may perform work involving the examining and analysis of the title search and prepares the Title Report indicating the name of the record owner and sets forth all liens and encumbrances and exceptions affecting title. Prepares complex Title Memoranda ensuring proper legal format. Advises the owners and attorneys of the condition of and/or defects in title, and assists in removing such encumbrances. Examines legal instruments tendered to the Department by the grantor or his/her attorney, to determine the completeness of such instruments and proper execution thereof. Prepares certifications of title for the signature of the Title Officer and for submission to the Deputy Attorney General showing the condition of title with details of the encumbrances to be adjudicated at final settlement or closing, including the recordation of the various deeds of conveyance. Facilitates activities between mortgagee and title holder as necessary for the execution of partial release of mortgage or subordination agreements by the mortgagee. Performs and supervises special assignments involving the inventory, cataloging, evaluation, acquisition and disposal of State owned or leased real property and prepares reports, as required. Investigates and clarifies problem areas with respect to the most complex determinations of State real property ownership, title searches, Department jurisdiction, and property boundaries. Performs and supervises investigations in response to Tort claims as assigned to determine State interest and prepares reports to support findings. Refers instruments to the Deputy Attorney General for approval; and provides for the necessary recording of instruments in the Office of Clerk or the Register of Deeds. Meets with property owners or their representatives or their lending institutions for final settlement. May assist in the coordination of title related activities with Right of Way consultant firms including assisting in the monitoring of all title related activities of the consultant. As required, provides reports to management regarding cost, schedule and scope of title related activities. Prepares Department Action Slips and supporting documentation. Prepares comprehensive reports regarding ownership and reversionary rights. Coordinates with the other operating units within the Department, regarding plan preparation, parcel revision, plan interpretation and the need for possible design changes. Reviews Department Actions associated with Award or Judgment Cases for Eminent Domain and executes required action. Contacts Judgment creditors, Tax Sale Certificate Holders, Lenders and/or other parties having interest for service of legal process. Reviews the Case Summary as prepared and assembles cases for transmission to Title Officer. Coordinates the processing of payment vouchers, including the final payments between all necessary parties. Ensures the administration of the accounting process, providing quality control and supervision for validity of payment requests. Supervises the collection of necessary data in order to calculate reimbursements and other payments; assesses the Department's liability to remit tax reimbursements and/or municipal payments; and orders final payments in accordance with New Jersey Statutes. Prepares various Deeds of conveyance, release of mortgage, discharge or satisfaction of mortgage, warrant of satisfaction of judgments, affidavits, and such other instruments as required to satisfy the provisions of an agreement for acquisition of property by the State. Prepares clear, accurate, and technically complex reports and correspondence. Maintains records and files. Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office or related units.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of the terms, form, content, purpose and interpretation of legal documents, including deeds, agreements, easements, restrictions, mortgages, mortgage cancellations, and other documents of cancellation, discharge and/or release. Knowledge of New Jersey real property, corporate, and partnership statutes. Knowledge of the organization, of County records, and of the methods used in locating and abstracting information. Knowledge of the types of title and related documents used in the sale of real estate. Knowledge of research methods and report writing. Knowledge of the creation of titles emanating from the Board of Proprietors of either East Jersey or West Jersey. Knowledge of the preparation of deeds. Knowledge of the Right of Way Procedural Manual including Acquisition and Property Management and the Capital Project Delivery Guidelines. Knowledge of the concept of Eminent Domain and the agreement regulations as specified in the policies of the Department pertaining to the acquisition of property for right of way purposes. Ability to make final determinations as to reversionary interests affecting railroad and other acquisitions. Ability to comprehend, interpret and effectively explain laws, regulations, policies, standards and procedures relating to the acquisition, use, and maintenance of leased and owned property programs and to apply them to specific situations. Ability to correlate data from a wide variety of sources and utilize such information in determinations of titles to real property and other related basic information having an effect upon property acquisition. Ability to comprehend the meaning and final effect of documents and action upon the legal ownership and status of real property. Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationship with owners, lenders and their attorneys. Ability to interpret and explain plans, procedures and documents to property owners in terms which they can understand. Ability to read, comprehend, interpret, and effectively explain contracts, legal agreements, property descriptions, and site maps. Ability to resolve complex problems. Ability to supervise assigned staff and plan, organize, and implement projects within the unit. Ability to work effectively with others. Ability to prepare technical correspondence in the course of official duties. Ability to prepare and supervise the preparation of clear, legally sound, accurate and informative reports on title and related matters for the Title Officer and the Attorney General, containing findings, conclusions and recommendations. Ability to supervise and/or maintain the required records and files. Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. This job specification is applicable to the following title code(s) which are different work week or work month and/or variants of the job class title: Job Spec Code State, Local or Common Class of Service Work Week State Class Code Local Class Code Salary Range
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in the job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience. Ten (10) years of professional experience in title searching and other work incidental to the conveyance of real estate. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and six (6) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. "Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgment and make accurate and informed decisions. SCNL24N/AR24- SCN424N/AR25- This job specification is for government use only. Salary range is only applicable to state government. Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions. 8/05/2017