NJ Civil Service Navigator

N.J.A.C. 4A:4-3.3 Duration and cancellation of eligible lists

N.J.A.C. 4A:4-3.3, Duration and cancellation of eligible lists. An eligible list shall be considered issued on the date on which it is available for review by candidates, appointing authorities and members of the public. Full text with 5 recorded amendments, 44 citing decisions, cited by 2 other rul

Selection and Appointment · Eligible Lists

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

Three years from the date of establishment for open competitive and promotional lists, unless the Chairperson or designee decides a shorter period fits the circumstances. A list may be extended for good cause before it expires, but no list may run more than four years in total. A name stays on a regular reemployment list no more than three years from the date of resignation, subject to that same extension. Special reemployment, police reemployment, sheriff's officer reemployment and fire reemployment lists have unlimited duration. Two dates are worth separating: a list is issued when candidates, appointing authorities and the public can review it, and promulgated when it can be certified to an appointing authority and appointments can be made from it. Before expiry the Chairperson or designee may cancel a list for fraud, illegality, test invalidity, Commission staff error or other good cause, by an order that provides for notifying eligibles, with affected appointing authorities notified too. Appointments after a list expires are dealt with at 4A:4-4.9.

Written by the NJ Civil Service Navigator editorial team from the text of N.J.A.C. 4A:4-3.3. It is a description of the rule, not the rule itself, and not legal advice.

(a) An eligible list shall be considered issued on the date on which it is available for review by candidates, appointing authorities and members of the public. The list shall be considered promulgated on the date on which it is available to be certified to an appointing authority and from which appointments may be made. #

(b) Open competitive and promotional lists shall be promulgated for three years from the date of their establishment, unless the Chairperson or designee determines that, under the circumstances, a shorter time period is appropriate. #

1. An eligible list may, for good cause, be extended by the Chairperson or designee prior to its expiration date, except that no list shall have a duration of more than four years. #

2. The name of any employee shall not remain on a regular reemployment list for more than three years from the date of resignation, except as provided in (b)1 above. #

3. Special reemployment, police reemployment, sheriff's officer reemployment, and fire reemployment lists shall have unlimited durations. #

(c) The Chairperson or designee may, in cases of fraud, illegality, test invalidity, error by the Civil Service Commission staff, or other good cause, cancel an eligible list prior to its expiration date by issuing an order, which shall provide a means for the notification of eligibles. The Chairperson or designee shall also notify affected appointing authorities. #

(d) See N.J.A.C. 4A:4-4.9 for appointments after the expiration date of the eligible list. #

(e) When a promotional list for a law enforcement or firefighter title is extended until a new promotional list is available for certification and appointments, the extended list shall expire when the new promotional list is issued, provided however, that certifications of and appointments from the new list shall not be made until the promulgation date of the new list. #

Amendment history

Rule numbers, effective dates and New Jersey Register citations as published. 5 recorded changes.

  1. AmendedR.2017 d.142
    49 N.J.R. 492(a); 49 N.J.R. 2239(a)
  2. AmendedR.2010 d.123
    41 N.J.R. 4586(a); 42 N.J.R. 1164(a)
  3. AmendedR.1997 d.410
    29 N.J.R. 2732(a); 29 N.J.R. 4279(a)
  4. AmendedR.1996 d.98
    27 N.J.R. 4049(a); 28 N.J.R. 1201(b)
  5. date not statedPetition for rulemaking
    41 N.J.R. 4833(a)

How this rule has been applied

44 decisions have cited N.J.A.C. 4A:4-3.3. 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 (1)
  • 80 N.J. 129; 402 A.2d 2401979
Appellate Division (3)
  • Imbriacco v. State Civil Service Commission150 N.J.Super. 105; 374 A.2d 1251
  • In the Matter of Newark Police Sergeant and Lieutenant List for Dep't of Civil Service149 N.J.Super. 121; 373 A.2d 422
  • Saletta v. Civil Service Comm'n148 N.J. Super. 451; 372 A.2d 1140
Federal courts (1)
  • Newark Branch, N.A.A.C.P. v. Town of Harrison, N.J., C.A.3 (N.J. 1991)940 F.2d 792
Civil Service Commission final determinations (38)
  • In re Sabol, Mech. Diesel (PM0441V), Woodbridge, CSC Docket No. 2022-746Docket 2022-746
  • Newark, CSC Docket Nos. 2022-388 et al. (Consolidated)Docket 2022-388
  • In re Lieutenant Campus Police (PS4357J), Rowan Univ., CSC DKT. NO. 2021-1631
  • In re Parole Counselor Apprentice (S0066V), State Parole Bd., CSC Docket No. 2021-1505Docket 2021-1505
  • In re Navarro, Jr., Police Captain (PM1353U), Paterson, CSC Docket No. 2021-219Docket 2021-219
  • In re Deputy Chief Investigator (PS5694I), Dep't of Corrs., CSC Docket No. 2020-1775Docket 2020-1775
  • In re Claims Adjudicator Supervisor, Disability Determinations (PS3520N), Dep't of Labor & Workforce Dev., CSC Docket No. 2019-3745Docket 2019-3745
  • In re Jersey City Police Promotional Appointments, CSC Docket Nos. 2018-3409 et al. (Consolidated)Docket 2018-3409
  • In re McElroy, Fire Protection Inspector, Hamilton Twp., CSC Docket No. 2019-211Docket 2019-211
  • In re Miranda, Principal Field Representative, Local Prop. Tax, Dep't of the Treasury, CSC Docket No. 2018-3099Docket 2018-3099
  • In re Hart, Police Lieutenant, Little Egg Harbor, CSC Docket No. 2018-2141Docket 2018-2141
  • In re Cowan et al., Promotional Police Titles, Jersey City, CSC Docket Nos. 2018-2157 et al. (Consolidated)Docket 2018-2157
  • Jersey City, CSC Docket Nos. 2018-2157 et al. (Consolidated)Docket 2018-2157
  • In re Alicea, Printing Mach. Operator 2 (PS4834J), N.J. City Univ., CSC Docket No. 2018-2369Docket 2018-2369
  • In re Supervising Account Clerk (PC0128S), Mercer Cnty. Prosecutor's Office, CSC Docket No. 2018-1077Docket 2018-1077
  • In re Cobbertt, Dep't of the Treasury, CSC Dkt. No. 2016-4279
  • In re Finn, Dep't of Health, CSC Dkt. No. 2016-1642
  • In re Human Services Specialist 1 (C0771P), Camden Cnty. Bd. of Social Servs., CSC Docket No. 2016-1914Docket 2016-1914
  • In re Lieutenant, Campus Police (PS9978J), Montclair State Univ., CSC Dkt. No. 2015-2507
  • In re Matter of Police Sergeant (PM2665L), Ewing, CSC Docket No. 2014-2798Docket 2014-2798
  • In re Wallbillich, Dep't of Corr.
  • In re Open-Competitive Lists for Fire Fighter (M9999M), CSC Docket No. 2014-1252Docket 2014-1252cites (b)1
  • In re Police Sergeant (PM2604K), Lakewood, CSC Docket No. 2014-1250Docket 2014-1250
  • In re Human Servs. Technician (PS7399K), Ancora Psychiatric Hosp., CSC Dkt. No. 2014-927
  • In re Claims Adjudicator Supervisor (PS2364N), Dep't. of Labor and Workforce Dev., CSC Dkt. No. 2014-586cites (b)1
  • In re Judiciary Clerk 1 et al., CSC Dkt. No. 2014-530cites (b)1
  • In re Police Chief (PM3565M), Twp. of Middletown, CSC Docket No. 2014-335Docket 2014-335cites (b)1
  • In re Director of Automotive Services (M0131R), North Bergen Township, DOP Docket No. 2014-298cites (c)
  • In re Claims Adjudicator Trainee (S0346P) and Claims Adjudicator Trainee, Bilingual Spanish/English (S0431P), CSC Dkt. No. 2014-46cites (b)1
  • In re Employment Specialist Trainee (S0347P) and Auditor Accountant Trainee (S0344P), Dep't of Labor & Workforce Dev., CSC Dkt. Nos. 2014-134 and 2014-135cites (b)1
  • In re Deputy Fire Chief (Pm3645L), Irvington Twp., CSC Dkt. No. 2013-3571cites (b)1
  • In re Human Services Specialist 4 (PC0941M), Mercer Cnty. Bd. of Social Serv., CSC Dkt. No. 2013-2931cites (b)1
  • In re Entry Level Law Enforcement Examination (S9999M), CSC Docket No. 2013-2568Docket 2013-2568cites (b)1
  • In re Police Sergeant (PM2621J), West Milford, CSC Dkt. No. 2013-241cites (b)1
  • In re Fire Chief (PM3610L), City of Vineland, CSC Dkt. No. 2013-1845cites (b)1
  • In re Animal Control Officer, (M0094P), Phillipsburg, CSC Dkt. No. 2013-1650cites (b)
  • In re Police Sergeant, Human Services (PS3751K), Department of Human Services, CSC Docket No. 2013-1882Docket 2013-1882cites (b)1
  • In re Executive Assistant 2, (PS3198I), Dep't. of Corr., CSC Dkt. No. 2013-1540
Office of Administrative Law initial decisions (1)
  • In re OttavianoDocket TYP 742-08

Commission decisions citing 4A:4-3.3

40 decisions of the Civil Service Commission since January 16, 2019 cite this section (granted 28, denied 10, granted in part 1, as the minutes record the outcome). The newest:

All 40 decisions

This rule points to

Rules that point here

Elsewhere in Eligible Lists