NJ Civil Service Navigator

N.J.A.C. 4A:1-1.3 Definitions

N.J.A.C. 4A:1-1.3, Definitions. following words and terms, when used in any Commission rule, shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Appointing a Full text with 15 recorded amendments, 34 citing decisions, cited by 4 other rules.

General Rules and Agency Organization · Purpose, Scope, and Definitions

Current through New Jersey Register, Vol. 58 No. 14, July 20, 2026. Reviewed as of July 26, 2026.

This is an annotated mirror, not the official publication. Verify against the Civil Service Commission before relying on it.

In plain language

Forty terms, fixed once and carried through the whole title. When an argument turns on whether service counted as continuous, or whether somebody held permanent status, the meaning is settled here rather than in the rule being argued about. Watch for one thing. A few of these terms are defined a second time elsewhere for a narrower purpose, and the two definitions do not match. Base salary is the clearest case: this section defines it for Title 4A generally, and 4A:3-5.2 defines it again for overtime compensation in State service. The definition that governs is the one belonging to the subchapter being read.

Written by the NJ Civil Service Navigator editorial team from the text of N.J.A.C. 4A:1-1.3. It is a description of the rule, not the rule itself, and not legal advice.

The following words and terms, when used in any Commission rule, shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

Appointing authority "Appointing authority" means a person or group of persons having power of appointment or removal. #

Appointment "Appointment" means the offer, acceptance and commencement of employment. #

Base salary "Base salary" means an employee's rate of pay exclusive of any additional payments or allowances. #

Career Service "Career Service" means those positions and job titles subject to the tenure provisions of Title 11A, New Jersey Statutes. #

Certification "Certification" means a list of names presented to an appointing authority for regular appointment. #

Chairperson "Chairperson" means the chief executive officer and administrator of the Civil Service Commission. #

Class code "Class code" means a designation assigned to job titles in State and local service with ranking based upon an evaluation of job content. #

Closing date for examination "Closing date for examination" means the date by which an applicant for an examination must meet all of the requirements contained in the examination announcement. #

Commission "Commission" means the Civil Service Commission. #

Days "Days" means calendar days unless otherwise specified. #

Demotion "Demotion" means, in local service, a reduction in title or scale of compensation, and in State service, a reduction in class code. #

Department "Department" in local service, where not otherwise defined by statute, means the largest type of organizational unit established by ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, that is not a sub-unit of any other organizational unit for the purpose of administering the political subdivision. In State service, "department" means a principal executive department of State government. #

Disposition "Disposition" means the written report of actions taken by an appointing authority regarding a certification. #

Eligible list "Eligible list" means a roster compiled or approved by the Civil Service Commission of persons who are qualified for employment or reemployment. #

Filing date for examination "Filing date for examination" means the date by which an application for an examination must be submitted as designated in the announcement. When mailed, the filing date is the date by which a properly addressed application must be postmarked. #

Fine "Fine" means a disciplinary penalty which requires the payment of money or the performance of service without pay or at reduced pay. #

Immediate family "Immediate family" means an employee's spouse, domestic partner (see section 4 of P.L. 2003, c. 246), civil union partner, child, legal ward, grandchild, foster child, father, mother, legal guardian, grandfather, grandmother, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and other relatives residing in the employee's household or any other individual whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship, such as a step-relative. #

Lateral movement "Lateral movement" means an employee movement from one position to another with a similar salary and level of duties, responsibilities, and qualifications and, where applicable, the same class code. #

Layoff "Layoff" means the separation of a permanent employee from employment for reasons of economy or efficiency or other related reasons and not for disciplinary reasons. #

Local service "Local service" means employment in any political subdivision operating under Title 11A, New Jersey statutes. #

Open competitive examination "Open competitive examination" means a test open to members of the public who meet the prescribed requirements for admission. #

Part time employee "Part time employee" means an employee whose regular hours of duty are less than the regular and normal workweek for that job title or agency. #

Permanent employee "Permanent employee" means an employee in the career service who has acquired the tenure and rights resulting from regular appointment and successful completion of the working test period. #

Position "Position" means the assignment of specific duties and responsibilities requiring the employment of one person. #

Promotion "Promotion" means, in local service, an advancement in title, and in State service, an advancement to a title having a higher class code than the former permanent title. #

Promotional examination "Promotional examination" means a test open to permanent employees who meet the prescribed requirements for admission. #

Provisional appointment "Provisional appointment" (PA) means employment in the competitive division of the career service pending the appointment of a person from an eligible list. #

Regular appointment "Regular appointment" (RA) means the employment of a person to fill a position in the competitive division of the career service upon examination and certification, or the employment of a person to a position in the noncompetitive division of the career service. #

Removal "Removal" means termination of a permanent employee from employment for disciplinary reasons. #

Senior executive service "Senior executive service" means positions in State service designated by the Commission as having substantial managerial, policy influencing, or policy executing responsibilities not included in the career or unclassified services. #

Spouse "Spouse" means a husband, a wife, or a party to a civil union, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 37:1-1 and P.L. 2006, c. 103. #

State service "State service" means employment for the State of New Jersey. #

Suspension "Suspension" means temporary separation from employment for disciplinary reasons. #

Suspension on the record "Suspension on the record" means a suspension for disciplinary reasons imposed for record purposes only, without loss of pay, benefits or seniority. #

Title "Title" means a descriptive name that identifies a position or group of positions with similar duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. #

Title scope "Title scope" means a defined group of job titles used as a factor in determining eligibility for promotional examinations. Title scope may also include educational, experience and other specific requirements. #

Title series "Title series" means titles involving the same kind of work and ranked according to level of difficulty and responsibility. #

Unclassified service "Unclassified service" means those positions and job titles outside of the senior executive service, not subject to the tenure provisions of Title 11A, New Jersey Statutes or these rules unless otherwise specified. #

Unit scope "Unit scope" means a defined part of a governmental agency used as a factor in determining eligibility for promotional examinations. #

Working test period "Working test period" means a part of the examination process after regular appointment, during which time the work performance and conduct of the employee is evaluated to determine if permanent status is merited. #

Amendment history

Rule numbers, effective dates and New Jersey Register citations as published. 15 recorded changes.

  1. AmendedR.2019 d.072
    51 N.J.R. 191(b); 51 N.J.R. 1115(a)
  2. AmendedR.2014 d.099
    45 N.J.R. 500(a); 46 N.J.R. 1331(c)
  3. AmendedR.2014 d.062
    45 N.J.R. 783(a); 46 N.J.R. 617(a)
  4. AmendedR.2011 d.158
    43 N.J.R. 336(a); 43 N.J.R. 1331(a)
  5. AmendedR.2008 d.214
    40 N.J.R. 1400(a); 40 N.J.R. 4519(b)
  6. AmendedR.2007 d.244
    39 N.J.R. 1340(a); 39 N.J.R. 3499(a)
  7. AmendedR.2006 d.386
    38 N.J.R. 2773(a); 38 N.J.R. 4690(a)
  8. AmendedR.2005 d.65
    36 N.J.R. 4566(a); 37 N.J.R. 586(a)
  9. AmendedR.1992 d.416
    24 N.J.R. 2490(a); 24 N.J.R. 3715(a)
  10. AmendedR.1988 d.415
    20 N.J.R. 845(b); 20 N.J.R. 2255(a)
  11. AmendedR.1988 d.258
    20 N.J.R. 326(a); 20 N.J.R. 1183(a)
  12. date not statedPetition for rulemaking
    38 N.J.R. 1085(a)
  13. date not statedPetition for rulemaking
    47 N.J.R. 2310(a)
  14. date not statedPetition for rulemaking
    57 N.J.R. 1338(a)
  15. date not statedPetition for rulemaking
    58 N.J.R. 1088(a)

How this rule has been applied

34 decisions have cited N.J.A.C. 4A:1-1.3. The list below is citations to those decisions, not the decisions. We have not written summaries for this section. A citation with no summary is deliberate: we do not paraphrase a decision we have not read. Nothing here is legal advice.

New Jersey Supreme Court (2)
  • In re Foglio207 N.J. 38; 22 A.3d 9582011
  • 70 N.J. 138; 358 A.2d 185
Appellate Division (1)
  • , Docket No. A-4396-05T3
Superior Court (1)
  • Administrative Procedure Act. Matter of Police Chief (M2010P) South Orange Village266 N.J.Super. 101; 628 A.2d 809
Federal courts (1)
  • Reilly v. City of Atl. City427 F. Supp. 2d 507
Civil Service Commission final determinations (24)
Office of Administrative Law initial decisions (5)
  • John Pantirmas v. New Jersey Dep't. of Env't. Prot. - Radiation Prot. ProgramDocket EER-
  • Lisa Brown v. Dep't of Children & FamiliesDocket CSV 2630-13
  • Twp. of Sparta, Layoffs 2010 (Lehman), v. Twp. of Sparta, Dep't of Pub. WorksDocket CSV 00239-11
  • In re Perez, Cnty. of Cape May, Dep't of Crest HavenDocket CSV 13678-13
  • In re GoodenDocket CSV 6905-05

Commission decisions citing 4A:1-1.3

39 decisions of the Civil Service Commission since January 16, 2019 cite this section (denied 20, granted 15, granted in part 2, as the minutes record the outcome). The newest:

All 39 decisions

Rules that point here