New Jersey Civil Service Absolute Veterans Preference

New Jersey has one of the strongest veterans preferences in the country, and one of the most dated definitions. How it works. N.J.S.A. 11A:5-4 puts disabled veterans who pass an open competitive examination "at the top of the employment list in the order of their respective final scores", and 11A:5-5 puts veterans immediately after them. N.J.S.A. 11A:5-6 then requires the appointing authority to appoint them "in the order of ranking". A veteran who scores 71 outranks a non-veteran who scores 100. It applies to state jobs and to the counties, municipalities and school districts that have adopted Title 11A. Beyond the list. For promotions, 11A:5-7: when a veteran ranks highest, a non-veteran may not be appointed unless the appointing authority shows cause to the Civil Service Commission. For noncompetitive jobs, 11A:5-8 gives preference to a qualified veteran and disabled veterans over all others. In layoffs, 11A:5-9 favours disabled veterans and then veterans where seniority is equal, and 11A:5-10 requires the department head to show cause before dismissing a veteran. N.J.S.A. 11A:5-12 lets a resident awarded the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross or Navy Cross be appointed or promoted without the commission's rules. N.J.S.A. 11A:8-1(i) bars laying off anyone on military leave for active service in time of war or emergency, including state Guard duty. Who is a veteran here. N.J.S.A. 11A:5-1(b) lists the wars and operations: World War II, Korea and Vietnam with 90 days, and later operations from Lebanon to Iraqi Freedom mostly with 14 days in the theater, with the time requirement waived for a service-incurred injury. The discharge test is other than dishonorable. P.L.2021, c.429 added paragraph (16): service "in a campaign or expedition for which a medal has been authorized and recognized by the Veterans' Preference Act of 1944 ... and which has been awarded to the veteran". A veteran of Operation Inherent Resolve or another operation not on the list gets in through the medal. The department's page omits the medal route. The Department of Veterans Affairs' civil service preference page, updated September 23, 2026, lists the qualifying war dates and says nothing of paragraph (16), and says a veteran "must have received an honorable discharge", where the statute says other than dishonorable. If you hold a campaign or expedition medal and were refused, cite N.J.S.A. 11A:5-1(b)(16). Disabled veterans. N.J.S.A. 11A:5-1(a) requires eligibility for compensation for a service-connected disability "from war service", which the department reads as at least 10 percent. The spouse of a disabled veteran can use the preference if the veteran waives it and is not in civil service (11A:5-2); a surviving spouse keeps the veteran's preference until remarriage; and the spouse or parent of a member who died in service gets the disabled veterans' preference (11A:5-3). Timing. The Commissioner of Veterans Affairs decides status under N.J.S.A. 38A:21-12, and it must be determined no later than eight days before the list is issued. A service member not yet holding a DD-214 may use a verification letter under 11A:5-1.1. Preference numbers issued before April 1, 1980 are void and must be re-established.