NYPD top cop James O’Neill says officers can wear turbans, beards for religious reasons under new rules

For the first time, cops who want to wear turbans for religious reasons on the job can now do so, as long as they get approval, the city’s top cop said.

The new policy also codifies how long beards can be. Beards can be no longer than a half-inch for religious reasons, and no longer than one millimeter for medical reasons.

The NYPD previously barred beards because they interfere with the seal on gas masks. Officers in elite units that call for the masks, such as anti-terrorism, are still exempt from having beards, a police source said.

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