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.  “Announcements” are posted on the N.J. Civil Service Commission (CSC) website, alerting the public that applications are being accepted for certain job titles for certain jurisdictions.  These announcements inform the public of which particular job titles (such as Police Officer, Parole Officer, etc.) in which particular jurisdictions (a specific county, local municipality, or State agency) a person may apply for.  By clicking on an individual announcement, interested persons can learn of the applicant requirements (such as age or education), the application deadline, and other helpful information.  To be considered for employment, a person must first apply for an 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 are placed on the eligibility list corresponding to the announcement for which they applied.  Candidates receive a score and a rank on each list and may then be hired by the agency for which they applied after going through the certification process.  Each aspect of this process will be further explained within the proceeding FAQs.

No. Each jurisdiction/agency has the opportunity to opt-in for an announcement cycle based on its hiring needs and the status of its current list of eligibles (those who have passed an exam and can be considered for employment).  Therefore, every title might not announce during each announcement cycle.  Furthermore, not every jurisdiction may choose to opt-in to an announcement cycle.  For example, Town A could choose to opt-in for the title of Police Officer to be a part of an announcement cycle, while another jurisdiction, Town B, may not choose to announce for Police Officer.  If there is no announcement posted on the CSC website for the title and jurisdiction for which you are interested in applying, then no new applications are being collected for that title/jurisdiction this announcement cycle.

There are certain titles that are tested with the LEE whenever they announce and therefore may be part of each LEE announcement cycle.  Bilingual variants, such as Spanish/English, exist for some of these titles as well.  To learn more about each title tested by the LEE, click on the title below:

Police Officer

County Police Officer

Park Police Officer

Campus Police Officer Recruit

Senior Police Officer, Human Services

Police Officer, Palisades Interstate Park

State Park Police Officer

Sheriff's Officer

County Correctional Police Officer

Correctional Police Officer

Correctional Police Officer, Juvenile Justice Commission

Parole Officer Recruit

Parole Officer Recruit, Juvenile Justice

No. New Jersey State Trooper is NOT part of the LEE because it is announced and tested separately by the N.J. Department of Law and Public Safety. 

No.  The 2024 LEE testing cycle will not put candidates into a pool of eligibles once results have been released.  Instead, titles that make up the 2024 LEE testing cycle will announce individually by jurisdiction (i.e., individual municipalities and counties) and candidates will be placed on eligible lists for each jurisdiction for which they applied.  So, instead of filling out one single LEE application, candidates need to fill out separate applications for each and every jurisdiction for which they are interested in working.

The 2024 entry-level Law Enforcement Examination (LEE) announced on March 1, 2024.  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 (April 1, 2024).

Please check the Civil Service Commission (CSC) website at https://info.csc.state.nj.us/jobannouncements/DefaultJobAnnouncement/JobList for the individual announcements.  

A $30 application processing fee is required for each application.  For fee exemptions, please see each LEE announcement and application for more information.

Eligible lists resulting from entry-level law enforcement announcements expire after one year.  However, the lists can be extended for up to three additional years, on a year-by-year basis.  A list that has been extended beyond the initial one-year period will expire as soon as a new list for that title/jurisdiction is issued, even if the new extended expiration date has not yet been reached.  As previously stated, a jurisdiction must opt-in to have a new announcement.  If they choose not to do so, then their current list will be extended for an additional year.  Consider the following two examples (using fictional jurisdictions):

Example #1: Question:  I applied for Police Officer – Anytown in 2023, took the exam, and received my score and rank after being placed on the eligible list.  I see that Anytown has announced for Police Officer again in 2024.  I have not yet been contacted by their Police Department to begin the hiring process.  Do I need to apply again for the 2023 application to be considered for employment with Anytown?  Answer:  The lists from the 2023 exam issued on November 8, 2023 and have an expiration date of November 15, 2024.  If the new list is not issued before November 15, 2024, then the list from the 2023 exam will be extended, but then expire as soon as the new list is issued.  New certifications cannot be made from an expired list so if you were on the 2023 list for Police Officer – Anytown, you would no longer be considered for employment unless you applied for the 2024 announcement and your name appears on the new list resulting from the 2024 exam.   

Example #2:  Question: I applied for Police Officer – Townsville in 2023, took the exam, and received my score and rank after being placed on the eligible list.  I see that Townsville has NOT announced for Police Officer again in 2024.  What does this mean in regard to employment opportunities?  Answer: The lists for the 2023 exam issued on November 8, 2023 and have an expiration date of November 15, 2024.  Since there is no new 2024 announcement for this title/jurisdiction, the list from the 2023 exam will be extended for a year and everyone on it can continue to be considered for employment opportunities.  Townsville will have the opportunity to decide whether or not it wants to opt-in for an announcement in 2025.

No. Scores from ANY previous examination were NOT carried over to the 2024 LEE announcements. Anyone who wanted to receive a score for any of the 2024 LEE announcements must apply, pay the related fee, and take and pass the examination scheduled for Summer 2024.

The Law Enforcement Aptitude Battery (LEAB) will be used to test candidates who apply for any of the 2024 LEE announcements.  Because the same examination is used, candidates will only have one opportunity to take the examination, regardless of the number of announcements for which they apply, and their score achieved on the examination will be applied to all these 2024 LEE announcements for which they have applied.

There are two informational guides that will help candidates prepare to take the examination:  The LEE Administration Guide and the LEAB Assessment Preparation Guide.  The 2024 LEE Administration Guide is provided by the CSC to explain the testing process and how the examination will be administered.  It will be posted on our website at https://www.state.nj.us/csc/jobs/announcements/publicsafety/law_el_titles.shtml shortly after the LEE announcements are posted.  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.  The email will contain a weblink and an access code to view the guide. 

The tentative timeframe to hold the examination is Summer 2024.

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.

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

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.  Providing your SSN is voluntary. If you did 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, and 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.  However, in order to receive New Jersey Civil Service Commission Veteran’s Preference, you must provide your SSN.

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 veteran’s 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 

Yes, when examination results are issued, candidates who pass the exam will be placed on a ranked list for each announcement for which they applied, which is called an eligible list.  Candidates who pass the examination will be placed on the list in accordance with N.J.A.C. 4A:4-3.2(a) “Order of names on eligible lists” and notified by mail of their rank and score.

Applicants are required to complete the residency portion of the application.  Please note that your residency may be different from your mailing address.  Residency information will be used to place your name in the appropriate tier for municipal and/or county eligible 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.  Please check with the municipality or county for their residency requirement.

Effective September 1, 2011, all employees of State and local government must reside in the State of New Jersey, unless exempted under the law.  In addition to this requirement, most positions offered by the titles announced in the LEE have very specific residency requirements.  When applying for an individual jurisdiction, it was important to read that jurisdiction’s job announcement carefully so that you understood the residency requirements (the section of the announcement labeled “Open to Residents of”).  For example, some municipalities require you to live in that municipality to be eligible for that position, while other municipalities may allow you to live in a nearby town within the same county to be eligible for that position.  In addition, you needed to make sure you were using the correct residency code on your job application. 

You must meet the veteran’s preference requirements of the N.J. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NJDMVA) in order to claim veteran’s preference for any examination.  If you did meet those requirements, you should have claimed veteran’s preference on the application form and submitted the required proof to be awarded the preference for the titles associated with the LEE and all future CSC examinations.  If you did not submit the required documentation, you were not able to claim veteran’s status for this announcement.

A completed Civil Service Veteran’s preference claim form (available by clicking https://www.nj.gov/csc/seekers/veterans/pdf/njdmava_form_05A-1.pdf), along with the required documentation, must be submitted directly to the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. You may visit NJDMVA's website or contact them at 1-888-865-8387 to obtain a Civil Service Veteran’s Preference Claim Form or for more information.

Veteran’s 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 Veteran’s Preference can be found at https://www.nj.gov/csc/seekers/veterans/.

No extra points are given to veterans.  However, eligibles with disabled veteran or veteran status are grouped at the top of the eligible 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:   Civil Service Commission | Open Competitive Exams (nj.gov)

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 support@csc.nj.gov
• Faxed to (609) 777-0937
• Mailed to NJCSC, 2024 LEE, P.O. Box 321, Trenton, NJ 08625-0321

After scoring of the exam was completed, an eligible list for each announcement was produced, containing the names of all those who applied for that announcement and passed the examination.  The eligible list ranks candidates based on their score in the following order:  disabled veterans (ranked by score), veterans (ranked by score), and non-veterans (ranked by score).  When an Appointing Authority (AA) has an open position to be filled, the CSC provides the AA with a certification, which contains the top names that currently reside on the eligible list.  The AA can then use this certification list to begin its hiring process.  It is only after a certification is requested by the AA that candidates can be considered for a position with an agency.

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 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 to 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.

The CSC does not break tied scores.  Candidates who have the same final average and veteran status have equal ranking on an eligible list, and resulting 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.

You must immediately notify the CSC in writing 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.  For security reasons, changes cannot be made from telephone calls.  

Changes can be requested electronically through our website at https://www.nj.gov/csc/authorities/faq/seekers/Address%20Change.pdf.

You can also send your request through regular mail or by fax.  To ensure that your records are updated correctly, please include the following in your request for change:

1. Your name;
2. Your social security number (if you have instead been assigned a unique number for the examination process, include that number);
3. Your new mailing address, including zip code;
4. Where you actually live, if it is different from your mailing address;
5. Your daytime telephone number;
6. Your current e-mail address; and
7. The effective date of the change.

This information may be mailed or faxed as follows:

  NJCSC Information Center

  P.O. Box 310

  Trenton, NJ  08625-0310
  Fax: (609) 984-1064

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.