Santa Clara County Merit System Veterans' Preferential Credits

County Code section A25-149, last amended September 16, 2025, gives a veteran who qualifies under section A25-126 a preferential credit of five percent on reaching the passing mark of a numerically scored open-competitive or promotional examination. A disabled veteran gets a further five percent. "Disabled" means an approved VA rating of ten percent or more for a service-connected disability. Who qualifies. Section A25-126 asks only that the applicant claim the preference on the application form and give Human Resources, before the examination date, a copy of a discharge or other release, other than dishonorable, showing service in any branch. There is no war-period test, no time limit after separation, and no limit to first employment, so the credit is wider than many California county preferences, and unlike most it applies to promotional examinations too. When the credit does not help. Under section A25-150(d), where an examination is an application appraisal, every applicant who meets the minimum qualifications, veterans included, is normally given a grade of pass and listed alphabetically, so there is no score to add the credit to.