New Jersey State Police

Partial profile reviewed 2026-10-30. Not proof of an opening.

Application timing: The recruiting application-process page currently offers a signup to receive application updates; it does not show an open recruit application window or live application. Check with NJSP Recruiting for the next selection-cycle dates before preparing a dated application. Scope: Entry-level New Jersey State Trooper selection process. Checked 2026-10-30. Current official notice ↗

Minimum requirements

• The current recruiting qualifications page lists several education/experience routes: a bachelor's degree; an associate degree or 60 college credits plus 24 months of satisfactory employment and/or military experience; or 30 college credits plus 24 months of active-duty military service. It also describes an 80-credit route that delays a candidate to a following selection process after completing a bachelor's degree. The displayed route deadlines are August 31, 2026 and August 31, 2027; those dates have passed, so confirm the next cycle's controlling notice and deadlines.
• The page states applicants must be at least 20 at application, at least 21 when the academy class starts, and younger than 35 at graduation; it also says applicants must be U.S. citizens and hold a current valid driver's license when applying. New Jersey residency is required by academy graduation. Age and date requirements can change with the next class schedule.
• Review the full automatic-disqualifier list and ask Selection Process Unit about any question affecting eligibility. Passing minimum qualifications does not guarantee advancement, an appointment, or an academy seat.

Selected requirements, not a complete eligibility or disqualifier checklist.

Lateral entry

Separate lateral requirements and training arrangements need confirmation.

Recruiting contact

NJSP Recruiting Unit

Hiring outline

1. Sign up on the NJSP recruiting application page for notices about the next process; the signup is not itself a job application.
2. The published sequence is application screening, a three-event Physical Qualification Test, a written examination, comprehensive background investigation, and an in-person Candidate Review Board interview. After a conditional offer come medical and psychological examinations, required Pre-Employment Preparation Program sessions, and Academy Awareness.
3. Applicants receiving a conditional offer must attend at least two PEPP sessions, including one swim session. Academy Awareness is mandatory. Academy appointment depends on completing required training, meeting licensing standards, funded positions, and Superintendent approval.
4. The academy is residential and runs Monday morning through Friday evening. NJSP says recruits must be New Jersey residents by graduation; troop assignment follows operational needs. The latest official class report says the 168th class completed 26 weeks and graduated 99 troopers on August 28, 2026. That is completed class output, not a current opening or a full-year hire total.

Physical testing

The entry PQT is push-ups, sit-ups, and a 1.5-mile run. Each event is scored 0–7; the three scores must total at least 15, and an applicant must earn at least 1 point on every event or fail the battery. The official chart specifies two-minute push-up and sit-up efforts and the timed 1.5-mile run. Use the official scoring chart and form instructions; academy swim requirements are later training standards, not a separate entry-PQT event.

At least 15 total points are required, with at least 1 point on every event. The current official chart controls; confirm the test procedure for the next selection cycle.

Benefits

NJSP lists health, dental, prescription, vision and life coverage, paid leave, and the State Police Retirement System. The recruiting page describes retirement eligibility and contribution rules; confirm current terms and employee costs in the controlling plan and employment documents.

Hiring incentives

Availability and terms need confirmation.

NJSP's trooper route is separate from the state's municipal Law Enforcement Examination. The recruiting page currently provides update registration rather than a live application. The qualifications page still displays dates tied to the prior cycle; confirm the next official notice, age rules, education deadlines, PQT instructions, and compensation before acting. Historical class size and budget projections do not establish current vacancies or future class size.

No test preset is imported from this profile. Bring current employer instructions to your preparation.