The office was created, probably, to better manage the citizen rolls and to better satisfy the need for more efficient mobilization of the Roman population for war,

The holder of the office did not have imperium, so he was not accompanied by lictors. But the office did, however, confer great prestige upon its holder. Unlike other magistracies, this office was held for a period of 18 months. There were two censors who were elected every 4, later every 5, years. At the end of office, the Censors performed a cleansing ceremony, called a lustrum. This is a term still used today to indicate a cleansing process, usually of a political nature. A lustrum was implemented in Czechoslovakia after the fall of Communism whereby those who were members of the ruling party and their collaborators were forced from public office.