Key points
- DCAS lets candidates with a disability request special testing accommodations for a civil service exam in writing at least 30 days before the first test date, with a signed statement on letterhead from a doctor or authorized agency.
- The 2026 NYPD Police Officer exam notice says candidates will be examined against medical and psychological guidelines, must pass a drug screening and may receive reasonable accommodation where appropriate.
- The FDNY says its candidate questionnaires ask about medical and psychological history, including medications, that candidates are evaluated individually and that failing to report a medication can lead to disqualification.
- Under EEOC guidance, a psychological test is a medical examination if it provides evidence that would lead to identifying a DSM-listed mental disorder, and medical exams are allowed only after a conditional offer.
- New York Civil Service Law 50(4) lets the state or a municipal commission disqualify a candidate whose disability makes them unfit for the job, but only after a written statement of reasons and a chance to respond.
Police officer, firefighter, sanitation worker, correction officer, EMT, city clerk: New York's public jobs draw a lot of applicants, and adults with ADHD often wonder whether a diagnosis or a stimulant prescription will end their chances. The honest answer is that the published rules do not name ADHD, the departments decide case by case, and federal and state law control when and how they can ask. This article walks through each stage of the process as of October 2026, using the departments' own documents.
Stage 1: the civil service exam
Most City jobs start with an exam run by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). If ADHD would interfere with your ability to take a test without accommodations, DCAS's Special Circumstances Guide says you must send a written request for specific special testing accommodations no later than 30 days before the first date of testing. The request must include:
- your name, the last four digits of your Social Security number or your OASys Profile ID, and the exam title and number;
- your email and daytime phone;
- a statement describing the specific nature of your disability and the accommodation you are seeking;
- your signature; and
- a signed statement on letterhead from a doctor or agency authorized for this purpose that corroborates your disability.
Requests go to testingaccommodations@dcas.nyc.gov, by fax or by mail. DCAS may offer an alternative accommodation where appropriate. The Police Officer exam notice adds that you may not use medical assistive devices on site, including ones that vibrate or send alerts, without prior written authorization from DCAS. For what a supporting letter usually needs to contain, see ADHD documentation for work, school and exams.
Stage 2: what the law allows before and after an offer
The EEOC says Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act protects private and state and local government employees, and its guidance on preemployment questions sets the timing:
| Stage | What a covered employer may do |
|---|---|
| Before a conditional offer | Ask whether you can perform the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. It may not ask disability-related questions or require medical examinations. Questions like "What medications are you currently taking?" are not allowed at this stage. |
| Drug tests | Tests for illegal drug use are not medical exams. If you test positive, the employer may ask whether you take a medication under a lawful prescription that explains the result. |
| After a conditional offer | Ask disability-related questions and require medical examinations, if all entering employees in the same job category go through them. Medical information must be kept confidential. |
| Withdrawing an offer | If a result screens someone out because of a disability, the reason must be job-related and consistent with business necessity. A safety reason must meet the "direct threat" standard: a significant risk of substantial harm that reasonable accommodation cannot reduce. |
The guidance also says a psychological examination is a medical examination if it provides evidence that would lead to identifying a mental disorder or impairment, such as those listed in the DSM. A test that measures only things like honesty or habits is not. That is why the full psychological evaluation for police and fire jobs comes after the conditional offer.
Stage 3: NYPD medical and psychological screening
The 2026 Police Officer notice of examination (exam numbers 7311 to 7322) says medical and psychological guidelines have been established for the position, that you will be examined to determine whether you can perform the essential functions of a police officer, and that you may be medically and psychologically tested periodically throughout your career. It also says that "where appropriate, a reasonable accommodation will be provided for a person with a disability" to take these examinations or perform the job.
Candidates must pass a drug screening before appointment and are tested again during the Academy and at the end of probation. The notice describes a zero tolerance policy for illegal drug use. It does not mention ADHD, and no published NYPD medical standard naming ADHD or prescribed stimulants was found for this guide. How a stimulant taken as prescribed is handled is a question for the NYPD's candidate process; see ADHD medication and workplace drug tests for how lawful prescriptions are verified in general.
Stage 3: FDNY medical exam and psychological screening
The FDNY's Bureau of Health Services runs a three-part evaluation: a medical exam, a psychological screening and a timed run. Its candidate FAQ says:
- You complete two computerized questionnaires about your medical and psychological history, including whether you take or have taken certain medications or have certain conditions.
- You bring a list of your current medications, including the name and the date you started each one.
- Candidates are evaluated individually, and the FDNY "cannot tell you in advance if any condition(s) will result in disqualification."
- A legally prescribed medication that is inconsistent with firefighting can lead to disqualification, but "only your physician can make the determination as to which medication is best for your health."
- Failing to report a medication or condition can itself lead to disqualification.
The FDNY's drug test FAQ lists categories of prescribed medication that may be incompatible with the job when used chronically: opiates, pain medications, antipsychotics, sedatives, sleeping pills, beta blockers and anticoagulants. Stimulants are not on that list, though it says the categories "may not be limited to" those named. A positive result for a prescribed medication leads to further evaluation, and you may be asked for a prescription history and your prescriber's opinion on how long the prescription will continue. These FAQs are dated 2020 and were still posted as of October 2026.
Disqualification and your rights
New York Civil Service Law 50(4)(b) lets the State or a municipal civil service commission refuse to examine or certify a candidate who has a disability that renders them unfit to perform the duties of the position in a reasonable manner. The same subdivision says no one may be disqualified under it without a written statement of the reasons and an opportunity to explain and submit facts in opposition. The FDNY's FAQ describes the same kind of step: a Notice of Proposed Disqualification before a final decision.
The New York State Human Rights Law also applies. Its definition of employer in Executive Law 292 expressly includes the State and its cities, counties and other political subdivisions. If you believe you were screened out because of ADHD rather than an inability to do the job, filing a disability discrimination complaint in New York explains the EEOC and State Division of Human Rights routes and their deadlines.
How to prepare
- Keep taking medication as prescribed. Do not stop or change a dose to get through a screening without talking to your prescriber.
- Disclose what the forms ask for. Both departments treat non-disclosure as a ground for disqualification on its own.
- Gather records early. A pharmacy fill history, the date you started each medication and a brief letter from your prescriber describing your diagnosis, treatment and stability can answer follow-up questions quickly.
- Ask for accommodations in writing for the exam, and keep copies of everything you send.
- Read the notice of examination for your title. Medical and psychological requirements differ by job.
Federal jobs with their own medical systems, such as aviation, commercial driving and the military, are covered separately in ADHD and pilots, commercial drivers and the military. Licensed professions are in ADHD and professional licenses in New York.
Where a psychiatrist fits
The FDNY says it may ask for a prescription history and your prescriber's opinion. A psychiatrist who knows your history can describe your diagnosis and treatment accurately, but no clinician can promise how a department will decide, and the decision belongs to the department's own medical staff. Dr. Shershow is a psychiatrist who focuses on adult ADHD and sees adults located in New York or New Jersey; ADHD medication management in NYC explains how ongoing care works, and city workers can find benefit details in NYC employee health plans and adult ADHD coverage.
Questions
Will taking a stimulant disqualify me from becoming an NYC firefighter?
The FDNY does not say so. Its candidate FAQ says prescribed medications are reviewed individually, that you must report every medication you take, and that you may be asked for a prescription history and your prescriber's opinion. The categories it lists as possibly incompatible with firefighting do not include stimulants, but the list is not exhaustive.
Can the NYPD ask about my ADHD before it offers me a job?
Federal EEOC guidance says employers covered by the ADA cannot ask disability-related questions or require medical examinations, including psychological tests that identify mental disorders, before a conditional job offer. After the offer, they can, as long as all entering employees in the job category go through the same process.
Can I get extra time on a civil service exam for ADHD?
You can ask. DCAS requires a written request for special testing accommodations no later than 30 days before the first test date, describing your disability and the accommodation you need, with a signed statement on letterhead from a doctor or authorized agency that corroborates the disability.
Should I stop my ADHD medication before the medical exam?
Do not stop or change medication on your own to get through a screening. The FDNY's own FAQ says only your physician can decide which medication is best for your health. Talk with your prescriber and disclose what you take, as the departments require.
What can I do if I am disqualified?
Civil Service Law 50(4) requires a written statement of the reasons and an opportunity to explain and submit facts before a disability-based disqualification. You can also file a disability discrimination complaint with the EEOC or the New York State Division of Human Rights, which covers state and local government employers.
Sources
- NYC DCAS: Notice of Examination, Police Officer, Exam Nos. 7311 to 7322 (2026)
- NYC DCAS: Special Circumstances Guide (testing accommodations)
- FDNY: Medical examination FAQs, Part 1, General information (5-11-2020)
- FDNY: Medical examination FAQs, Part 8, Laboratory test for unauthorized substances (4-29-2020)
- U.S. EEOC: Enforcement guidance on preemployment disability-related questions and medical examinations
- New York State Senate: Civil Service Law 50, Examinations
- U.S. EEOC: Disability discrimination and employment decisions
- New York State Senate: Executive Law 292, Definitions (Human Rights Law)
