AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING INC
S-3, 1996-04-08
COMPUTER PROCESSING & DATA PREPARATION
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          As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 8,
1996.
                                                   Registration No. 33-




                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                 FORM S-3
                         REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                  UNDER
                        THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                      AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING, INC.
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


       DELAWARE                                 22-1467904
     (STATE OR OTHER                          (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
JURISDICTION OF INCORPORATION)               IDENTIFICATION NO.)


                               ONE ADP BOULEVARD
                          ROSELAND, NEW JERSEY 07068
                             PHONE: (201) 994-5000
              (Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
       including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)


                             JAMES B. BENSON, ESQ.
                 CORPORATE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL
                               ONE ADP BOULEVARD
                          ROSELAND, NEW JERSEY 07068
                                (201) 994-5000
             (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                                   COPY TO:
                           RICHARD S. BORISOFF, ESQ.
                  PAUL, WEISS, RIFKIND, WHARTON & GARRISON
                          1285 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
                            NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10019
                                (212) 373-3000


   APPROXIMATE  DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC:  From time
to time or at one  time after the effective date of this Registration Statement
as determined by the Selling Stockholders.

   If the only securities  being  registered  on  this  form  are being offered
pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following
box: [ ]

   If any of the securities being registered on this form are to  be offered on
a  delayed  or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 of the Securities  Act  of
1933, other than  securities  offered  only  in  connection  with  dividend  or
interest reinvestment plans, check the following box: [X]
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>


                             CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<S>                                      <C>                    <C>                     <C>                     <C>

                                                SHARES            PROPOSED MAXIMUM        PROPOSED MAXIMUM          AMOUNT OF
               TITLE OF                          TO BE             OFFERING PRICE        AGGREGATE OFFERING       REGISTRATION
        SHARES TO BE REGISTERED               REGISTERED            PER SHARE(1)              PRICE(1)                 FEE

Common Stock, $.10 par value per share        501,873                   $39.75              $19,949,451.00           $6,878.50

</TABLE>

(1)Estimated  solely  for  the  purpose  of  calculating  the  registration fee
   pursuant to Rule 457, based on the average of the high and low  sales prices
   of  the  Common  Stock  on  April 4, 1996 as reported on the New York  Stock
   Exchange.


   The Registrant hereby amends  this  Registration  Statement  on such date or
dates  as  may  be  necessary  to delay its effective date until the Registrant
shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration
Statement shall thereafter become  effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of
the Securities Act of 1933 or until  this  Registration  Statement shall become
effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a),
may determine.


<PAGE>
                                  Page 1


INFORMATION  CONTAINED  HEREIN  IS  SUBJECT  TO  COMPLETION  OR  AMENDMENT.   A
REGISTRATION  STATEMENT  RELATING TO THESE SECURITIES HAS BEEN FILED  WITH  THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.   THESE  SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD NOR MAY
OFFERS TO BUY BE ACCEPTED PRIOR TO THE TIME THE  REGISTRATION STATEMENT BECOMES
EFFECTIVE.   THIS  PROSPECTUS SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN  OFFER  TO  SELL  OR  THE
SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THESE SECURITIES
IN ANY STATE IN WHICH  SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR
TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH STATE.

                    SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED APRIL 8, 1996

PROSPECTUS
                AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING, INC.


                           501,873 SHARES


                            COMMON STOCK




 This Prospectus relates to 501,873 shares (the "Shares") of common stock, $.10
par value ("Common Stock"), of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (the "Company").
The Shares may be offered  by certain stockholders of the Company (the "Selling
Stockholders") from time to time or at one time in transactions on the New York
Stock Exchange, the Chicago  Stock  Exchange  or the Pacific Stock Exchange, in
negotiated transactions or through a combination  of  such  methods of sale, at
fixed prices, which may be changed, at market prices prevailing  at the time of
sale,  at  prices  related  to  such  prevailing market prices or at negotiated
prices. The Selling Stockholders may effect  such  transactions  by selling the
Shares  to  or  through  broker-dealers,  and  such  broker-dealers may receive
compensation  in  the form of discounts, concessions or  commissions  from  the
Selling Stockholders  and/or the purchasers of the Shares for whom such broker-
dealers may act as agents  or  to  whom they sell as principals, or both (which
compensation as to a particular broker-dealer  might  be in excess of customary
compensation). See "Selling Stockholders" and "Plan of Distribution."

 The Selling Stockholders received the Shares from the  Company  on  March  29,
1996  in  connection  with an agreement dated as of March 29, 1996, whereby MFI
Acquisition Corp., a newly-formed  and  wholly-owned New York subsidiary of the
Company, was merged with and into Merrin  Financial Inc. a New York corporation
owned  by the Selling Stockholders.  See "Selling  Stockholders."  The  Selling
Stockholders  may  be  deemed  to  be  "underwriters" within the meaning of the
Securities  Act  of  1933, as amended (the  "Securities  Act").  See  "Plan  of
Distribution."

 The shares of Common  Stock  of  the  Company are traded on the New York Stock
Exchange, the Chicago Stock Exchange and  the  Pacific Stock Exchange. On April
4, 1996, the last sales price for the shares of Common Stock as reported on the
New York Stock Exchange was $39.75 per share.

           THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY
              THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE
                 SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE COMMISSION
                   OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED
                     UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS
                        PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION
                             TO THE CONTRARY IS A
                               CRIMINAL OFFENSE.


           The date of this Prospectus is April   , 1996.

<PAGE>
                                  Page 2


                         AVAILABLE INFORMATION

 The  Company is subject to the informational requirements  of  the  Securities
Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  amended  (the  "Exchange Act"), and in accordance
therewith  files  reports,  proxy statements and  other  information  with  the
Securities and Exchange Commission  (the  "Commission").  Such   reports, proxy
statements  and  other  information  can be inspected and copied at the  public
reference facilities maintained by the Commission at Judiciary Plaza, 450 Fifth
Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549;  and at the Commission's regional offices
at 7 World Trade Center, Suite 1300, New York, New York 10048; and Northwestern
Atrium  Center,  500  West  Madison  Street,   Suite  1400,  Chicago,  Illinois
60661-2511. Copies of such material can be obtained  from  the Public Reference
Section  of  the  Commission  at  Judiciary  Plaza,  450  Fifth  Street,  N.W.,
Washington,  D.C.  20549,  at prescribed rates. The Company's Common  Stock  is
listed on the New York Stock  Exchange,  the  Chicago  Stock  Exchange, and the
Pacific   Stock  Exchange,  and  such  reports,  proxy  statements  and   other
information  concerning  the  Company can be inspected at the office of the New
York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street,  New  York, New York 10005, the office of
the Chicago Stock Exchange, 120 South LaSalle  Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603,
and the offices of the Pacific Stock Exchange, 618  South  Spring  Street,  Los
Angeles, California 90014 and 310 Pine Street, San Francisco, California 94104.

 The  Company  has  filed  with  the  Commission  a registration statement (the
"Registration  Statement")  under  the  Securities Act,  with  respect  to  the
securities offered hereby. This Prospectus,  which  constitutes  a  part of the
Registration  Statement,  does not contain all of the information set forth  in
the Registration Statement,  certain  items of which are contained in schedules
and  exhibits to the Registration Statement  as  permitted  by  the  rules  and
regulations  of  the  Commission.  Statements made in this Prospectus as to the
contents of any contract, agreement  or  other  document  referred  to  are not
necessarily  complete.  With  respect to each such contract, agreement or other
document filed as an exhibit to  the  Registration Statement, reference is made
to the exhibit for a more complete description of the matter involved, and each
such statement shall be deemed qualified  in  its  entirety  by such reference.
Items  and  information  omitted  from  this  Prospectus but contained  in  the
Registration  Statement may be inspected and copied  at  the  Public  Reference
Facilities maintained  by  the Commission at Judiciary Plaza, 450 Fifth Street,
N.W., Room 1024, Washington, D.C. 20549.


            INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

 The  following documents which  have  been  filed  by  the  Company  with  the
Commission, as noted below, are incorporated by reference into this Prospectus:
(a) Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1995; (b)
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended September 30, 1995
and  December  31,  1995; (c) Current  Reports  on  Form  8-K  filed  with  the
Commission on September  1,  1995  and November 6, 1995, and Current Reports on
Form 8-K/A filed with the Commission  on  November  13,  1995  and November 22,
1995;  and (d) the description of the Company's Common Stock contained  in  the
Company's  Registration Statement on Form 8-A under the Exchange Act filed with
the Commission  on January 21, 1992, including all amendments and reports filed
for the purpose of  updating  such  description.  All  of  the above referenced
documents were filed under Commission File No. 1-5397.

 All  documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to  Sections  13(a),
13(c),  14  or  15(d)  of  the  Exchange  Act,  prior to the termination of the
offering of the Shares, shall be deemed to be incorporated  by reference herein
and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such documents.  Any  statement
contained  herein  or in any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated
by reference herein  shall  be  deemed  to  be  modified  or superseded for the
purposes of this Prospectus to the extent that 

<PAGE>
                                  Page 3

a statement contained herein or in any other  subsequently filed document which
also  is  or is  deemed  to  be incorporated by reference  herein  modifies  or
supersedes such statement.  Any such statement so modified or  superseded shall 
not be deemed to constitute a part of this Prospectus, except as so modified or
superseded.  The Company  will provide without charge to each person, including
any  beneficial owner,  to whom a  copy  of  this Prospectus is delivered, upon
written or oral request of such person, a copy of any or all of the information
that has been incorporated by reference in this Prospectus  (excluding exhibits
to such  information  which are not specifically incorporated by reference into
such information).


                              THE COMPANY

 Automatic Data Processing, Inc.,  incorporated  in  Delaware  in 1961, and its
subsidiaries  are  engaged  in  the computing services business. The  Company's
principal executive offices are located  at  One  ADP  Boulevard, Roseland, New
Jersey 07068 (telephone (201) 994-5000). As used in this  Prospectus,  the term
the  "Company"  means  Automatic  Data  Processing,  Inc.  and its consolidated
subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.


                            USE OF PROCEEDS

 The Company will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale  of  the Shares
by the Selling Stockholders.


                         SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

 The  Selling  Stockholders  received the Shares from the Company on March  29,
1996 in connection with an agreement  dated  as  of March 29, 1996, whereby MFI
Acquisition Corp., a newly-formed and wholly-owned  New  York subsidiary of the
Company, was merged with and into Merrin Financial Inc., a New York corporation
owned  by  the  Selling  Stockholders.  Seth Merrin is currently  the  Division
President of the Merrin Business Unit of  the  Company's  Brokerage Information
Services  Group. Richard Stein is the Vice President of Client  Management  and
Gregory Tang  is  the Chief Development Officer of Merrin-ADP Incorporated, the
surviving corporation in the Merger. All other Selling Stockholders are neither
officers nor directors  of  the Company or any of its divisions.  The following
table sets forth with respect  to  each  of  the  Selling  Stockholders (i) the
number  of  Shares  beneficially owned as of March 29, 1996 and  prior  to  the
offering contemplated  hereby,  (ii)  the maximum number of Shares which may be
sold in the offering and (iii) the number  of Shares which will be beneficially
owned after the offering, assuming the sale of all the Shares set forth in (ii)
above:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP                                 BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
                                  PRIOR TO OFFERING         SHARES TO BE                AFTER OFFERING
SELLING STOCKHOLDER             SHARES         PERCENTAGE   SOLD                   SHARES         PERCENTAGE
<S>                       <C>                <C>            <C>               <C>              <C>
Seth Merrin                    259,470              *       259,470                   0                0
Jeremy Merrin                   70,764              *       70,764                    0                0
Esther Bronstein                70,764              *       70,764                    0                0
Samuel Merrin                   70,764              *       70,764                    0                0
Richard Stein                   25,093              *       25,093                    0                0
Gregory Tang                     5,018              *       5,018                     0                0
</TABLE>
______________________
*  Less than 1%

<PAGE>
                                  Page 4


                         PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 The sale of the Shares by the Selling Stockholders  may  be effected from time
to  time  or  at one time in transactions on the New York Stock  Exchange,  the
Chicago  Stock  Exchange   or   the   Pacific  Stock  Exchange,  in  negotiated
transactions or through a combination of such methods of sale, at fixed prices,
which may be changed, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at fixed
prices, related to such prevailing market  prices  or at negotiated prices. The
Selling Stockholders may effect such transactions by  selling  the Shares to or
through broker-dealers, and such broker-dealers may receive compensation in the
form  of  discounts,  concessions  or commissions from the Selling Stockholders
and/or the purchasers of the Shares  for  whom such broker-dealers might act as
agents or to whom they sell as principals,  or both (which compensation as to a
particular broker-dealer may be in excess of customary compensation).

 The Selling Stockholders and any broker-dealers who act in connection with the
sale  of the Shares hereunder may be deemed to  be  "underwriters"  within  the
meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by
them and profit on any resale of the Shares as principals might be deemed to be
underwriting  discounts  and  commissions under the Securities Act. The Company
has agreed to indemnify the Selling  Stockholders  against certain liabilities,
including liabilities under the Securities Act as underwriters or otherwise.


                                EXPERTS

 The  financial  statements  and  the  related  financial  statement  schedules
incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from  the  Company's Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 1995 have been audited  by  Deloitte &
Touche  LLP,  independent  auditors,  as  stated  in  their  reports, which are
incorporated  herein  by reference, and have been so incorporated  in  reliance
upon  the reports of such  firm  given  upon  their  authority  as  experts  in
accounting and auditing.


                             LEGAL OPINION

 The validity  of  the  authorization  and  issuance  of the securities offered
hereby is being passed upon for the Company by James B. Benson, Esq., Corporate
Vice President and General Counsel of the Company. As of  the  date hereof, Mr.
Benson beneficially owns 42,344 shares of the Company's Common Stock.



<PAGE>


==================================     ===================================

No dealer, salesperson or other
individual has been authorized                501,873 SHARES
to  give  any  information  or
make  any  representations not
contained in  this  Prospectus
in    connection    with   the                AUTOMATIC DATA
offering   covered   by   this               PROCESSING, INC.
Prospectus.  If given or made,
such      information       or
representations  must  not  be
relied  upon  as  having  been
authorized   by  the  Company.                 Common Stock
This   Prospectus   does   not
constitute  an  offer to sell,
or a solicitation  of an offer
to buy, any securities  in any               -----------------
jurisdiction where, or to  any  
person to whom, it is unlawful              P R O S P E C T U S
to    make   such   offer   or
solicitation.    Neither   the               -----------------
delivery  of  this  Prospectus
nor  any  sale  made hereunder
shall,        under        any
circumstances,    create    an
implication that there has not
been  any  change in the facts
set forth in  this  Prospectus
or  in  the  affairs  of   the
Company since the date hereof.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE
Available Information           2
Incorporation of Certain
  Documents by Reference        2
The Company                     3
Use of Proceeds                 3
Selling Stockholders            3
Plan of Distribution            4
Experts                         4
Legal Opinion                   4



                                               April__, 1996

==================================     ====================================



<PAGE>
                                  Page II-1



                                  PART II

                INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS


ITEM 14. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.



Registration fee to the Securities
and Exchange Commission                                          $ 6,879

Accounting fees and expenses                                     $ 2,000

Legal fees and expenses                                          $ 4,000

Miscellaneous expenses                                           $   301
                                                                 -------
Total                                                            $13,180
                                                                 -------


     The foregoing items, except for the registration fee to the Securities and
Exchange  Commission,  are  estimated. All expenses of the offering, other than
selling discounts, commissions  and legal fees and expenses incurred separately
by the Selling Stockholders, will be paid by the Company.


ITEM 15. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

     Provision for indemnification of directors and officers is made in Section
145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

     Article  Fifth,  Sections  3 and  4  of  the  Company's  Amended  Restated
Certificate of Incorporation provide as follows:

         "The Corporation shall indemnify  all  directors  and  officers of the
     Corporation to the full extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of
     the State of Delaware (and in particular Paragraph 145 thereof),  as  from
     time to time amended, and may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of
     such  directors  and officers.  In addition, the Corporation shall, in the
     manner and to the  extent as the By-laws of the Corporation shall provide,
     indemnify to the full  extent  permitted by the General Corporation Law of
     the State of Delaware (and in particular  Paragraph  145 thereof), as from
     time to time amended, such other persons as the By-laws shall provide, and
     may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of such other persons."

         "A director of the Corporation shall not be held personally  liable to
     the  Corporation  or  its stockholders for monetary damages for breach  of
     fiduciary duty as a director,  except  for liability (i) for breach of the
     director's duty of loyalty to the Corporation  or  its  stockholders, (ii)
     for  acts  or  omissions  not  in good faith or which involve  intentional
     misconduct or a knowing violation  of  law, (iii) under Section 174 of the
     General  Corporation  Law  of  the State of  Delaware,  or  (iv)  for  any
     transaction from which the director  derived an improper personal benefit.
     Any repeal or modification of this paragraph  by  the  stockholders of the
     Corporation  shall  not  adversely affect

<PAGE>
                                  Page II-2


     any right or protection  of  any director of the Corporation  existing  at
     the time of, or for or with respect to any  acts  or  omissions  occurring
     prior to, such repeal or modification."

     Finally,  Article  XIV,  Section 6 of the Company's  By-laws  provides  as
follows:

         "Section 6.  Indemnification  of  Directors  and  Officers and Others:
     The  Corporation  shall  indemnify  all  directors  and  officers  of  the
     Corporation to the full extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of
     the  State  of Delaware (and in particular Section 145 thereof),  as  from
     time to time amended, and may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of
     such  directors   and  officers.   This  indemnification  applies  to  all
     directors and officers  of  the  Corporation who sit on the boards of non-
     profit corporations in keeping with the Corporation's philosophy."

         "The Corporation shall indemnify  any other person or employee who may
     have served at the request of the Corporation to the full extent permitted
     by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (and in particular
     Section 145 thereof) so long as such person  or  employee  acted  in  good
     faith  and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to,
     the best interests of the Corporation and, further, so long as his actions
     were not in violation of corporate policies and directives."

     As permitted by Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware and  the Company's Certificate and By-Laws, the Company also maintains
a directors and  officers  liability insurance policy which insures, subject to
certain exclusions, deductibles  and maximum amounts, directors and officers of
the  Company against damages, judgments,  settlements  and  costs  incurred  by
reason  of  certain  acts  committed  by  such  persons  in their capacities as
directors and officers.


ITEM 16. EXHIBITS.

     A list of exhibits included as part of this Registration  Statement is set
forth  in  the  Exhibit Index which immediately precedes such exhibits  and  is
hereby incorporated by reference herein.


ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS.

     (a) Insofar  as  indemnification for liabilities arising under the Act may
be permitted to directors,  officers  and controlling persons of the Registrant
pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or  otherwise,  the  Registrant  has been
advised  that  in  the  opinion  of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification is against public  policy  as  expressed  in  the  Act  and is,
therefore,  unenforceable.   In  the  event  that  a  claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the  Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in  the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding)  is  asserted  by
such  director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities
being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter  has  been  settled  by  controlling  precedent,  submit  to  a court of
appropriate  jurisdiction  the question whether such indemnification by  it  is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

<PAGE>
                                  Page II-3


     (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

       (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made,
a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

         (i)  To include any  prospectus  required  by  Section 10(a)(3) of the
     Securities Act of 1933;

        (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events  arising  after
     the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-
     effective amendment  thereof)  which,  individually  or  in the aggregate,
     represent  a  fundamental  change  in  the  information set forth  in  the
     registration statement; and

       (iii)  To include any material information  with  respect to the plan of
     distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any
     material  change  to  such  information  in  the  registration  statement;
     provided, however, that paragraphs (b)(1)(i) and (b)(1)(ii)  above  do not
     apply  if  the  registration  statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8 and the
     information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
     paragraphs  is  contained in periodic  reports  filed  by  the  registrant
     pursuant to Section  13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
     1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

       (2)  That,  for the purpose  of  determining  any  liability  under  the
Securities Act of 1933,  each  such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and
the offering of such securities  at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

       (3)  To remove from registration  by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which  remain  unsold at the termination
of the offering.

     (c) The  undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that,  for  purposes  of
determining any  liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual  report  pursuant  to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 that is  incorporated  by  reference  in  the
registration statement  shall  be  deemed  to  be  a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.


<PAGE>
                                  Page II-4



                              SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe  that  it  meets all of the
requirements  for  filing  on  Form  S-3  and has duly caused this registration
statement, or amendment thereto, to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Roseland, State of New Jersey, on the
8th day of April, 1996.

                                 AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING, INC.
                                                   (Registrant)



                                 By   /S/ JOSH S. WESTON
                                      Josh S. Weston, Chairman and
                                      Chief Executive Officer


     Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
registration statement, or amendment thereto, has  been  signed  below  by  the
following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.



  SIGNATURE                        TITLE                               DATE

/S/ JOSH S. WESTON           Chairman of the Board and Director   April 8, 1996
  (Josh S. Weston)           (Principal Executive Officer)

/S/ RICHARD J. HAVILAND      Controller and Corporate Vice        April 8, 1996
  (Richard J. Haviland)      President (Principal Financial
                             Officer)

/S/ JOSEPH A. CALIFANO, JR.  Director                             April 8, 1996
  (Joseph A. Califano, Jr.)

/S/ GEORGE H. HEILMEIER      Director                             April 8, 1996
  (George H. Heilmeier)

<PAGE>
                                  Page II-5


/S/ LEON G. COOPERMAN        Director                             April 8, 1996
  (Leon G. Cooperman)

/S/ EDWIN D. ETHERINGTON     Director                             April 8, 1996
  (Edwin D. Etherington)

/S/ ANN DIBBLE JORDAN        Director                             April 8, 1996
  (Ann Dibble Jordan)

/S/ HARVEY M. KRUEGER        Director                             April 8, 1996
  (Harvey M. Krueger)

/S/ CHARLES P. LAZARUS       Director                             April 8, 1996
  (Charles P. Lazarus)

/S/ FREDERIC V. MALEK        Director                             April 8, 1996
  (Frederic V. Malek)

/S/ HENRY TAUB               Director                             April 8, 1996
  (Henry Taub)

/S/ LAURENCE A. TISCH        Director                             April 8, 1996
  (Laurence A. Tisch)

/S/ ARTHUR F. WEINBACH       Director                             April 8, 1996
  (Arthur F. Weinbach)


<PAGE>


                  EXHIBIT INDEX

                                                                 SEQUENTIALLY
EXHIBIT                                                            NUMBERED
NUMBER                         EXHIBIT                               PAGE

  4.1    Amended  and  Restated  Certificate of Incorporation  of  
         the  Registrant (incorporated by reference  to  Exhibit  
         (3)-#1  to  Registrant's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
         the fiscal year ended June 30, 1995)

  4.2    By-laws  of  the  Registrant,  as  amended  (incorporated 
         by reference to Exhibit (3)-#2 to Registrant's Annual 
         Report  on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 
         June 30, 1991)

  4.3    Form  of  the  Registrant's  Common  Stock  Certificate  
         (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to Registrant's
         Registration Statement  on  Form S-3 filed with the 
         Commission on January 21, 1992)

   5     Opinion  of  James  B.  Benson, Esq. as to the legality of
         the securities being registered hereby

 23.1    Consent of James B. Benson, Esq. (included in Exhibit 5)

 23.2    Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP




                                                      Exhibit 5




                  AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING
                   Corporate Headquarters
                      One ADP Boulevard
               Roseland, New Jersey 07068-1728


                                   April 8, 1996

Board of Directors
Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
One ADP Boulevard
Roseland, New Jersey  07068

Re:    REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-3 FILED ON APRIL 8, 1996

Ladies and Gentlemen:

          In  connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the
"Registration Statement")  filed  by Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (the
"Company") with the Securities and  Exchange  Commission on April 8, 1996
pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended  (the  "Act"), and the
rules  and  regulations  promulgated thereunder (the "Rules"),  you  have
requested that I furnish you  with  my  opinion as to the legality of the
501,873  shares  of  the Company's common stock,  $.10  par  value,  (the
"Shares") which are registered under the Registration Statement.

          In  this  regard,   I   have   examined  originals,  or  copies
authenticated to my satisfaction, of the Company's  Amended  and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation, the Company's By-Laws, as amended,  and the
Company's  records  of  corporate  proceedings.  In addition, I have made
such other examinations of law and fact  as  I  considered  necessary  in
order to form a basis for the opinions hereinafter expressed.

          Based  upon  the foregoing, I am of the opinion that the Shares
have been duly and validly  authorized  and issued and are fully paid and
non-assessable.

          I hereby consent to the use of my name under the caption "Legal
Opinion" in the Prospectus included in the  Registration Statement and to
the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the  Registration Statement.  In
giving  this  consent,  I do not thereby admit that  I  come  within  the
category of persons whose consent is required by the Act or Rules.

                                   Very truly yours,
                                   
                                   /s/ James B. Benson


                                   James B. Benson
                                   General Counsel







                                                           
                                                Exhibit 23.2




INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT



We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. on Form S-3 of our reports
dated August 11, 1995, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of 
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. for the year ended June 30, 1995 and to
the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in the Prospectus, which
is part of this Registration Statement.


/S/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

April 5, 1996






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