TRENTON, NJ — New legislation, Assembly Bill No. 1605, sponsored by Assemblymen Gregory P. McGuckin and John Catalano of District 10 (Ocean), seeks to amend age requirements for veterans applying to be police officers.
This bill was pre-filed for the 2022 session and is currently under technical review.
The proposed change to N.J.S.40A:14-127 would allow veterans over 35 to subtract up to two years of military service from their actual age, provided they served at least 10 days in a war zone.
This amendment aims to make police force positions more accessible to veterans who may have missed the traditional recruitment age due to military service.
Under the current New Jersey law, police officer applicants must be between 21 and 35 years old.
This bill, if passed, would permit qualifying veterans who are technically over the age limit to meet the maximum age requirement of 35 by deducting time served in the armed forces. This act is set to take effect immediately upon passage.