CGPSC Civil Judge Eligibility 2026: Qualification, Age Limit and Practice Rule

CGPSC Civil Judge eligibility has more moving parts than most government exams. Alongside the usual age and degree conditions, the rule on prior practice at the Bar has changed twice in about eighteen months because of Supreme Court orders. Before you spend months preparing, it helps to know exactly which conditions apply to you and which ones you must confirm in the advertisement.

This page uses the conditions reported for the 2024 cycle, plus the Supreme Court's latest directions on practice. A new advertisement may change any of them, so read the final rules on psc.cg.gov.in before you apply.

Table of Contents

Eligibility at a glance

Educational qualification

You need a Bachelor of Laws degree from a recognised university. Both the three-year LL.B. and the five-year integrated law degrees are generally accepted for judicial services when the university is recognised, but the advertisement is the final authority on which degrees qualify.

Check the advertisement for these points before you apply:

• Result date: Whether you must hold the final degree on the last date of application or can apply with a result awaited.

• Final-year candidates: Whether final-year students are allowed at all. Some sources raise this question, and the answer must come from the advertisement.

• Recognition: That your university and course are recognised by the Bar Council of India.

Advocate enrolment and the practice rule

This is the most important and most changeable part of eligibility.

Enrolment as an advocate

The 2024 cycle asked for enrolment as an advocate under the Advocates Act, 1961. During that cycle, the Chhattisgarh High Court allowed candidates who were not yet enrolled to apply provisionally, subject to the final outcome of the case. Do not assume that relief repeats in a later cycle.

Minimum practice: what the Supreme Court has said

In May 2025, the Supreme Court restored the requirement of three years of practice for entry-level judicial posts. That ruling did not apply to recruitments that had already been notified. In August 2026, the Court reduced the experience prescribed at the Bar from three years to one year and added a period of training and clerkship after selection. It also gave transitional relief, as reported:

Selected candidates are reported to undergo one year of training at the State Judicial Academy, followed by a year of clerkship, which counts towards the three-year requirement.

These are directions reported from the judgment, and the state's rules and the commission's advertisement will state how they apply to your cycle. If you are still in your final year or have just graduated, watch the advertisement date, because that date decides which row of the table applies to you.

Age limit and relaxation

The age limit for recent cycles has been 21 to 35 years, counted on 1 January of the advertisement year. The 2024 cycle counted from 1 January 2025. Reports for the next cycle mention 1 January 2026, but confirm this when the advertisement is out. Work out your age on the date the advertisement names, and not on the date of your application.

This table is indicative. Relaxations normally apply to candidates of the state who hold the relevant certificate, and the maximum age after relaxation can be capped. Read the exact wording in the advertisement.

Nationality, domicile and other conditions

• Citizenship: You must be a citizen of India.

• Domicile and reservation: A valid Chhattisgarh domicile or category certificate is typically required to claim state reservation benefits. Candidates from other states usually apply as unreserved.

• Character and fitness: Good character and sound physical and mental health are standard conditions for judicial appointment. Pending criminal cases or past disciplinary issues can lead to rejection.

• Language: Mains includes translation between English and Hindi, so working knowledge of both is part of the exam itself.

Who may not be eligible

• Candidates outside the age window on the reference date, even by a few days.

• Candidates without the required degree or whose university is not recognised.

• Candidates who do not meet the enrolment or practice condition applicable to that advertisement.

• Candidates who claim a category or relaxation without a valid certificate in the prescribed format.

• Candidates with concealed or false information in the form, which can lead to cancellation at any stage.

Fee and documents

In the 2024 cycle, candidates from Chhattisgarh were reported as exempt from the application fee, while candidates from other states paid Rs. 400 plus a small portal charge. Treat these as indicative figures. Keep your degree mark sheets, enrolment certificate, category and domicile certificates, identity proof, photograph and signature ready before the portal opens.