Exhibit 31
                                                                      ----------
CERTIFICATION

I, Vernon W. Hill, II, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Form 10-Q of Commerce Bancorp, Inc.;

2. Based on my  knowledge,  this  quarterly  report  does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements
were made, not  misleading  with respect to the period covered by this quarterly
report;

3.  Based  on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
information  included in this quarterly  report,  fairly present in all material
respects the financial  condition,  results of operations  and cash flows of the
registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

4.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I  are  responsible  for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15e and 15d-15e) and internal controls and procedures for
financial  reporting  (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15f and 15d-15f) for
the registrant and have:

     a)  designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or caused  such
disclosure  controls and  procedures to be designed  under our  supervision,  to
ensure that  material  information  relating to the  registrant,  including  its
consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to us by others within those entities,
particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

     b) designed such internal controls and procedures for financial  reporting,
or caused such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to be designed  under our
supervision,  to provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of
financial  reporting and the  preparation  of financial  statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

     c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's  disclosure controls and
procedures and presented in this report our conclusions  about the effectiveness
of the disclosure  controls and procedures,  as of the end of the period covered
by this report based on such evaluation; and,

     d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control
over  financial  reporting  that occurred  during the  registrant's  most recent
fiscal quarter (the registrant's  fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
report) that has  materially  affected,  or is  reasonably  likely to materially
affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting;

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed,  based on our
most recent  evaluation of internal  control over  financial  reporting,  to the
registrant's  auditors  and the audit  committee  of the  registrant's  board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

     a) all significant  deficiencies  and material  weaknesses in the design or
operation of internal  control over  financial  reporting  which are  reasonably
likely  to  adversely  affect  the  registrant's  ability  to  record,  process,
summarize and report financial information; and

     b) any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves  management or other
employees who have a significant role in the registrant's  internal control over
financial reporting.

Date: August 8, 2003

                                              /s/ Vernon W. Hill, II
                                              -----------------------

                                              Vernon W. Hill, II
                                              Chairman, President and Chief
                                              Executive Officer
                                              (principal executive officer)



                                       22
<PAGE>



                                                                      Exhibit 31
                                                                      ----------
CERTIFICATION

I, Douglas J. Pauls, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Form 10-Q of Commerce Bancorp, Inc.;

2. Based on my  knowledge,  this  quarterly  report  does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements
were made, not  misleading  with respect to the period covered by this quarterly
report;

3.  Based  on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
information  included in this quarterly  report,  fairly present in all material
respects the financial  condition,  results of operations  and cash flows of the
registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

4.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I  are  responsible  for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15e and 15d-15e) and internal controls and procedures for
financial  reporting  (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15f and 15d-15f) for
the registrant and have:

     a)  designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or caused  such
disclosure  controls and  procedures to be designed  under our  supervision,  to
ensure that  material  information  relating to the  registrant,  including  its
consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to us by others within those entities,
particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

     e) designed such internal controls and procedures for financial  reporting,
or caused such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to be designed  under our
supervision,  to provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of
financial  reporting and the  preparation  of financial  statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

     f) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's  disclosure controls and
procedures and presented in this report our conclusions  about the effectiveness
of the disclosure  controls and procedures,  as of the end of the period covered
by this report based on such evaluation; and,

     g) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control
over  financial  reporting  that occurred  during the  registrant's  most recent
fiscal quarter (the registrant's  fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
report) that has  materially  affected,  or is  reasonably  likely to materially
affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting;

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed,  based on our
most recent  evaluation of internal  control over  financial  reporting,  to the
registrant's  auditors  and the audit  committee  of the  registrant's  board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

     a) all significant  deficiencies  and material  weaknesses in the design or
operation of internal  control over  financial  reporting  which are  reasonably
likely  to  adversely  affect  the  registrant's  ability  to  record,  process,
summarize and report financial information; and

     b) any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves  management or other
employees who have a significant role in the registrant's  internal control over
financial reporting.

Date: August 8, 2003

                                                /s/ Douglas J. Pauls
                                                  --------------------

                                                Douglas J. Pauls
                                                Senior Vice President and Chief
                                                Financial Officer
                                                (principal financial officer)


                                       23
<PAGE>