[20] South Toms River was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 28, 1927, from portions of Berkeley Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 3, 1927.

[1][2] The borough borders the Ocean County municipalities of Beachwood, Berkeley Township and Toms River.

[6] The borough form of government used by South Toms River is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie.

The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council.

[37][38] As of 2023[update], the mayor of South Toms River Borough is Republican Oscar Cradle, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026.

[3] Members of the Borough Council are Council President Sandford Ross Jr. (R, 2023), Samuel S. Fennell (R, 2024), Tanya M. Mosley (R, 2025), Edward F. Murray (R, 2023), Kayla Rolzhausen (R, 2024; appointed to serve an unexpired term) and Thomas Rolzhausen (R, 2025).

[39][40][41][42][43][44][45] In January 2023, Kayla Rolzhausen was appointed to fill the borough council seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Oscar Cradle and became vacant when he took office as mayor.

[47] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 4th congressional district is represented by Chris Smith (R, Manchester Township).

[50] For the 2024-2025 session, the 10th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by James W. Holzapfel (R, Toms River) and in the General Assembly by Paul Kanitra (R, Point Pleasant Beach) and Gregory P. McGuckin (R, Toms River).

[57][58][59] Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are: Clerk Scott M. Colabella (R, 2025, Barnegat Light),[60][61] Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy (R, 2025; Toms River)[62][63] and Surrogate Jeffrey Moran (R, 2028, Beachwood).

[64][65][66] South Toms River voted for Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and was one of only two municipalities in Ocean County that incumbent Republican President Donald Trump didn’t win that year.

[68] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 56.1% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 77.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide).

[86] The Garden State Parkway bisects the borough, connecting Beachwood to the south and Berkeley Township to the north, and includes Interchange 80.

[87][88] U.S. Route 9 heads from Beachwood to the east and begins a concurrency with the Garden State Parkway at exit 80.

[90] Route 166 (Main Street) clips the northeastern corner of the borough, running from Beachwood in the south to Toms River in the north.