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The LEE (Law Enforcement Examination) refers to the method by which residents interested in an entry-level law enforcement position with a New Jersey civil service jurisdiction can become eligible for employment.  The public is alerted to the fact that applications are being accepted for the various entry-level law enforcement positions included in the LEE via the posting of the LEE “announcement.”  The LEE is typically announced once per calendar year.

The LEE “announcement” gets posted on the N.J. Civil Service Commission (CSC) website at and is titled “Law Enforcement Series.”  The announcement provides information such as requirements that must be met in order to be found eligible to take the exam, the deadline by which the application must be filed, and the application fee.  The announcement also contains a link to the “LEE Fact Sheet,” which provides additional important information.

To be considered for employment a person must first apply for the announcement by completing the online application, submitting any required payment, and receiving confirmation that the application was submitted. Everyone who is determined to have fulfilled all requirements to take the exam will be scheduled to take the written multiple-choice exam administered at various test centers throughout the state on particular dates. Those who pass the exam receive a score and are placed in an eligible pool. They may then be hired by an agency after going through the certification process. Each aspect of this process will be further explained within the proceeding FAQs.

No.  Individuals who want to be considered for entry-level job openings file only one application and indicate their interest in one or more of the “title areas” listed on the application by checking the appropriate box(es).  Any civil service jurisdiction needing to hire someone for one of the titles included in the LEE application may use this eligible pool.  Therefore, one application can give a candidate numerous opportunities to be considered for an open position.

The 2026 announcement includes nine titles, which are grouped into four “title areas.”  To learn more about each title included in the LEE announcement, click on the title below:

·   Title Area 1

·   Title Area 2

·   Title Area 3

·   Title Area 4

No.  New Jersey State Trooper is NOT part of the LEE.  It is announced and tested separately by the N.J. Department of Law and Public Safety.  More information can be found at .

The 2026 LEE announced on March 1, 2026.  Applications will only be accepted through the Online Application System.  Applications must be completed and submitted by 4:00 p.m. on the closing date (March 31, 2026).

No. Scores from ANY previous examination will NOT be carried over to the 2026 LEE announcement.  Anyone wishing to receive a score and be part of the 2026 LEE eligible pool must apply for this announcement, pay the related fee, and take and pass the examination scheduled for summer 2026.

A $70 application processing fee is required for this announcement whether you check one or all of the title areas on the application.  For fee exemptions, please see the LEE announcement and application for more information.

In accordance with N.J.S.A. 11A:4-1, all job applicants are requested to provide their Social Security Number (SSN) on applications to establish a unique means of identifying all of their records throughout the selection and appointment processes.  However, providing your SSN is voluntary.  If you do not provide your SSN, another unique identification number will be assigned to you, and that number will appear on all subsequent records related to this examination.  You must use this number when filling out your answer sheet at the test center so that your test results can be matched to your candidate record.  Please note that in order to receive New Jersey Civil Service Commission Veterans Preference, you must provide your SSN.

Yes.  Applicants are required to complete the residency portion of the application.  Please note that your residency may be different from your mailing address. 

Effective September 1, 2011, all employees of state and local government must reside in the ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½app, unless exempted under the law.  Residency information will be used to place your name in the appropriate tier for municipal and/or county certification lists.  You must be a legal resident of the jurisdiction you list as your residency as of the announcement closing date, and as of the appointment date for some jurisdictions.  You may check with individual municipalities or counties for their residency requirement.

The Law Enforcement Aptitude Battery (LEAB) will be used to test candidates who apply for the 2026 LEE announcement.

In addition to the 2026 LEE announcement, separate announcements for the following four titles were issued on March 1, 2026:  Parole Officer Recruit (S1000H), Parole Officer Recruit Bilingual in Spanish and English (S1001H), Parole Officer Recruit, Youth Justice Commission (S1002H) and Parole Officer Recruit, Youth Justice Commission Bilingual in Spanish and English (S1003H).  These four Parole Officer Recruit titles each have their own $35 application fee.  The LEAB will be used to test candidates who have applied for any of these Parole announcements and/or the LEE announcement.  Because the same examination is used, candidates will only have one opportunity to take the examination, regardless of the number of symbols for which they apply, and their score achieved on the examination will be applied to all the symbols for which they have applied.

There are two informational guides that will help candidates prepare to take the examination:  the 2026 LEE Administration Guide and the LEAB Assessment Preparation Guide.  The 2026 LEE Administration Guide is provided by the CSC to explain the testing process and how the examination will be administered.  It can be found on our website at /csc/jobs/publicsafety/law_el_titles.shtml.  The LEAB Assessment Preparation Guide contains information about the examination itself and how it is scored, as well as provides preparation strategies and sample examination questions.  Candidates will be emailed information on how to access this guide no earlier than May/June 2026.  The email will contain a weblink and an access code to view the guide.

The tentative timeframe to hold the examination is summer 2026.

No. Due to the high volume of candidates, no changes can be made to the date, time, or location that a candidate has been scheduled to take the examination. 

According to the New Jersey Administrative Code 4A:4-2.9(a), make-up examinations for public safety open competitive examinations may only be authorized for the following reasons:

1.    Error by the Civil Service Commission or Appointing Authority;

2.    Serious illness or disability of the candidate on the test date, provided the candidate submits a doctor’s certificate specifying that the candidate was not able to take the test on that day for medical reasons;

3.    Documented serious illness or death in the candidate’s immediate family;

4.    Natural disaster;

5.    Prior vacation or travel plans outside of New Jersey or any contiguous state, which cannot be reasonably changed, as evidenced by a sworn statement and relevant documentation;

6.    When required for certain persons returning from military service (see N.J.A.C. 4A:4-4.6A); and

7.    Other valid reasons, as determined by the CSC.

MAKE-UP REQUESTS, WITH SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION, MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING WITHIN FIVE DAYS OF RECEIPT OF THE TEST NOTICE.  However, in situations involving an illness, death, or natural disaster that occurs on or immediately before the test date, a request for make-up must be made in writing no later than five days after the test date.  All make-up requests based on medical grounds must include a New Jersey Civil Service Commission Medical Authorization Form for Make-up Examinations (DPF-728).  This form can also be obtained by contacting the CSC's Information Center at (609) 292-4144.  Requests for make-up examinations should be mailed to:  Public Safety Make-Up Unit, Civil Service Commission, P.O. Box 310, Trenton NJ 08625-0310.

Candidates must bring a photo ID to the examination center in order to be tested.  They should also bring No. 2 pencils with good erasers.  For additional general information about the CSC testing process, please visit Test Administration Information.

Furthermore, candidates will need to fill in their applicant ID number on their answer sheet at the examination center.  It is extremely important that candidates fill in their correct number on their answer sheet so that they receive accurate test results.  Your applicant ID number, as explained in an earlier FAQ, is either your 9-digit social security number if you provided that at the time of completing your online application or it is a computer-generated 9-digit number that is assigned to you if you do not provide your social security number during the application process (they typically appear as 888-xx-xxxx).  Your applicant ID number can be found in your user profile in the Online Application System you used to apply for the announcement.  Prior to your test date, please check your user profile to determine what your applicant ID number is and make sure you memorize it so you can accurately complete your answer sheet. 

With the threat of high-tech cheating on the rise, it is the policy of the CSC that possession of electronic devices, such as cell phones, pagers, tablets, e-book readers, smart glasses, digital watches, fitness trackers, PDAs, or any device with recording/imaging, communication, or internet capabilities is strictly prohibited at the test center.  Candidates who are seen with these devices in the test center at ANY time (including before and after their individual examination has been completed), even in a power-off mode, will be disqualified.  The device may also be confiscated to ensure that an attempt was not made to compromise the testing process.  In addition, note paper, any study or reference materials, briefcases, backpacks, and other personal items should not be brought inside the test center.  For more information see: Civil Service Commission | Exam Cell Phone/Prohibited Electronic Device FAQ

No; to protect the security of this examination, there will be no review of any test material.

Candidates who take the 2026 LEE examination will not be placed on a ranked list at the time that examination results are issued.  Instead, candidates who pass the examination will become part of an “eligible pool” and names will be selected from this pool at the time of certification (i.e., once an Appointing Authority tells the CSC that it has a hiring need and requests a list of names to be certified).  Since candidates are in an eligible pool, the notification card that is mailed to candidates letting them know if they passed the examination, and if so, what their score is, will not include a rank.  Candidates have no rank until a particular jurisdiction requests a certification for a particular job title and their name is included on that certification.

The pool of eligible candidates that results from this examination will be valid for a minimum of one year and will be used to fill positions for the title areas selected.  If you are appointed to a position, your name will be removed from the pool of eligible candidates for that title area only.  That is, you will no longer be eligible for appointment to another position.  However, if you selected more than one title area, you will remain eligible for positions associated with title areas other than the one to which you were appointed.

You will need to meet the veterans preference requirements of the N.J. Department of Veterans Affairs in order to claim veterans preference for any examination.  If you do meet those requirements, you should claim veterans preference on the application form and submit the required proof to be awarded the preference for the titles associated with the LEE and all future CSC examinations.  If you do not submit the required documentation, you will not be able to claim veterans status for this announcement.

A completed Civil Service Veterans Preference Claim Form (available by clicking njdmava_form_05A-1.pdf), along with the required documentation, must be submitted directly to the N.J. Department of Veterans Affairs.  You may visit their website or contact them at 1-888-865-8387 to obtain a Civil Service Veterans Preference Claim Form or for more information.

You don't have to wait for an examination to be announced to file for veterans preference.  We encourage you to do it as soon as possible to ensure that your paperwork is processed on time for this examination.  Preference must be established no later than 8 days prior to list issuance, and once established, is good for life.  Additional information regarding New Jersey Veterans Preference can be found at /csc/jobs/veterans/.

No extra points are given to veterans.  However, eligibles with disabled veteran or veteran status are grouped at the top of the certification lists by their veteran status and then by their final averages.  Disabled veterans are placed above veterans who, in turn, are placed ahead of non-veterans.  Click on this link for more information:  /csc/jobs/veterans/competitive.shtml

N.J.S.A. 40A:14-123.1a grants hiring preference to candidates who are applying to a municipal police officer announcement whose natural or adoptive parent was killed in the lawful discharge of official duties while serving in one of the following titles:  Police Officer (municipal); County Police Officer; Trooper; Sheriff’s Officer; New Jersey Transit Police Officer; Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Officer; State Park Police Officer; Police Officer, Palisades Interstate Park Commission; Police Officer, Human Services; and Campus Police Officer.  The law provides them preference over non-veterans, but not over veterans.  This preference shall not, however, be applicable if the municipality has entered into a consent decree with the United States Department of Justice concerning the hiring practices of the municipality.

To receive this preference, applicants are required to provide documentation by the closing date, which includes (1) the parent’s name, (2) parent’s date of death, (3) the address of the parent’s department at the time of death, (4) a letter from the department confirming the parent was killed in the line of duty, and (5) proof of relationship to the officer.  When submitting this documentation, please include your application confirmation number. The documentation can be submitted through one of the following methods:

• Uploaded/attached to the online application
• Scanned and emailed to oc.support@csc.nj.gov
• Faxed to (609) 777-0937
• Mailed to NJCSC, 2026 LEE, P.O. Box 321, Trenton, NJ 08625-0321

Yes, there is a minimum hiring age for every title associated with the LEE.  Candidates need to be at least 18 years of age on or before the closing date shown on the examination announcement.  The only title associated with the LEE that has a maximum hiring age is Municipal Police Officer.  Applicants over age 35 as of the closing date of the announcement are not eligible for Municipal Police Officer positions, with certain exceptions.  (An applicant is considered to be over 35 the day of his/her 35th birthday.)  By law, applicants may reduce their age by deducting the following: (1) the amount of their military service time that falls within the location and time limit criteria for New Jersey veterans preference and/or (2) the amount of time previously served in certain law enforcement titles.  To qualify for this second provision, separation from prior service must have been for reasons other than removal for cause on charges of misconduct or delinquency.

Click here for the Municipal Police Maximum Hiring Age Information Sheet 

If your name is certified to an AA, a certification notice will be sent to the mailing address or email address that is associated with your Online Application System account that was used to apply for the announcement.  This is why you MUST notify the CSC if your mailing address and/or email address changes from the one you entered on your application.

If you receive a certification notice, you will be given five business days from the notice date to respond in writing to the AA that you are interested, or not interested, in the job.  If you do not respond within this timeframe, your name will be removed from the certification and you will no longer be considered for appointment.

No.  It means you MAY be interviewed and/or considered for appointment if you are reachable on the certification list.

The CSC does not break tied scores.  Candidates who have the same final average and veteran status have equal ranking on a certification.  For example, if there are 20 people on the certification with the same final average and they're all non-veterans, they will be listed in alphabetical order by their last names, but they all have the same rank on that certification.  If one of them is reachable for an appointment, all are reachable and the Appointing Authority may hire any one of them.

The selection process is described below:

1.  The Appointing Authority (AA) conducts background investigations for eligible candidates who indicate interest in being appointed.  These investigations may include reports from their criminal, employment, and driving records.  The AA will usually disqualify anyone with negative reports.  In accordance with N.J.A.C. 4A:4-6, any false statement of any material fact (including educational and employment record) or any deception or fraud in any part of the selection or appointment process will be grounds for disqualification and possible legal action.

2.  Not all eligibles who pass the background investigation are offered the currently available jobs.  Disabled veterans and veterans have absolute preference and must be appointed first.  Where there are no disabled veterans or veterans, the "rule of three" applies.  This means that the AA may select any one of the first three non-veterans for each appointment they make.

3.  The AA will schedule medical and psychological examinations for those candidates who are selected.

4.  Candidates must pass both the medical and psychological examinations to be appointed.

5.  The AA will forward the completed certification with supporting documentation to the CSC, where it will be reviewed for compliance with the rules and regulations.

The selection process often takes six months or more because it is so involved, so please be patient.

Each jurisdiction or agency has its own Appointing Authority (AA) for the selection process.  The CSC reviews the AA’s documentation for each certification to ensure compliance with related rules and regulations.  The CSC is not the AA for entry-level law enforcement titles.

If you change your name, mailing address, or email address, or if it is listed incorrectly on a notice that you receive from the CSC, please click on the following link to submit your change(s):  .  You will be prompted to log into the Online Application System (OAS) to complete your change request.  For security reasons, changes cannot be made from telephone calls. 

Since eligibility needs to be established as of the closing date of the announcement, your residency code cannot be changed after the closing date, even if you change your residence address or mailing address.  If you change your residence to another jurisdiction after the closing date, you may not be eligible for appointment in your former or new jurisdiction.  Please research with both jurisdictions to see how their residency requirements will affect you before you change your residence address or mailing address.