Veterans', legacy and NYC residency credits on civil service exams: the points, the deadlines and who has them

Veteran credit

Request on the application, or in writing before the eligible list is established. The general rule adds points only after a qualifying examination result.^[1][2]

Legacy credit

Request on the application, or in writing before list establishment. The guide limits it to passing open-competitive candidates and qualifying family relationships.^[2]

Police Officer residency credit

Follow the instructions on test day. An NYC address on the application alone is not a claim, and the notice says requests cannot be accepted after list establishment.^[4]

A military fee waiver, an age deduction and a make-up examination are separate benefits. None adds preference points to your test score.^[3]

Veteran points are added at list establishment after the candidate qualifies in the examination. Legacy credit requires passing all parts of the open-competitive exam. Police Officer residency credit requires a passing multiple-choice result and the notice’s residence conditions. A failing result does not become a pass by adding these credits.^[1][2][4]

Who the veteran categories cover

The DCAS veterans guide explains qualifying full-time active-duty service, discharge requirements and the Restoration of Honor Act. Its disabled-veteran category requires qualifying service-connected disability documentation, including a rating of at least 10%. It also describes conditional claims by people still serving. Read the eligibility and proof rules together; making a claim does not establish entitlement.^[3][1]

Residence and citizenship are conditions too. The credit also requires being a resident of New York State and a United States citizen, or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residency. The sources state different times for meeting these conditions. The Special Circumstances Guide and the veterans FAQ say “by the date of appointment or promotion”. Section 85 requires residence “at the time of application for appointment or promotion” and defines that time as “the date of the establishment of an eligible list”. A veteran who lives outside New York State on the date that applies does not meet this condition. Check both dates against your own case.^[2][3][1]

Who legacy credit covers

The current guide includes qualifying children or siblings of NYC police officers, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics killed in the line of duty, together with the specified World Trade Center attack and rescue cases. It also covers qualifying children or siblings of uniformed NYC Sanitation members whose deaths resulted from the WTC attack or rescue effort. That Sanitation category is narrower than any line-of-duty death. At most one parent and one sibling can support the combined 20-point claim.^[2]

Where residency credit appears

Police Officer is the only one of the 8 DCAS titles reviewed here whose notice offers this NYC residency credit. The other 7 reviewed notices do not contain that provision. Appointment residency requirements are a separate question, and other City titles can offer credits: the data below include Sanitation Worker and Firefighter.^[4][8]

Consider a hypothetical Police Officer candidate with an earned score of 85, whose non-disabled veteran and NYC residency claims are both approved:

85 earned points + 5 veteran points + 10 residency points = 100 adjusted points.^[1][4]

The veteran addition is 5. If the same example instead meets the disabled-veteran requirements, the calculation is 85 + 10 + 10 = 105. These examples assume approval of both claims; they do not decide eligibility or predict a list number.

The data dictionary calls the score including granted credits the adjusted final average (Adj. FA).^[7] An adjusted result can exceed 100: in the Active dataset updated October 16, 2026, 5,427 of 40,323 Police Officer open-competitive entries have an Adj. FA above 100.^[15] Public records also include Police Officer entries with both veteran and residency markers. Those markers do not establish a particular person’s original test score.^[8]

Veteran or disabled-veteran credit

Claim it on the exam application. If you already applied, send a written request to DCAS before the eligible list is established. The current guide directs these claims through DCAS Civil Service Now, using the appropriate subject. Do not wait for an estimated list date: the cutoff is the actual establishment date.^[2][3]

The guide asks for the following items:

1. Full name.
2. Last four digits of your Social Security number and/or your OASys Profile ID.
3. Exam title and exam number.
4. Mailing address.
5. Daytime phone number.
6. A statement requesting veteran or disabled-veteran credit.
7. Signature.

Send these through DCAS’s official channel. Its guide says a DD-214 is not required with the initial request and that DCAS will tell you when to supply supporting documentation. That does not waive the eligibility or proof requirements in §85. Keep your request and respond to document instructions promptly.^[2][1]

Legacy credit

Use the application or a written request before list establishment. Include the same identifying information and signature, but specify parent legacy credit, sibling legacy credit, or both. The current guide gives the official online contact route for these requests; the hiring agency checks supporting documents before appointment.^[2]

Police Officer residency credit

Follow the instructions given on the date of your multiple-choice test. An NYC address on the application alone is not a claim. The ordinary rule requires continuous NYC residence from the test date through list establishment.^[4]

The notice also describes a military Home of Record route for veterans and serving members. Their DD-214 or other service records must list a Home of Record at the time of entry into active duty in one of the five boroughs, and that Home of Record must have been established before they applied. The notice says residency requests cannot be accepted after the list is established. Check the full notice for the evidence and conditions that apply to you.^[4][3]

The general limit concerns using veteran credit for a permanent civil-service appointment or promotion in New York State. Merely requesting it on an exam is not the whole legal test. Section 85(4) also addresses cases where the credit did not change standing. Under §85(4)(d), an appointment that was terminated “at the end of the probationary term or by resignation at or before the end of the probationary term” does not count as use. A dismissal partway through probation is not one of the cases that subsection names.^[1]

Section 85(5) allows withdrawal before list establishment. Before a permanent appointment or promotion, a candidate may submit a signed written election to relinquish the credit and accept the lower resulting position on the list; that election is irrevocable. Blanket advice to “save the points for a promotion” leaves out these conditions. Ask DCAS how prior use and an applicable exception are recorded before choosing.^[1]

The veterans FAQ describes a further situation: someone who used non-disabled veteran credit and later qualifies as a disabled veteran may receive 10 points minus the credit already used. It also addresses a later disability determination on the same exam. These are specific exceptions, not a general reset whenever a disability rating rises.^[3]

Legacy credit has its own once-use rule for appointment from an open-competitive civil-service list in New York State. Do not assume that veteran-credit exceptions also govern a legacy claim.^[2]

Retrieved October 18, 2026; the source dataset’s last row update was October 16, 2026. These figures count open-competitive list entries, not unique people, applicants or hires. A person can appear on more than one list.^[8]

“Veteran credit” in this table combines the dataset’s veteran and disabled-veteran categories. Counts do not show whether the benefit was later used for an appointment or how much it changed a candidate’s rank.^[8][7]

In Police Officer’s open-competitive entries, 535 of 40,323 have at least one parent or sibling legacy marker (1.3%). The snapshot describes the records; it does not decide whether a particular applicant qualifies.^[8]

For broader citywide patterns and downloadable tables, see the frozen 2026 list report.

Method and limits

Each query filters the Active dataset to open-competitive records and groups by title code. Shared Public Safety Exam rows are not redistributed into School Safety Agent and Traffic Enforcement Agent. This differs from a tracker that attributes shared lists to destination titles; the denominators should not be mixed.

Groups below 10 are suppressed. Credit counts and percentages are also hidden when their nonzero complement is below 10. A missing or suppressed group is not evidence that a title has never offered that credit. These are claim markers in a list snapshot, not a hiring or eligibility survey.

The veterans guide says a late application may be available when qualifying military service caused the candidate to miss at least half the filing period. For an open-competitive make-up test, the request deadline is generally 90 days after military service ends. The promotional rule is 60 days after restoration to the City position. The right to a make-up is generally limited to examinations missed during a 5-year period before restoration to the City position or the end of military service.^[3]

The original examination eligibility requirements still apply, and service that could have been rescheduled may not qualify. These are make-up rules, not a general extension for claiming credit points; use the guide to identify the relevant scenario and submit the request to DCAS.^[3]

Qualifying veterans may use NYC civil-service exam fee waivers repeatedly. The once-use preference-credit rule does not limit how many exam fees can be waived. Qualifying spouses or domestic partners have a separate one-time waiver. Request it when filing: the veterans guide says the waiver cannot be applied retroactively to an exam already applied for.^[6][3]

This concerns the application fee. Use the notice and OASys instructions for the documents required and any separate later hiring expenses.

An age deduction changes the age calculation under the relevant rule; it does not add exam-score points. The Police Officer notice posted under 7314, in the edition archived October 3, 2026, allows up to 6 years of qualifying military service to be deducted for its age rule. Environmental Police Officer 6305 states a maximum deduction of 7 years.^[4][5]

Read the notice for your exam number to check the maximum age, the date on which it is assessed and which service counts. A later notice may change the rule. The notice-change log documents the Police Officer change.

Earned score

The examination result before additional credits. Section 85 separates the qualifying result from the credit added to it.^[1]

Adjusted final average

The test score including granted additional credits; shown as “Adj. FA” in the dataset.^[7]

List establishment

The point at which the resulting eligible list begins; it is distinct from the date you take the examination.^[1]

Home of Record

The address listed in military service records at the time of entry into active duty, as the Police Officer residency-credit provision uses it; not a current mailing address.^[4][3]

Each note links to the original publisher. Page and rule references help you find the evidence. Archive details identify the exact copy checked; archived documents are not republished here.

1. New York Civil Service Law §85: veteran preference credits

   Sections 85(1)–(5): definitions, point values, claim/proof deadline, use exceptions and relinquishment.

   Archived copy and fingerprint

   Archived copy on file, retrieved September 8, 2026.

   SHA-256 of the archived HTML page: d0a76867c2e2beb673364d6a0bcfc310e13fe434110ee558d3bb52ee5aabe5da

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2. DCAS Special Circumstances Guide — revised August 2026

   Pages 4–7: credit requests, seven-item checklist, current online channel, legacy eligibility including specified Sanitation cases.

   Archived copy and fingerprint

   Archived copy on file, retrieved October 18, 2026.

   SHA-256 of the archived PDF, as downloaded: a37b15ae19909ce774ccde6f748b2e6a00606e623f09ad80ee40ee3447b3ba33

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3. DCAS Civil Service Guidance for Veterans

   Questions 1–15 and 22: qualifying service, eligibility conditions (Q5), timely/conditional claims, use exceptions, make-up exams, waivers and Home of Record.

   Archived copy and fingerprint

   Archived copy on file, retrieved October 18, 2026.

   SHA-256 of the archived PDF, as downloaded: 4cb2ef48a96c902b89278beee26bd4b11a114dcdd158e32b4fb29c49bea17c1a

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4. Police Officer 7311–7322 — edition posted under 7314 · Wayback snapshot

   Pages 2 and 4: military age deduction; veterans/legacy and NYC residency credits, test-day claim and Home of Record at entry into active duty.

   Archived copy and fingerprint

   Archived copy on file, retrieved October 3, 2026.

   SHA-256 of the archived PDF, as downloaded: 11df36974ea3103a8171674a7957d4706df3007c3d6fcb73c20b3e6064b87b0c

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5. Environmental Police Officer 6305 notice

   Page 2, Age Requirement: seven-year military deduction. This is the 6305 notice, not a later unpublished examination.

   Archived copy and fingerprint

   Archived copy on file, retrieved August 9, 2026.

   SHA-256 of the archived PDF, as downloaded: 213f9862a0a04f9c095a46043bcd9d1e8265e231e12662e97e0d9d120c842503

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6. DCAS: Things to Know Before You Apply

   Veterans section: fee waivers may be used an unlimited number of times, on all examinations.

   Archived copy and fingerprint

   Archived copy on file, retrieved October 18, 2026.

   SHA-256 of the archived HTML page: 9ec0339997d5851ba8e50c22567855caca5884aff5a78d1cb52f3d6e887a401e

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7. DCAS Civil Service List (Active): data dictionary

   Adjusted Final Average definition and credit-field labels.

   Archived copy and fingerprint

   Archived copy on file, retrieved October 18, 2026.

   SHA-256 of the archived text capture: 48f7b3e3e82d80b7a30ad12e06e57d437ae0d5a5b55b05ab86bee9e67bb8659f

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8. DutyRank aggregate snapshot of DCAS Civil Service List (Active)

   Derived aggregate, not the original API response. Open-competitive entries only; query URLs, retrieval time, source update date and suppression methodology in the frozen aggregate.

   Archived copy and fingerprint

   Archived copy on file, retrieved October 18, 2026.

   SHA-256 of the archived aggregate file: 72643b59cd86c26ed4515b57fd443ee39af975035d2d3003c92a706d3273b533

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9. Traffic Enforcement Agent 7331 notice

   Notice reviewed for credit provisions: no NYC residency-credit provision in this edition.

   Archived copy and fingerprint

   Archived copy on file, retrieved October 18, 2026.

   SHA-256 of the archived PDF, as downloaded: ab2eebe29ce0ec8621537ae7988c515a9a08e6e164f20004e33549be49eed6ef

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10. School Safety Agent 7324 notice

    Notice reviewed for credit provisions: no NYC residency-credit provision in this edition.

    Archived copy and fingerprint

    Archived copy on file, retrieved October 16, 2026.

    SHA-256 of the archived PDF, as downloaded: b910a5171faf95f52b602389217838576c9164351337281892f73722a293884b

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11. NYC Correction Officer 7302 notice

    Notice reviewed for credit provisions: no NYC residency-credit provision in this edition.

    Archived copy and fingerprint

    Archived copy on file, retrieved September 8, 2026.

    SHA-256 of the archived PDF, as downloaded: 4bc805bac9501c9ad72fbe295fcb81b602a5fa05d84d4674aaa5335d19f2b83b

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12. NYC Police Communications Technician 7307 notice

    Notice reviewed for credit provisions: no NYC residency-credit provision in this edition.

    Archived copy and fingerprint

    Archived copy on file, retrieved September 8, 2026.

    SHA-256 of the archived PDF, as downloaded: abae5a8c072786f0c55e8405b100eb16b8a6c9110ec7afb4fa1e009cd7742300

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13. Special Officer 7327 notice

    Notice reviewed for credit provisions: no NYC residency-credit provision in this edition.

    Archived copy and fingerprint

    Archived copy on file, retrieved September 8, 2026.

    SHA-256 of the archived PDF, as downloaded: 9516f2b6f6a4711419a6486c61ab6a2985452f71b32569d204ff4e64c1a171e6

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14. Special Officer (NYC H+H) 7329 notice

    Notice reviewed for credit provisions: no NYC residency-credit provision in this edition.

    Archived copy and fingerprint

    Archived copy on file, retrieved October 18, 2026.

    SHA-256 of the archived PDF, as downloaded: 4dcf4cec5ad609f365725dfb4912436f5a3b39af8789edd578fbe70c35a6985e

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15. DutyRank count of Police Officer entries with an adjusted final average above 100

    Derived aggregate: two count-only queries of the Active dataset (all Police Officer open-competitive entries; those with Adj. FA above 100), retrieved October 19, 2026 from the source update of October 16, 2026.

    Archived copy and fingerprint

    Archived copy on file, retrieved October 19, 2026.

    SHA-256 of the archived aggregate file: 793936833d414341a1fa1d438419e9694559b585b92c226a88f70c78db785bc3

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DutyRank. “Veterans', legacy and NYC residency credits on civil service exams: the points, the deadlines and who has them.” Updated 2026-10-19. https://dutyrank.com/civil-service/credits

1. October 19, 2026

   Added the veterans guidance limit: make-up exams are generally offered only for exams missed within five years.

2. October 19, 2026

   Added the New York State residence and citizenship conditions for veteran credit, with both the guidance and statutory timing; restored the Home of Record timing; quoted §85(4)(d) on probation; sourced adjusted scores above 100 to a dated count; and dated the Police Officer edition quoted.

3. October 19, 2026

   Published the credit guide using the August 2026 DCAS guidance, including qualifying Sanitation legacy cases, and a frozen open-competitive list snapshot.