AP High Court District Judge Recruitment 2026: 10 Entry Level Posts

Advocates with seven years at the Bar can try for 10 District Judge (Entry Level) posts under the AP High Court District Judge Recruitment 2026 notice. It is Notification No.364/2026, dated 30 September 2026. The notice prescribes only a paper application by post or courier and mentions no online form. The application, with a demand draft and attested documents, must reach the Registrar (Recruitment) at Nelapadu, Amaravati by 5 PM on 15 October 2026. You need at least seven years at the Bar on 30 September 2026, or seven years of Bar and judicial or prosecution service counted together. You must also be between 35 and 45 years old on 1 September 2026.

AP High Court District Judge Recruitment 2026: 10 posts by category

These posts fill the 25% direct recruitment quota for District Judges in 2026. The notice splits the 10 posts by community as below.

Selection for the BC-E post depends on the result of Civil Appeal Nos.2628-2637/2010, which is still pending in the Supreme Court. The notice lets the High Court change the post count or withdraw the notice later.

Reservation follows the Andhra Pradesh State Judicial (Service and Cadre) Rules, 2026, read with Rules 22 and 22-A of the AP State and Subordinate Service Rules. If you do not want to claim reservation, you may apply as an open competition candidate.

Seven years by 30 September 2026: three ways to qualify for District Judge

The notice gives three ways to meet the experience rule. You need only one of them.

• Practising advocate: at least 7 years of practice as an Advocate on 30 September 2026, the date the notice was published.
• Judicial officer: a person who is or has been in judicial service. You need 7 or more years as an Advocate or Judicial Officer, counted together, on 30 September 2026.
• Prosecutor: an APP (Assistant Public Prosecutor), Additional Public Prosecutor or Public Prosecutor (PP). You need 7 or more years as an Advocate or in service, counted together, on 30 September 2026.

Judicial officers send a service certificate as Civil Judge (Junior or Senior Division). Prosecutors send a service certificate for their APP, Additional PP or PP cadre. Advocates send their Bar Council enrolment certificate and an original practice (standing) certificate from the Bar Association.

Bars in Notification No.364/2026 even with seven years

Seven years alone is not enough. The notice rules out a full-time salaried Law Officer of the Central Government, a State Government, or any public corporation or statutory body. It also rules out anyone who failed to complete probation in judicial service or any other service.

Other bars include dismissal, removal or compulsory retirement from government or judicial service. Any conviction in a criminal case rules you out, as does a conviction involving moral turpitude. So does a permanent debarment or disqualification, past or present, by the High Court, the UPSC or any State Public Service Commission or agency. Pending disciplinary charges and copying or misconduct in the screening test or written exam are also bars. A candidate found to be of doubtful integrity in any year is also out. So is a man with more than one wife living, or a person who knowingly marries someone who already has a living spouse.

District Judge age limit: 35 to 45 on 1 September 2026

You must have completed 35 years of age and must not have completed 45 years on 1 September 2026. SC, ST, BC and EWS candidates who claim reservation get 3 more years at the upper end.

In dates of birth, that means:

• Open competition: born between 2 September 1981 and 1 September 1991, both dates included.
• SC, ST, BC or EWS claiming reservation: born between 2 September 1978 and 1 September 1991.

If your birthday falls within a day of these limits, confirm with the High Court before you apply. The notice says the High Court’s decision on eligibility is final.

There is no relaxation at the lower limit, so an advocate aged 34 on 1 September 2026 cannot apply.

Telugu translation in District Judge Paper III: 40% needed in each part

Paper III is English, in two parts. Part I (40 marks) asks you to translate one passage from English to Telugu and another from Telugu to English. Part II (60 marks) is an essay on a legal subject.

You must score at least 40% in each part of Paper III. Its marks then play no part in the viva call or the final merit list. So Paper III sets a minimum that you must reach in both parts, but it does not add to your rank. A strong lawyer from outside Andhra Pradesh who cannot read or write Telugu should weigh this before paying the fee.

All other answers must be written in English only. Translation is the one exception.

Screening test, three papers and a 50-mark viva for 10 District Judge posts

Selection has up to four stages. The notice says whether the screening test is held depends on the number of applications.

1. Screening test (if held): a computer-based test (CBT) of 100 multiple-choice questions for 100 marks in 2 hours. You need 40% or more. Those with 40% or more are shortlisted at 10 per post, and all candidates tied on marks in a category are also called. Screening marks are not added to anything later.
2. Written examination: three papers of 100 marks each, 3 hours per paper. Paper I is Constitution and Civil Law, Paper II is Criminal Law, and Paper III is English (translation and essay).
3. Viva voce: an interview of 50 marks. It calls 3 candidates per post. If you miss the viva, you are disqualified.
4. Document check: bring every original certificate on the day of the viva. A missing certificate means rejection.

The final merit list uses Paper I, Paper II and the viva. If two candidates tie, the older one is preferred.

The syllabus is long. The syllabus for Constitution and Civil Laws lists 23 subjects. They include the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 and the Patents, Copyright and Trade Marks Acts. The Criminal Laws list has 19 subjects. These include the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The old Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and Sections 138 to 148 of the Negotiable Instruments Act are also listed. So are state laws such as the AP Excise Act, 1968 and the AP Forest Act, 1967.

Two cut-offs: the viva call and final selection for District Judge

The first cut-off decides the viva call. The second decides final selection.

PwBD means persons with benchmark disabilities. The notice says a candidate below these marks is not eligible for selection.

Application by post to Nelapadu: it must arrive by 15 October 2026, 5 PM

The notice says the application “should reach” the High Court by 5 PM on 15 October 2026. Posting it on that day is not enough. The High Court also says it is not responsible for postal or courier delays. Late, unsigned or incomplete applications are rejected.

Use the application form printed inside the notification PDF. Send it to this address:

The Registrar (Recruitment), High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati, Nelapadu, Guntur District, PIN Code 522 239, Andhra Pradesh.

Write this line on the cover: “Application for appointment to the post of District Judge (Entry Level) in the A.P. State Judicial Service under Direct Recruitment”.

Rs 1,500 or Rs 750 demand draft for the District Judge form

• OC, BC and EWS: Rs 1,500.
• SC, ST and PwBD: Rs 750.

An application without the fee is rejected. Pay by a crossed demand draft (DD) in favour of “Registrar(Recruitment), High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Nelapadu, Amaravati”, payable at Nelapadu. Write the DD number, date, bank, branch and amount in item 32 of the form. The fee is not refunded in any case. The High Court pays no travel allowance for any stage.

Practice records the High Court will cross-check

Your photo on the form must be attested by the Presiding Officer or the Principal District Judge of the court where you practise. That officer has to be satisfied that you practise there regularly. The Bar Association must be satisfied of the same before it issues your practice (standing) certificate. The High Court says it will verify every detail with the courts and the Bar Association.

The form asks every applicant for these original statements:

• A list of cases you handled on your own, with case number, court and place.
• A list of cases you handled with your senior.
• Depositions, written arguments, orders or judgments that show your name, both from your own cases and from your senior’s cases. If you have none, the form asks you to explain why.

The form also asks whether you studied any course privately, by distance mode or at an evening college. It asks about any break in practice since enrolment, any other job, past penalties, criminal or civil cases, and any Bar Council misconduct proceedings.

Answer every item fully. The notice warns that hiding facts or giving false details can lead to rejection at any stage, even after selection, and to prosecution.

Certificates for BC, EWS and PwBD claims

BC applicants need a community certificate that shows the group (A, B, C, D or E) and a non-creamy layer certificate issued in 2025 or 2026. EWS applicants need an EWS certificate from the Tahsildar, issued in 2025 or 2026, showing a gross annual family income below Rs 8,00,000. Without these, you are treated as open competition. The notice says Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates will not be considered. PwBD applicants need a Medical Board certificate that shows the nature and percentage of disability.

Everyone also sends an attested copy of the SSC (Class 10) certificate for date of birth, the law degree, and two testimonials from respected persons. Copies must be attested by a Gazetted Officer.

Pay scale of Rs 1,44,840 to Rs 1,94,660 for an entry-level District Judge

The notice gives the scale of pay as Rs 1,44,840 to Rs 1,94,660. The notice lists no allowances or deductions, so we have not estimated take-home pay.

Exam dates, negative marking and hall ticket pages: still blank in Notification No.364/2026

• Dates for the screening test, written examination and viva are not given.
• The notice does not say whether the screening test has negative marking.
• The notice says the hall ticket will be downloaded by the candidate later. Yet the PDF ends with blank hall ticket pages for the screening test and the written exam. Each needs a photo attested by your Unit Head or Principal District Judge. The notice does not say whether these pages go with the application.

The notice asks candidates to follow the High Court website, aphc.gov.in, for all later steps and results. This notice sits under its Recruitment Notifications list.

Three steps for an advocate before 15 October 2026

1. Check your date of birth and your years at the Bar against 1 September 2026 and 30 September 2026. Then get the practice certificate and the attested photo from your court.
2. Collect your case lists and the orders or depositions that carry your name. These take the longest to gather.
3. Buy the demand draft, attach every certificate, sign the form and send it early enough to reach Nelapadu before 5 PM on 15 October 2026.

The High Court has also posted a separate notice for 30 District Judge posts through a limited departmental competitive examination (LDCE). The listing describes that notice as being for Civil Judges (Senior Division). For other legal posts, see the UPSC Advt 12/2026 law posts for Assistant Legislative Counsel and Law Officer. You can also browse court and judiciary jobs, Andhra Pradesh government jobs and jobs for graduates.

Civil Judges, paper forms and screening marks: three AP District Judge doubts

Can a Civil Judge apply for these direct recruitment posts?

Yes, with 7 or more years as an Advocate or Judicial Officer, counted together, on 30 September 2026. The age rule applies too. A Civil Judge must send a service certificate.

Is there any online form for the AP District Judge 2026 posts?

The notice mentions none. It asks for a paper application with a demand draft, sent to the Registrar (Recruitment) at Nelapadu.

Does the screening test add to my District Judge rank?

No. It only shortlists you for the written exam.

✍️ Published byLokesh Rathore

Lokesh Rathore is a content writer with over 4 years of experience covering Government Jobs, Sarkari Result, Admit Card and Sarkari Yojana. He turns complex official notifications into clear, accurate and easy-to-follow updates for job seekers across India - with every post cross-checked against official government sources.

View all posts by Lokesh Rathore ›