July 2, 2025

Available for applications now, the open competitive police officer exam will be offered monthly in an effort to bolster recruitment, with application fees waived from July-September 2025

The minimum age for police officer applicants has been lowered to 20.5 years old – the first adjustment made in 25 years

NEW YORK – Today, the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Louis A. Molina, and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced a series of updates to the Police Officer Exam, making it more accessible for millions of New Yorkers. Beginning this month, the open competitive police officer exam will be offered monthly in an effort to bolster recruitment, with application fees waived from July-September 2025. Beyond, in what is the first adjustment made to the age requirement in 25 years, the minimum age for police officer applicants has been lowered to 20.5 years old.

“Crime was down in June, for the second quarter of 2025, year-to-date, and for the sixth consecutive quarter — become part of the winning team keeping New York City the safest big city in America,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “This is an open call to the next generation of police officers: now is the time, and best of all, the application is now free. We are consistently recruiting new, dedicated public servants to join our ranks and protect all New Yorkers and visitors alike. Our city’s future is dependent on you, and I encourage all eligible to apply today!”  

“At DCAS, there is no greater priority than fortifying our workforce, and ensuring that we have qualified candidates to serve in critically important roles like police officer. That’s why we are excited to expand the number of tests for the NYPD, and perhaps best of all, make them free for applicants,” said DCAS Commissioner Molina. “For the first time in 25 years, we’re amending the age to qualify to 20.5-year-olds, broadening the pool of potential police officers that will keep our city safe for years to come.”

“We want the best and brightest to join the NYPD, and we’re clearing the path for those who are ready to lead and committed to serving this city,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “Our officers work tirelessly to keep crime down and protect our communities, but it’s no secret that the NYPD is facing a staffing crisis. Keeping the greatest city in the world safe requires recruiting and retaining the best people for the job and this will help us build the next generation of NYPD officers.”

In a first for DCAS, to enhance recruitment efforts for the NYPD, the agency has launched a new testing model that features a scheduled open competitive exam for police officer monthly. This new testing model is now in effect and now open for applicants. These additional exams have been added to DCAS’ annual examination schedule.

In addition, an application fee waiver for all candidates has been approved for Police Officer exams scheduled for July 2025, August 2025 and September 2025. Civil service exam fees for Police Officer will be $40 beginning in October 2025.

In line with the additional tests and fee waivers, the minimum age for police officer applicants has been lowered to 20.5 years old – the first adjustment made in 25 years. NYS Civil Service Law Section 58 sets the minimum age of appointment for police officers at 20 years, with the option to establish a more restrictive minimum age. Over the past 30 years, the minimum age has been adjusted twice according to the recruitment needs of the department. In 1995 it was raised from 20 to 22 years, and in 2000 it was lowered to the current age of 21 years. The new adjustment to 20.5 to qualify to take the exam will allow NYPD to increase its candidate pool while maintaining the quality of candidates. Police academy training is six months in duration, so all recruits will be at least 21 years of age upon graduation.

About the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services

The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) makes city government work for all New Yorkers. Our commitment to equity, effectiveness, and sustainability guides our work providing City agencies with the resources and support needed to succeed, including:

• Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees.
• Managing 55 public buildings.
• Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property.
• Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies.
• Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country.
• Leading the City’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations.

Learn more about DCAS by visiting nyc.gov/dcas and by following us on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and listening to the Inside Citywide podcast.

About NYPD

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is the largest and one of the oldest municipal police departments in the United States, with approximately 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilian employees. For more insight into the demographics of the Department, please see recent demographics here.

The NYPD was established in 1845, and today, is responsible for policing an 8.5-million-person city, by performing a wide variety of public safety, law enforcement, traffic management, counterterror, and emergency response roles. In the past 25 years, the department has achieved spectacular declines in both violent and property crime, ensuring that New York City has the lowest overall rate of major crimes in the 25 largest cities in the country.

Contact:
Anessa Hodgson
communications@dcas.nyc.gov