Delhi Judiciary Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Age Limit, Nationality, Qualification Required

The Delhi Judiciary eligibility criteria 2026 require you to be an Indian citizen with a law degree, not older than 32 years on 1 January of the year the vacancies are advertised. The practice rule has changed twice since 2025.

If the High Court of Delhi issues its next Civil Judge notification on or before 31 March 2027, any law graduate can apply, including fresh graduates with no court practice.The High Court of Delhi has not yet released the Delhi Judicial Service Examination 2026 notification for Civil Judge (Junior Division).

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Delhi Judiciary Eligibility Criteria 2026 Overview

The last DJS advertisement was issued in November 2023 for 53 vacancies. Candidates can check the Delhi Judiciary exam notifications for recent updates on the exam.

Criteria	Requirement
Conducting body	High Court of Delhi
Post	Civil Judge (Junior Division) / Judicial Magistrate First Class
Nationality	Citizen of India
Qualification	Law degree that qualifies you for enrolment as an advocate
Practice at the Bar	No prior practice required for notifications issued up to 31 March 2027. One year of practice required for notifications issued from 1 April 2027 (Supreme Court, 21 August 2026).
Maximum age	32 years as of 1 January of the year in which applications are invited
Minimum age	None prescribed
Age relaxation	5 years for SC/ST, 10 years for PwD, 15 years for SC/ST PwD and up to 5 years for ex-servicemen
Domicile	Candidates from any state can apply.
Number of attempts	Unlimited within the applicable age limit

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The Delhi Judiciary syllabus now lists BNS, BNSS and BSA alongside the old codes, and the DJS exam pattern explains the 200-mark prelims with 25% negative marking and the 850-mark mains.

Who Is Eligible for the Delhi Judicial Service Exam?

You are eligible for the DJS exam if you meet three conditions under Rule 14 of the Delhi Judicial Service Rules: you are an Indian citizen, you meet the practice requirement in force for that notification, and you are within the age limit. Every stage of selection is provisional. The High Court can cancel your candidature at the prelims, mains or viva-voce stage if any condition turns out to be unmet.

Delhi Judiciary Age Limit 2026

The Delhi Judiciary age limit is a maximum of 32 years on the 1st day of January of the year in which applications are invited. There is no minimum age. The reference date moves with the notice, so if the High Court advertises in February 2027, your age is checked as on 1 January 2027, not 2026.

What this means for you: candidates close to 32 should watch the calendar. A notice issued in late December and one issued in early January can fall under different reference years, which can decide whether you are in or out.

Age Relaxation for DJS by Category

The figures below are from the DJS 2023 advertisement. Confirm the age limits against the 2026 notice once it is released.

Category	Relaxation	Maximum age
General	None	32 years
SC / ST	5 years	37 years
Persons with Disabilities (General)	10 years	42 years
Persons with Disabilities (SC/ST)	15 years	47 years
Ex-servicemen, ECOs and SSCOs with at least 5 years of military service	Up to 5 years	37 years

There is no OBC or EWS category in the Delhi Judicial Service. Rule 28 provides reservation and concessions only for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Persons with Disabilities and ex-servicemen, so OBC and EWS candidates apply under the general age limit.

Educational Qualification for Delhi Judiciary 2026

Candidate need a law degree (LLB, three-year or five-year integrated) from a university recognised by the Bar Council of India, because the practice condition in Rule 14 assumes you can enrol as an Advocate.

No minimum percentage in LLB is prescribed. An LL.M. is not required and, after the Supreme Court's August 2026 ruling, years spent on an LL.M. do not count as practice.

Can Final-Year LLB Students Apply?

The Supreme Court's relief covers law graduates. A student who has not finished the LLB is not yet a graduate and cannot enrol with a State Bar Council, so final-year students should not plan on applying unless the DJS 2026 notice expressly allows it. Check the date by which your degree must be complete.

Is 3 Year's Practice Required for Delhi Judiciary 2026?

No, not for the next notice if it is issued by 31 March 2027. The rule has moved three times in 18 months, which is why most guides online are now out of date.

1. 20 May 2025: In All India Judges Association v. Union of India, the Supreme Court restored a minimum of three years' practice at the Bar for Civil Judge (Junior Division) exams.
2. 6 February 2026: Delhi amended Rule 14 to require "not less than 3 years of practice as an Advocate as on the last date prescribed for the submission of applications".
3. 21 August 2026: In Bhumika Trust v. Union of India, a 2:1 majority of the Supreme Court modified the 2025 judgment and decided 1 year of bar practice for the candidates.

Which Practice Rule Applies to You?

DJS notification issued	Practice needed to apply	What happens after selection
20 May 2025 to 31 March 2027	No prior practice is required. Law graduates who meet the other eligibility criteria can apply and are treated as having one year of practice without a certificate.	You join as a Trainee Judicial Officer and spend one year at the State Judicial Academy on half the salary of a Judicial Magistrate First Class. You then complete one year of law clerkship, with six months under a District Judge and six months under a High Court Judge. Regular appointment follows a satisfactory evaluation.
On or after 1 April 2027	At least one year of actual practice in the district courts, documented by a certificate of practice.	One year of training at the State Judicial Academy, followed by one year of law clerkship.

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Nationality and Domicile Requirement for DJS Exam 2026

Only Indian citizens can apply for the Delhi Judicial Service exam. There is no Delhi domicile condition, so candidates from any state are eligible. Language matters, though: the mains Language paper includes translation from English to Hindi (Devanagari) and from Hindi to English, so you need working Hindi.

Delhi Judiciary Number of Attempts

There is no cap on attempts. You can sit the DJS exam as many times as you like until you cross the upper age limit for your category. The exam is held "preferably once a year, subject to vacancy position" under Rule 13, so in practice the number of chances depends on how often the High Court advertises.

Other Conditions and Disqualifications for DJS Exam 2026

• Medical fitness: Selected candidates must pass a medical fitness test before appointment (Rule 30). PwD candidates must satisfy a Medical Board that they can discharge judicial duties.
• Marital disqualification: A person with more than one living spouse is not eligible for appointment, unless exempted by the Administrator on special grounds (Rule 19).
• Training: Every new Civil Judge (Junior Division) must complete at least one year of training before presiding in a court (Rule 19A).
• Unfair means: Candidates caught using unfair means can be debarred from future DJS exams, ordinarily for at least three years.

Once you know you qualify, then you may refer the Delhi Judiciary application form for further exam process.

Documents Required to Prove DJS Eligibility 2026

Candidates have to keep these ready before the window opens, because the application form asks for the details and the High Court verifies them later:

• Class 10 certificate as proof of date of birth
• LLB degree and mark sheets
• State Bar Council enrolment certificate showing the provisional enrolment date
• Certificate of practice or Law Clerk experience certificate, if your notification requires practice
• SC/ST certificate issued by an SDM, ADM, Revenue Assistant or other competent officer, if claiming relaxation
• Disability certificate from a government hospital or Medical Board, if claiming PwD relaxation
• Ex-serviceman discharge documents, if applicable

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