N.J.S.A. 11A:3-4 State unclassified service
The State unclassified service shall not be subject to the provisions of this title unless otherwise specified and shall include the following: a. App… Implemented by a rule in N.J.A.C. Title 4A.
Current through the close of the 221st Legislature (L. 2025, c. 346). What that means
Reviewed as of July 28, 2026. Official text: njleg.state.nj.us.
In plain language
This is the section a State job specification points at when it says a title is unclassified. It lists twelve categories, running from appointments of the Governor through department heads, legislative branch employees, physicians and dentists, and one secretary and one confidential assistant to each department head. The last category is open-ended: any other title provided by law or determined by the Commission. Being unclassified means the title falls outside Title 11A unless a provision says otherwise, so the tenure protections, the examination requirement and the appeal rights that attach to the career service do not apply. The rule that allocates a specific title to this service is N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.3.
Written by the NJ Civil Service Navigator editorial team from the text of this section. The statute itself is below, unabridged.
The State unclassified service shall not be subject to the provisions of this title unless otherwise specified and shall include the following:
a.Appointments of the Governor;#
b.Department heads and members of boards and commissions authorized by law;#
c.Employees in the legislative branch of State government;#
d.Heads of institutions;#
e.Superintendents, teachers and instructors in the public schools, the agricultural experiment station and State institutions, where certified teachers are employed under the supervision of and qualified by the State Department of Education, and other institutions maintained wholly or in part by the State;#
f.Physicians, surgeons and dentists;#
g.Assistant and Deputy Attorneys General and legal assistants appointed by the Attorney General;#
h.One secretary and one confidential assistant to each department head, board, principal executive officer and commission. Each certification and appointment hereunder shall be recorded in the minutes of the Civil Service Commission;#
i.Employees in the military or naval service of the State;#
j.Student assistants;#
k.Domestic employees in the Governor’s household; and#
l.All other titles as provided by law or as the Civil Service Commission may determine.#
Enacted by L. 1986, c. 112, effective September 25, 1986. Last amended by L. 2008, c. 29, effective June 30, 2008.
An old amendment date alone does not mean a provision is obsolete. This mirror reflects the source watermark above; later laws and decisions can affect how the text applies.
The rules that implement this section
A statute sets the framework and the Civil Service Commission’s rules fill in the detail. Where a question turns on procedure, the rule usually governs; where it turns on who is covered or what the Commission may do, the statute does.
- N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.3 Unclassified service
Titles classified under this section
125 job specifications published by the Civil Service Commission cite this section as the authority for their classification. Grouped by the paragraph each one names.
Citing this section without naming a paragraph
- ASSISTANT MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATOR (TOWNSHIP/VILL AGE )
- ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ADMINISTRATION State
- ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ADMINISTRATION State
- ASSOCIATE HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR 1 State
- ASSOCIATE HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR 1 State
- ASSOCIATE HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR 2 State
- ASSOCIATE HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR 2 State
- CLINICAL DIRECTOR 1 State
- CLINICAL DIRECTOR 1 State
- GOVERNORS FELLOW State
- LAW CLERK State
- MANAGER, HEALTH BENEFITS POLICY, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION State
- OMBUDSPERSON HEALTH 1 State
- OMBUDSPERSON HEALTH 2 State
- STAFF ASSISTANT State
(d) Heads of institutions
(e) Superintendents, teachers and instructors in the public schools, the agricultural experiment station and State institutions, where…
- ADMINISTRATIVE INSTRUCTOR, EDUCATION 10 MONTHS State
- ADMINISTRATIVE INSTRUCTOR, EDUCATION 12 MONTHS State
- ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS State
- ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS State
- INSTRUCTOR 1, EDUCATION - 10 MONTHS State
- INSTUCTOR 2, EDUCATION - 10 MONTHS State
- INSTUCTOR 2, EDUCATION - 12 MONTHS State
- PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT State
- SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST (10 MONTH AND 12 MONTH) State
- SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST (10 MONTH AND 12 MONTH) State
- SPEECH CORRECTIONIST State
- SUPERINTENDENT RESIDENTIAL GROUP CENTER State
- SUPERINTENDENT RESIDENTIAL GROUP CENTER State
- SUPERINTENDENT, RESIDENTIAL GROUP CENTER C
- SUPERVISOR OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS 1 State
- SUPERVISOR OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS 1 State
- SUPERVISOR OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS 2 State
- SUPERVISOR OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS 2 State
- TEACHER 1, 12 MONTHS State
- TEACHER 2, 10-MONTHS State
- TEACHER 2, 12-MONTHS State
- TEACHER 2, CHALLENGE YOUTH PROGRAM State
- TEACHER 3, 12 MONTHS State
(f) Physicians, surgeons and dentists
- ASSISTANT MEDICAL EXAMINER C
- ASSISTANT MEDICAL EXAMINER State
- ASSOCIATE MEDICAL EXAMINER State
- CLINICAL PSYCHIATRIST - BOARD CERTIFIED State
- CLINICAL PSYCHIATRIST - BOARD ELIGIBLE State
- CLINICAL PSYCHIATRIST - POST CERTIFIED State
- MANAGING PHYSICIAN/PSYCHIATRIST State
- MANAGING PHYSICIAN/PSYCHIATRIST State
- MEDICAL CONSULTANT State
- MEDICAL DIRECTOR State
- MEDICAL DIRECTOR State
- PEDIATRICIAN local
(g) Assistant and Deputy Attorneys General and legal assistants appointed by the Attorney General
- DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL 1
- DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL 1
- DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL 2 State
- DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL 2
- DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL 2 State
- DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL 3
- DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL 3
- DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL 4
- DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL 4
- DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL 5
(i) Employees in the military or naval service of the State
- AIR GUARD BATTALION CHIEF State
- AIR GUARD DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF State
- AIR GUARD FIRE CAPTAIN State
- AIR GUARD FIREFIGHTER State
(j) Student assistants
(l) All other titles as provided by law or as the Civil Service Commission may determine
- ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER State
- ASSISTANT OMBUDSMAN SECURED FACILITIES State
- ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT 1 CORRECTIONS State
- ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR, PRISON COMPLEX State
- ASSOCIATE CHAPLAIN State
- CHAPLAIN State
- CHIEF OF STAFF C
- COMMISSIONER State
- CONSULTANT, CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION 1
- CONSULTANT, CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION 2
- COORDINATOR CHAPLAINCY SERVICES C
- CORRECTIONS OMBUDSPERSON State
- DEPUTY DIVISION DIRECTOR, HUMAN SERVICES/CHILDREN & FAMILIES
- DEPUTY DIVISION DIRECTOR, HUMAN SERVICES/CHILDREN & FAMILIES State
- DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR State
- DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR State
- DIRECTOR 1, EDUCATION State
- DIRECTOR 1, EDUCATION State
- DIRECTOR 2, EDUCATION State
- DIRECTOR 2, EDUCATION State
- DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS State
- DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
- DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT State
- DISABILITIES SERVICES SPECIALIST 1 State
- DISABILITIES SERVICES SPECIALIST 2 State
- DIVISION DIRECTOR, HUMAN SERVICES/CHILDREN & FAMILIES State
- DIVISION DIRECTOR, HUMAN SERVICES/CHILDREN & FAMILIES State
- EDUCATION PROGRAM SPECIALIST 1 State
- EDUCATION: PROGRAM SPECIALIST 1 COUNCIL ON THE ARTS State
- EDUCATION: PROGRAM SPECIALIST 2 State
- EDUCATION: PROGRAM SPECIALIST 2 COUNCIL ON THE ARTS State
- EDUCATION: PROGRAM SPECIALIST 3 State
- EDUCATION: PROGRAM SPECIALIST 3 COUNCIL ON THE ARTS State
- HEALTH CARE CONSULTANT State
- HEALTH SCIENCE SPECIALIST State
- INSPECTOR GENERAL State
- LEGAL SPECIALIST State
- LEGAL SPECIALIST 1 State
- LEGAL SPECIALIST 2 State
- LEGAL SPECIALIST 3 State
- and 19 more
Legislative history
Session laws, newest first
- L. 2008, c. 29, section 23Amended
effective June 30, 2008 - L. 1986, c. 112Enacted
effective September 25, 1986
How this section has been applied
3 reported decisions cite this section. Citations only: the summaries in the source are the publisher's own writing, and where we describe a case we write it from the decision itself.
New Jersey Supreme Court 1
- Orange v. Goldberg58 A.2d 211
Appellate Division 1
- State Troopers Fraternal Asso. v. State115 N.J. Super. 503, 280 A.2d 235
Superior Court 1
- Weisel v. Hooks277 N.J. Super. 78, 648 A.2d 1166cites (h)
Commission decisions resting on 11A:3-4
25 decisions of the Civil Service Commission since January 16, 2019 rest on this section: 23 cite it directly, and 2 apply a Title 4A rule adopted under it. The newest:
- In the Matter of State School Counselor Liaison June 10, 2026 · Title creation, reallocation or retitling · Granted · cites this section
- In the Matter of Project Specialist, Transition December 17, 2025 · Title creation, reallocation or retitling · Granted · cites this section
- In the Matter of Legal Specialist Title Series November 26, 2025 · Title creation, reallocation or retitling · Granted · cites this section
- In the Matter of Supervising Special Investigator, State Lottery October 15, 2025 · Title creation, reallocation or retitling · Granted · cites this section
- In the Matter of Executive Director, Passaic Valley Water Commission April 30, 2025 · Title creation, reallocation or retitling · Granted · cites this section
- In the Matter of Classification Officer, Department of Corrections Titles Series April 9, 2025 · Position classification · Granted · applies N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.3
- In the Matter of Presiding Judge Titles, Judiciary November 6, 2024 · Title creation, reallocation or retitling · Granted · cites this section
- In the Matters of Administrative Specialist 1, 2, 3 and 4, Bilingual in Spanish and English September 25, 2024 · Title creation, reallocation or retitling · Granted · cites this section
Effective-date provisions
Quoted from the session laws themselves.
- Section 120 of L. 2008, c. 29 provides: “This act shall take effect immediately and any actions necessary to implement this act may be taken any time thereafter. General implementation shall be completed no later than 12 months following enactment.” Chapter 29, L. 2008, was approved on June 30, 2008.
Sections that refer to this one
- N.J.S.A. 11A:4-13 Types of appointment