The governor of the island territory is appointed for a period of six years by the Dutch Crown, in effect the Kingdom government.

When there is a vacancy for a governor of the island territory, the central government is charged with proposing a person. In practice, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles, of which the island territory of St. Maarten forms part, might consult the political leader of government in the island territory to propose a candidate.

To be appointed as governor of the island territory one must comply with the following requirements:

• Be of Dutch nationality
• Be 25 years of age or older
• Be a resident of the island territory he or she governs
• Not be deprived on the right to vote by a court verdict
• Not be deprived of eligibility to hold public office

The governor of the island territory fulfills different roles:

• He is the chairperson of the island and executive councils; he is the territory's Local Chief of Police; he is the executive institution of the island territory and the controller or representative of the central government, in addition to being the representative of the crown in the territory.
   
• He carries the co-responsibility for the management of government's appointments, obligations and promises. He also monitors and protects, on behalf of the Dutch Kingdom, the constitutional state.  In addition, it is expected that he play a mediating, regulating and initiating role.
   
• The legal tasks of the governor are stipulated in the different applicable laws. These tasks covers various areas, such as upholding the law (Public Law and Order & Safety), disaster management, economic (re-) structuring, immigration, driver's licenses, passports and, of-course, the chairmanship of the democratic structures (the Executive Council and the Island Council). 
   
• Besides the numerous articles of the ERNA, which covers the governor's duties, he is additionally charged  with the supervision of  port facility security assessments (ISPS code), the central government law on shop closure, the island ordinance on disaster management (chairman of the Emergency Operations Center, EOC), granting of permits for public gatherings, granting permission for burials, granting permissions pertaining to the carrying of firearms and the granting of permission for the import, sale and use of fireworks, among others.

In general, the Lt. Governor is seen as the custodian of the general interest and carries the responsibility for good governance.