AP High Court Civil Judge Recruitment 2026

The High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati is recruiting Civil Judges (Junior Division) for the Andhra Pradesh State Judicial Service under Notification No. 118/2026-RC. The recruitment is open to eligible law graduates applying directly and to qualifying serving personnel applying by transfer; candidates should check which route and eligibility conditions apply to them before submitting an application.

There are 119 posts in total: 96 through Direct Recruitment and 23 through Recruitment by Transfer. Applications must be submitted online from 1 October through 26 October 2026, by 11:59 PM on the closing date. The selection process includes a computer-based screening test, written examinations, viva voce, and subsequent verification of documents and antecedents.

Important Dates

The screening test date has not been announced. Exam venue and timing will be stated on the hall ticket, and the High Court will publish any date changes on its website.

Vacancy Details

The 119 vacancies are distributed between direct recruitment and recruitment by transfer. The category allocation below is as stated in the notification. Of the direct recruitment posts, 30 are reserved for women; the women’s allocation is not separately specified for transfer vacancies.

Direct Recruitment: 96 Posts

Four of the 39 OC posts are identified for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD): one each for blindness or low vision; deafness or hard of hearing; locomotor disability, including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy; and autism, intellectual disability, mental illness or multiple disabilities. Selection against the BC-E vacancy is subject to the outcome of Civil Appeal Nos. 2628–2637/2010 pending before the Supreme Court. The High Court reserves the right to increase, reduce or cancel vacancies at any stage.

Recruitment by Transfer: 23 Posts

Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

Applicants must be Indian citizens and hold a law degree. Direct recruitment is intended for people who are not in the service of the Government of India or a State Government. The notification states that law graduates who obtained their degree preceding one year as of the notification date are eligible, referring to the Supreme Court judgment in Bhumika Trust vs Union of India, WP (Civil) No. 1110/2025, dated 21 August 2026, and pending amendments to the AP State Judicial Rules, 2026. Direct applicants must also be of good character and free from an infirmity that makes them unfit for the post.

For recruitment by transfer, candidates need a law degree from a university established by law in India and must be a confirmed member or approved probationer in an eligible service or post. Eligible groups are:

• High Court of Andhra Pradesh staff, including Section Officers, Court Officers, Court Masters, Personal Secretaries, Assistant Section Officers, Computer Operators, U.D. Stenographers, Assistants, Typists, Copyists and similar posts.
• Andhra Pradesh District Judiciary personnel, including Chief Administrative Officers, Superintendents, Stenographers Grade I–III, Senior Assistants, Junior Assistants and Typists.
• Andhra Pradesh Prosecution Services personnel: Assistant Public Prosecutors, Senior Assistant Public Prosecutors and Additional Public Prosecutors Grade-II.
• Section Officers in the Law Department of the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat.
• Section Officers in the Andhra Pradesh Legislature Department.
• Managers in the offices of the Advocate General, Government Pleaders and Public Prosecutors, and the Editor of the I.L.R. of Andhra Pradesh.

Transfer-route candidates facing disciplinary charges or undergoing punishment are not eligible. The notification also disqualifies candidates who have been dismissed or compulsorily retired from government or judicial service, convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude, debarred by the High Court, UPSC or a State Public Service Commission, found to have doubtful integrity, or are in a bigamous marriage.

Age Limit

Age is calculated as of 1 September 2026. Direct Recruitment applicants in the OC category must be below 35 years. The maximum age is below 40 years for direct applicants from SC, ST, BC and EWS categories, reflecting a five-year relaxation, and below 45 years for direct applicants with benchmark disabilities, reflecting a ten-year relaxation. Applicants through Recruitment by Transfer must be below 48 years. For ex-defence personnel applying through Direct Recruitment, the period of defence service is excluded when calculating age.

Application Fee

The fee must be paid online and is non-refundable, including if an application is rejected or the notification is cancelled. The reduced fee for SC or ST applicants applies only when their community is recognized as SC or ST in Andhra Pradesh.

How to Apply

1. Visit the official High Court website and open the recruitment section.
2. Locate Notification No. 118/2026-RC for Civil Judge (Junior Division) and read the official notice and instructions carefully.
3. Complete the online application and select three preferred Screening Test centres in order of preference.
4. Upload the documents that apply to your recruitment route and category, as listed below.
5. Pay the applicable fee online: 1500 for OC, EWS and BC applicants, or 750 for eligible SC, ST and PwBD applicants.
6. Submit the form by 11:59 PM on 26 October 2026 and save a copy for your records. The notification says documents and options cannot be changed after submission.

Direct Recruitment applicants should upload proof of date of birth or an SSC certificate, law degree certificate and, where applicable, a community certificate showing the BC group. BC applicants need a latest Non-Creamy Layer certificate issued in 2025 or 2026; without it, they will be treated as OC. EWS applicants need a certificate issued in 2025 or 2026 by the Tahsildar showing family income below 800000. PwBD applicants need a Medical Board certificate stating the nature and percentage of disability, and ex-servicemen need a discharge certificate.

Transfer applicants should upload proof of date of birth, law degree and, where applicable, SC/ST community certificate; proof of declaration of probation; employer permission to pursue the law degree while in service; and a latest Service and Conduct Certificate. A No-Objection Certificate from the employer must be produced at verification. All applicants must produce original certificates on the date fixed by the High Court or risk rejection of their candidature.

Apply through the direct online application link. The official website is aphc.gov.in, and the official notification PDF is available online.

Salary & Pay Scale

The regular pay scale for Civil Judge (Junior Division) is 77840–136520. Selected candidates first undergo two years of training and clerkship, receiving a fixed emolument equal to half a Civil Judge’s remuneration during that period. In the first year, trainees serve as Trainee Judicial Officers and complete compulsory training at the Judicial Academy. In the second year, they complete six months under a Principal District Judge, District and Sessions Judge or Higher Judicial Service member, followed by six months under a High Court Judge. After a satisfactory evaluation report, a trainee is appointed to the regular post with the full pay scale and benefits.

Selection Process

The selection comprises a computer-based Screening Test, a descriptive written examination, viva voce, document verification and antecedent verification. The Screening Test has 100 objective multiple-choice questions for 100 marks, lasts two hours and is qualifying; candidates need at least 40% and are shortlisted at a ratio of 1:10 against vacancies. The written examination consists of three descriptive papers in English, except for the translation component. Paper I, Civil Laws, carries 100 marks and lasts three hours; Paper II, Criminal Laws, carries 100 marks and lasts three hours. Paper III, English, carries 100 marks and lasts three hours, with 40 marks for translation and 60 for an essay on a legal subject. Translation tests English-to-Telugu and Telugu-to-English, and candidates must secure 40% in each part of Paper III. Paper III is qualifying only.

Paper I and Paper II marks, together with 50 marks for the viva voce, determine the final merit. Candidates are called for viva voce at a ratio of 1:3 per category; absence from the viva results in disqualification. The Screening Test and Paper III do not count towards final merit. Following the viva, original documents and antecedents are verified.

If candidates tie, the older candidate is preferred, followed by the candidate with the higher qualification and then the candidate with higher marks in the qualifying degree.

Written Examination Syllabus

The notification lists the following subjects for the Screening Test and written examination.

For the Screening Test, candidates must give three centre preferences, in order, from Guntur, Kurnool, Rajahmundry (Rajamahendravaram), Tirupati, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. The High Court may assign a different centre, and requests to change an allotted centre will not be accepted. Written examination venues will be announced after the Screening Test result.

Eligible candidates should review the notification and submit a complete online application, with the required fee and documents, before the deadline of 26 October 2026 at 11:59 PM.