St. Louis County adds up to 10 points to a passing exam grade for a veteran receiving VA disability compensation, and up to 5 for other wartime, campaign or disabled veterans, on open competitive lists for merit jobs. Promotion lists get no points. One date in the ordinance is misprinted.
Also called: veterans preference, merit system, civil service, 10 points, 5 points, SLCRO 202.170, Charter 7.030, county jobs.
The St. Louis County Charter, section 7.030(4), directs the Civil Service Commission to "promulgate a system of veterans' preference in examinations". SLCRO 202.170(4)(a), last amended in February 2026, sets it.
Ten points. A person who qualifies by examination, was separated "with an honorable discharge or under honorable conditions" from active duty before seeking entrance into the merit system, and "is currently receiving compensation from the U. S. Veterans Administration for service-incurred disabilities" gets "not more than ten (10) points" added to the passing grade before rank is set. Any rating that is being paid qualifies; a 0 percent rating that pays nothing does not.
Five points. Other honorably separated veterans who served in a war, in a campaign or expedition with an authorised campaign badge, between April 28, 1952 and July 1, 1955, for more than 180 consecutive days other than for training in a period beginning February 1, 1955, or who are disabled veterans, get "not more than five (5) points".
Three things to know. "Not more than" sets a ceiling, so the grant may be less. The points apply only to open competitive lists, never promotion lists. And the ordinance's own date is wrong: it prints the 180-day period as running from "February 1, 1955 and ending October 14, 1916", where the federal model in 5 U.S.C. 2108 ends on October 14, 1976. Read literally, the period is empty; a veteran in that era who relies on it should cite the evident intent. The ordinance also refers to "a disabled veteran as defined in this Rule" without defining one.
The merit system covers most County employees; elected officials, department heads and the police, who are hired under their own Charter provisions, are outside it (Charter 7.010).
A narrow pay benefit. SLCRO 201.195, 201.199 and 202.405 pay a County employee recalled as a reservist or Guard member the difference between County salary and military pay, but only for a call-up "in connection with United States enforcement of a United Nations resolution", the 1991 Gulf War wording, so it does not reach other mobilisations.
Thresholds
Thresholds for St. Louis County Merit System Veterans Preference
Gate
Rule
Up to 10 points with paid VA disability compensation, up to 5 otherwise
Honorable discharge or under honorable conditions from active duty, before entering the merit system. Open competitive lists only. The rating filter does not test it, since any paid rating qualifies for the 10 points.
Out of date, a broken link, or something else wrong? Say what you found, and an editor checks it against the official source.
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.