N.J. Stat. Ann. § 10:5-1 et seq. § 10:5-14.2
Counties and municipalities over 200,000; office of civil rights; creation and establishment; officers; organization; powers
Operative Text
Any county, except as hereinafter provided or any municipality with a population of at least 200,000 in a county of the first class, may, upon approval of the Attorney General, create and establish, by ordinance or by resolution in counties not authorized to act by ordinance, an office of civil rights to be administered by a county or municipal director of civil rights who shall be appointed by the appointing authority of the county or municipality. No county in which a municipality has established an office of civil rights prior to the effective date of this amendatory act shall hereafter establish a civil rights office pursuant to this amendatory act. In addition, the governing body may provide for the employment of such other officers including hearing examiners and attorneys, and employees as may be necessary or desirable for the proper conduct of the affairs of the office. The qualifications of the director, hearing examiner and attorneys shall be subject to approval by the Attorney General. A county or municipal office thus established shall have and exercise those powers to enforce the Law Against Discrimination as may be delegated to it as provided in section 2 of this act. L.1977, c. 121, s. 1, eff. June 6, 1977. Amended by L.1980, c. 87, s. 1, eff. Aug. 21, 1980.
Under N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq. § 10:5-14.2, qualifying New Jersey counties and municipalities with populations of at least 200,000 in first-class counties may, with the Attorney General's approval, create a local office of civil rights by ordinance or resolution. That office is led by a director whose qualifications must be approved by the Attorney General, and it may also employ hearing examiners and attorneys. Once established, the office holds delegated authority to enforce the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination at the local level, though no county may create such an office if a municipality within it already had one before the law's amendment.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating in New Jersey should be aware that under N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq. § 10:5-14.2, their county or municipality may have established a local civil rights office with delegated authority to enforce the Law Against Discrimination. Compliant operators generally familiarize themselves with whether such a local office exists in their jurisdiction, since fair-housing complaints may be filed and investigated at that level in addition to state channels. Staying current on local civil rights office procedures helps operators maintain practices consistent with anti-discrimination obligations under the Law Against Discrimination.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants in New Jersey should know that N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq. § 10:5-14.2 authorizes qualifying counties and large municipalities to operate their own civil rights offices with the power to enforce the Law Against Discrimination locally. If you believe you have experienced housing discrimination, one general path is to inquire whether your county or municipality has established such an office, as it may accept and investigate complaints alongside state-level agencies. Tenant-rights organizations can help identify which local or state bodies—including any office created under § 10:5-14.2—may be relevant to a discrimination concern.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 6, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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