Title 47, Title 47: PUBLIC RECORDS

47:3-14. Effective date This act shall take effect July first, one thousand nine hundred and fifty-three. L.1953, c. 270, p. 1799, s. 2.

47:3-15. Short title This act shall be known and cited as "Destruction of Public Records Law (1953)." L.1953, c. 410, p. 2061, s. 1, eff. Sept. 18, 1953.

47:3-16. Terms defined 2. As used in this act, except where the context indicates otherwise, the words "public records" mean any paper, written or printed book, document or drawing, map or plan, photograph, microfilm, data processed or image processed document, sound-recording or…

47:3-17. Consent of bureau to disposition or destruction of public records or documents No person shall destroy, sell or otherwise dispose of any public record, archives or printed public documents which are under his control or in his care or custody, whether or not they are in …

47:3-18. Classifications and categories The bureau may from time to time establish specific classifications and categories for various types of the said "public records" and, in giving its consent as provided herein, may do so in a general and continuing manner according to the s…

47:3-19. Schedules The bureau, in co-operation with the several State departments, commissions and agencies, shall make a study of the kind and character of public records in their control or custody and shall prepare proposed schedules for submission to the State Records Committ…

47:3-20. State Records Committee; approval of schedule; regulations No such schedule shall be operative unless approved by the State Records Committee which is hereby established in the State Department of Education and which shall consist of the State Treasurer, the Attorney-Gen…

47:3-21. Schedule; filing of copy; retention of original Whenever any such schedule is approved by the committee, a copy thereof shall be filed with the State department, commission or agency involved and with the State Auditor, and the original approval shall be retained by the …

47:3-22. Liability of officials and others for destruction of public records No State official, or head of a State department, commission or other agency shall be held liable on his official bond, or in the way of damages for loss, or in any other manner, civil or criminal, becau…

47:3-23. Cancelled bonds and other evidences of indebtedness; destruction Whenever, under the laws of this State, there shall have been issued and sold by the State or by any municipality, county, or school district, bonds, coupons, or other evidences of indebtedness and such bon…

47:3-24. Time for destruction or other disposition of bonds and other evidences of indebtedness The bureau, subject to regulations which shall be made and promulgated by the State Records Committee established by section six hereof, may give its consent to the immediate destructi…

47:3-25. Certificate of destruction; filing; evidence Whenever bonds, coupons or other evidences of indebtedness are destroyed or otherwise disposed of under the provisions of this section, a certificate of destruction shall be prepared by the official having charge of such destr…

47:3-26. Standards, procedures and rules 12. The Bureau of Archives and History in the Department of Education, with the approval of the State Records Committee established by section six hereof, shall formulate standards, procedures and rules for the photographing, microphotogra…

47:3-27. Public records in private possession, bureau may demand The bureau is empowered to demand and receive from any person any public record in private possession belonging to this State, or to any county, municipality or school district thereof. L.1953, c. 410, p. 2066, s. 1…

47:3-28. Public records in private possession, person entitled to custody may demand Any person who is entitled by law to the custody of public records shall demand the same from any person in whose possession they may be, and such records forthwith shall be delivered to the offi…

47:3-29. Removal, alteration or destruction of public records with malicious intent Any person who, without the consent of the person authorized to have custody thereof, removes an official record or paper from the files of any public agency or body, or who alters any map, plat, …

47:3-30. Rules and regulations The bureau shall, with the approval of the State Records Committee established by section six hereof, make and promulgate rules and regulations for the effective administration of the laws relating the public records. L.1953, c. 410, p. 2066, s. 16.…

47:3-31. Repeal Sections 47:3-1 to 47:3-6 of the Revised Statutes and "An act concerning the destruction of cancelled and redeemed acknowledgments of indebtedness, commonly known as "scrip,' which have been issued and sold by any municipality or county, and supplementing chapter …

47:3-32. Inconsistency between provisions of this act and other acts In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this act and the provisions of "An act concerning certain papers and records on file in the offices of the county clerks and registers of deeds and mor…

47:3-8.1. Copies of reports of audit filed with director of Division of Local Government; destruction; notice Every certified duplicate copy of a report of audit filed with the director of the Division of Local Government in the Department of the Treasury, pursuant to section 40:…

47:3-8.2. Copies of reports of audits; for years 1918 to 1940; opportunity to receive before destruction The said director is authorized to destroy all copies of reports of audits for the years one thousand nine hundred and eighteen to one thousand nine hundred and forty, inclusi…

47:3-9 Removal, destruction of certain papers. 1. Whenever papers as described herein have been on file in the office of the county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages for more than the number of years specified, the county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages, having ch…