St. Clair County Sheriff's Merit Commission: Veterans Preference

The St. Clair County Code ranks a certified applicant for a Sheriff's deputy post who has honorably served above every other applicant with the same rating. State law adds what the Code does not say: a veteran discharged within the last six months can ask to be examined before the next scheduled test date.

Also called: veterans preference, Sheriff, deputy, Merit Commission, hiring, 3-8010, jobs, tie-breaker.

For: Veteran or service member.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

St. Clair County, ILCounty

What the County Code says. Section 5-1-16 of the St. Clair County Code: an applicant certified for appointment who served in the U.S. military and has filed a sworn or certified copy of a certificate of honorable service with the Merit Commission "shall receive a numerical rank on the certification list above all other applicants who shall have received the same rating". It is a tie-breaker, not added points. The Merit Commission covers full-time deputies other than special deputies. What State law adds. Counties Code section 3-8010 lets a sheriff's merit commission give preference to those who honorably served, and it also gives a veteran (as 38 U.S.C. 101(2) defines one) discharged honorably or under honorable conditions no more than six months before applying the right to ask for an examination before the next scheduled date; once the veteran passes and meets the other requirements, the veteran goes straight onto the eligibility list. The County Code chapter was last supplemented in August 2000 and says nothing about this, so a newly separated veteran should cite the statute when applying.

Thresholds

Thresholds for St. Clair County Sheriff's Merit Commission: Veterans Preference
Gate	Rule
Honorable service, filed with the Commission	The tie-breaker needs a certificate of honorable service on file; the early examination needs a discharge within six months. No rating is needed.

Sources

Updated

Last updated 2026-10-03.

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Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.