NJ Civil Service Navigator

N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.4 Promotional title scope: local service

N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.4, Promotional title scope: local service. If a title which is the subject of a promotional examination is part of a title series, the examination, with or without all or part of the open competitive Full text with 6 recorded amendments, 8 citing decisions, cited by 2 other rules.

Selection and Appointment · Competitive Examinations

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

Local service only; State service has its own scope rule at 4A:4-2.5. Title scope is the answer to who is allowed to compete. Where the promotional title is part of a title series, the examination opens to one of three groups: the next lower in-series title used in the local jurisdiction, the next two lower in-series titles used there, or everyone in the unit scope who meets the open competitive requirements together with those in-series titles. Where the title is not part of a series, it opens to any applicant with a total of one year of permanent service who meets the open competitive requirements. Promotion out of the noncompetitive division into the competitive division has its own five options. Wider scopes may be used where appropriate, including where the appointing authority provisionally promoted somebody without permanent status in the next lower in-series title, and in extraordinary circumstances the Chairperson or designee may set another scope. A jurisdiction can be required to produce ordinances or tables of organization showing which titles it actually uses.

Written by the NJ Civil Service Navigator editorial team from the text of N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.4. It is a description of the rule, not the rule itself, and not legal advice.

(a) If a title which is the subject of a promotional examination is part of a title series, the examination, with or without all or part of the open competitive requirements, as appropriate, shall be open to one of the following: #

1. The next lower in-series title used in the local jurisdiction; #

2. The next two lower in-series titles used in the local jurisdiction; or #

3. All applicants in the unit scope who meet the open competitive requirements and all applicants in the next lower or next two lower in-series titles used in the local jurisdiction. #

(b) When the title which is the subject of the promotional examination is not part of a title series, the examination shall be open to all applicants having a total of one year of permanent service who meet the open competitive requirements. #

(c) When a promotion is to be made from the noncompetitive division of the career service to a related entry level title in the competitive division of the career service, or, in appropriate circumstances as determined by the Chairperson or designee, an unrelated entry level or above entry level title in the competitive division of the career service, the examination shall be open to all applicants who meet the complete open competitive requirements and who are either serving in: #

1. The next lower in-series noncompetitive title used in the local jurisdiction; #

2. The next two lower in-series noncompetitive titles used in the local jurisdiction; #

3. All related noncompetitive titles; #

4. Unrelated noncompetitive titles, in appropriate circumstances as determined by the Chairperson or designee; or #

5. Any competitive title. #

(d) The title scopes described in (a)2 and 3 and (c)2 through 5 above or any combination of such scopes may be used when a wider title scope is appropriate or the appointing authority provisionally promotes an employee who does not have permanent status in the next lower in-series title of the title series established by the Civil Service Commission. #

(e) In extraordinary circumstances, the Chairperson or designee may set another appropriate title scope. #

(f) The local jurisdiction may be required to provide an appropriate representative of the Civil Service Commission with copies of ordinances, tables of organization, or other evidence of the jurisdiction's use of titles. #

Amendment history

Rule numbers, effective dates and New Jersey Register citations as published. 6 recorded changes.

  1. AmendedR.2017 d.142
    49 N.J.R. 492(a); 49 N.J.R. 2239(a)
  2. AmendedR.2014 d.099
    45 N.J.R. 500(a); 46 N.J.R. 260(a); 46 N.J.R. 1331(c)
  3. AmendedR.2012 d.010
    43 N.J.R. 2407(a); 44 N.J.R. 71(a)
  4. AmendedR.2003 d.395
    35 N.J.R. 2389(a); 35 N.J.R. 4711(c)
  5. AmendedR.1993 d.270
    25 N.J.R. 1085(b); 25 N.J.R. 2509(a)
  6. AmendedR.1990 d.554
    22 N.J.R. 2628(a); 22 N.J.R. 3482(a)

How this rule has been applied

8 decisions have cited N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.4. 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.

Superior Court (1)
  • Administrative Procedure Act. Matter of Police Chief (M2010P) South Orange Village266 N.J.Super. 101; 628 A.2d 809
Civil Service Commission final determinations (6)
  • In re D'Esposito, Chief Security Guard (PC1027W), Bergen Cnty., CSC Docket No. 2018-37202018 N.J. CSC LEXIS 643Docket 2018-3720
  • In re Monroe, Keyboarding Clerk 2 (PC0031T), Passaic Cnty. Bd. of Social Servs., CSC Docket No. 2015-30882015 N.J. CSC LEXIS 154Docket 2015-3088
  • In re Bisanzio, Sewer Repairer Supervisor (PM1903R), Hamilton, CSC Docket Nos. 2014-20522014 N.J. CSC LEXIS 13Docket 2014-2052
  • In re Supervisor, Public Works, Sayreville, CSC Docket No. 2014-10822013 N.J. CSC LEXIS 1087Docket 2014-1082
  • In re Smalls, Dep't of the Treasury, CSC Docket No. 2014-13122013 N.J. CSC LEXIS 1160Docket 2014-1312
  • In re Kathleen Castaldo, Mercer Cnty., CSC Dkt. No. 2014-8692013 N.J. CSC LEXIS 686
Office of Administrative Law initial decisions (1)
  • Fischbach v. Ocean County2007 N.J. AGEN LEXIS 93Docket CSV 4180-06

Rules that point here

Elsewhere in Competitive Examinations