New Jersey Public School Employee Residency Law

Effective September 2011, NJ passed a Residency Law, New Jersey First Act (Senate Bill 1730).

This new law applies to, and requires all, regular and temporary public employees (fire, police, public school employees, etc.) who work in New Jersey to live in New Jersey. Living in New Jersey is defined as having a principal residency (where you spend the majority of your non-working hours and the address from which you legally vote).

Employees who started their positions prior to September 1, 2011, and were already living outside the State at that time, are grandfathered and exempt from this law.

New employees have one year from the date of hire to move into the State. Failure to comply with this requirement shall render the individual unqualified to continue employment.

Current employees, who fail to comply with this requirement shall also be deemed unqualified to continue employment.

If you are a current employee who moved out of state after August 31, 2012, please make an appointment by calling the Department of Human Resources at 973-399-6800 x 2185.

Applications for exemption on the basis of “critical need or hardship” may be submitted to a committee (with a copy to Human Resources) established to consider such applications. The committee, which is composed of three persons appointed by the Governor, a person appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and a person appointed by the President of the Senate. The law does not limit the ability to apply to the committee for an exemption to only non-residents or new hires. However, if a current employee wishes to move out of state, he or she should apply in advance for an exemption, rather than move and then ask for the exemption, since once the current employee moves out of state, the law applies to him/her.

You Should Know

Effective September 2011, NJ passed a Residency Law, New Jersey First Act (Senate Bill 1730). This new law applies to, and requires all, regular and temporary public employees (fire, police, public school employees, etc.) who work in New Jersey to live in New Jersey.

The Irvington Board of Education is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, ancestry, national origin, social status, or physical disabilities.