The Board of Commissioners is the County’s chief governing body. Three at‑large elected members serve four‑year terms and perform both executive and legislative functions. They sit on the Salary, Prison, Retirement, and Election Boards. Commissioners appoint the real‑property assessment board, set the annual budget and tax rates, authorize expenditures, oversee elections, manage county property, maintain roads and buildings, and ensure care of prisoners. The County Charter requires the board to include both a majority and a minority party.

The District Attorney is the chief law enforcement officer of the County of Berks. They are responsible for investigating, charging, and prosecuting all state criminal actions.

The Register of Wills determines whether a document should be accepted as a decedent’s valid last will and can hold hearings, take testimony, review evidence, and issue decisions when probate disputes arise. As Clerk of Orphans’ Court, the office maintains adoption and guardianship records and issues marriage licenses. The Register also permanently preserves all records filed there, making the office a valuable resource for genealogical research. 

The Sheriff's Office is responsible for elements of criminal court, civil court, enforcement of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code and Motor Vehicle Code, and has a licensing issuance and enforcement function. The office service area not only includes all of Berks County but is often required to travel the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the entire United States. The Sheriff's Office is organized into 6 Divisions: Civil, Court, Patrol, Central Booking, K-9 and Warrants. They issue firearm carry permits, service civil court documents, levy on personal property and real estate, and transport prisoners to court appearances.

The Recorder of Deeds Office records all county deeds, mortgages, and real estate transactions. It handles Notary Public commissions and oaths, maintains military discharge records, issues Veterans ID cards, and records subdivision plans and highway maps. The office collects real estate transfer taxes and related fees, records real‑estate UCC liens, and maintains commissions and bonds for county officials. It also preserves older documents no longer newly recorded, including corporate charters, nonprofit charters, and chattel mortgages.

The Controller oversees all county fiscal affairs, auditing and approving every bill, claim, and demand. The office issues and records vouchers, maintains all financial documents, and keeps complete books of county operations. It sets standards for how county officers maintain fiscal records, classifies all financial transactions, reports on the county’s financial condition, and audits, settles, and adjusts accounts for county officers, the minor judiciary, tax collectors, and other miscellaneous offices.