diff --git a/src/app/api/v1/admin/qualification-criteria/reorder/route.ts b/src/app/api/v1/admin/qualification-criteria/reorder/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d3add368
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/api/v1/admin/qualification-criteria/reorder/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';
+
+import { withAuth, withPermission } from '@/lib/api/helpers';
+import { parseBody } from '@/lib/api/route-helpers';
+import { errorResponse } from '@/lib/errors';
+import { reorderQualificationCriteriaSchema } from '@/lib/validators/qualification';
+import { reorderCriteria } from '@/lib/services/qualification.service';
+
+export const POST = withAuth(
+  withPermission('admin', 'manage_settings', async (req, ctx) => {
+    try {
+      const body = await parseBody(req, reorderQualificationCriteriaSchema);
+      const rows = await reorderCriteria(ctx.portId, body, {
+        userId: ctx.userId,
+        portId: ctx.portId,
+        ipAddress: ctx.ipAddress,
+        userAgent: ctx.userAgent,
+      });
+      return NextResponse.json({ data: rows });
+    } catch (error) {
+      return errorResponse(error);
+    }
+  }),
+);
diff --git a/src/components/admin/qualification-criteria-admin.tsx b/src/components/admin/qualification-criteria-admin.tsx
index f05af49c..1f613546 100644
--- a/src/components/admin/qualification-criteria-admin.tsx
+++ b/src/components/admin/qualification-criteria-admin.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,24 @@
 
 import { useState } from 'react';
 import { useMutation, useQuery, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
-import { Plus, Trash2, ChevronUp, ChevronDown, Save } from 'lucide-react';
+import {
+  DndContext,
+  closestCenter,
+  type DragEndEvent,
+  PointerSensor,
+  KeyboardSensor,
+  useSensor,
+  useSensors,
+} from '@dnd-kit/core';
+import {
+  SortableContext,
+  arrayMove,
+  sortableKeyboardCoordinates,
+  useSortable,
+  verticalListSortingStrategy,
+} from '@dnd-kit/sortable';
+import { CSS } from '@dnd-kit/utilities';
+import { GripVertical, Plus, Save, Trash2 } from 'lucide-react';
 
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input';
@@ -19,7 +36,6 @@ import {
 } from '@/components/ui/dialog';
 import { apiFetch } from '@/lib/api/client';
 import { toastError } from '@/lib/api/toast-error';
-import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
 
 interface CriterionRow {
   id: string;
@@ -36,12 +52,17 @@ interface ListResponse {
 
 /**
  * Per-port qualification-criteria admin. Lists current criteria, add via
- * the dialog, toggle enabled inline, drag-style reorder via up/down buttons
- * (keeps the UI simple for v1; can swap to a real DnD later if reps want it).
+ * the dialog, toggle enabled inline, drag-to-reorder via dnd-kit (the
+ * whole list ships in one PATCH so partial failure can't scramble the
+ * order — see qualification.service.reorderCriteria).
  */
 export function QualificationCriteriaAdmin() {
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
   const [createOpen, setCreateOpen] = useState(false);
+  const sensors = useSensors(
+    useSensor(PointerSensor, { activationConstraint: { distance: 4 } }),
+    useSensor(KeyboardSensor, { coordinateGetter: sortableKeyboardCoordinates }),
+  );
 
   const { data, isLoading } = useQuery<ListResponse>({
     queryKey: ['qualification-criteria'],
@@ -59,14 +80,42 @@ export function QualificationCriteriaAdmin() {
     onError: (err) => toastError(err),
   });
 
-  const reorder = useMutation({
-    mutationFn: async (vars: { id: string; displayOrder: number }) =>
-      apiFetch(`/api/v1/admin/qualification-criteria/${vars.id}`, {
-        method: 'PATCH',
-        body: { displayOrder: vars.displayOrder },
+  const reorder = useMutation<
+    ListResponse,
+    Error,
+    string[],
+    { previous: ListResponse | undefined }
+  >({
+    mutationFn: async (ids: string[]) =>
+      apiFetch('/api/v1/admin/qualification-criteria/reorder', {
+        method: 'POST',
+        body: { ids },
       }),
-    onSuccess: () => queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['qualification-criteria'] }),
-    onError: (err) => toastError(err),
+    onMutate: async (ids: string[]) => {
+      // Optimistic: rewrite the cache order before the round-trip so the
+      // dropped row doesn't snap back to its old slot during the request.
+      await queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: ['qualification-criteria'] });
+      const previous = queryClient.getQueryData<ListResponse>(['qualification-criteria']);
+      if (previous) {
+        const byId = new Map(previous.data.map((c) => [c.id, c] as const));
+        const next = ids
+          .map((id, idx) => {
+            const c = byId.get(id);
+            return c ? { ...c, displayOrder: idx } : null;
+          })
+          .filter((c): c is CriterionRow => c !== null);
+        queryClient.setQueryData(['qualification-criteria'], { data: next });
+      }
+      return { previous };
+    },
+    onError: (err, _ids, ctx) => {
+      // Roll back to the snapshot we took in onMutate.
+      if (ctx?.previous) {
+        queryClient.setQueryData(['qualification-criteria'], ctx.previous);
+      }
+      toastError(err);
+    },
+    onSettled: () => queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['qualification-criteria'] }),
   });
 
   const deleteCriterion = useMutation({
@@ -76,6 +125,16 @@ export function QualificationCriteriaAdmin() {
     onError: (err) => toastError(err),
   });
 
+  function handleDragEnd(event: DragEndEvent) {
+    const { active, over } = event;
+    if (!over || active.id === over.id) return;
+    const oldIndex = criteria.findIndex((c) => c.id === active.id);
+    const newIndex = criteria.findIndex((c) => c.id === over.id);
+    if (oldIndex < 0 || newIndex < 0) return;
+    const nextIds = arrayMove(criteria, oldIndex, newIndex).map((c) => c.id);
+    reorder.mutate(nextIds);
+  }
+
   if (isLoading) {
     return <div className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">Loading criteria…</div>;
   }
@@ -100,47 +159,15 @@ export function QualificationCriteriaAdmin() {
           </p>
         </div>
       ) : (
-        <ul className="divide-y divide-border rounded-lg border">
-          {criteria.map((c, idx) => {
-            const isFirst = idx === 0;
-            const isLast = idx === criteria.length - 1;
-            return (
-              <li key={c.id} className="flex items-start gap-3 p-3">
-                <div className="flex flex-col gap-0.5">
-                  <button
-                    type="button"
-                    aria-label="Move up"
-                    disabled={isFirst || reorder.isPending}
-                    onClick={() =>
-                      reorder.mutate({ id: c.id, displayOrder: Math.max(0, c.displayOrder - 1) })
-                    }
-                    className={cn(
-                      'rounded p-0.5 text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground disabled:opacity-30',
-                    )}
-                  >
-                    <ChevronUp className="size-3.5" aria-hidden />
-                  </button>
-                  <button
-                    type="button"
-                    aria-label="Move down"
-                    disabled={isLast || reorder.isPending}
-                    onClick={() => reorder.mutate({ id: c.id, displayOrder: c.displayOrder + 1 })}
-                    className={cn(
-                      'rounded p-0.5 text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground disabled:opacity-30',
-                    )}
-                  >
-                    <ChevronDown className="size-3.5" aria-hidden />
-                  </button>
-                </div>
-                <CriterionEditableRow
+        <DndContext sensors={sensors} collisionDetection={closestCenter} onDragEnd={handleDragEnd}>
+          <SortableContext items={criteria.map((c) => c.id)} strategy={verticalListSortingStrategy}>
+            <ul className="divide-y divide-border rounded-lg border">
+              {criteria.map((c) => (
+                <SortableCriterionRow
+                  key={c.id}
                   criterion={c}
                   onToggleEnabled={(enabled) => toggleEnabled.mutate({ id: c.id, enabled })}
-                />
-                <button
-                  type="button"
-                  aria-label="Delete criterion"
-                  disabled={deleteCriterion.isPending}
-                  onClick={() => {
+                  onDelete={() => {
                     if (
                       confirm(
                         `Delete criterion "${c.label}"? Per-interest state rows for this key will become orphaned (hidden from the UI but kept in audit history).`,
@@ -149,14 +176,12 @@ export function QualificationCriteriaAdmin() {
                       deleteCriterion.mutate(c.id);
                     }
                   }}
-                  className="ml-auto rounded p-1.5 text-muted-foreground hover:bg-destructive/10 hover:text-destructive"
-                >
-                  <Trash2 className="size-4" aria-hidden />
-                </button>
-              </li>
-            );
-          })}
-        </ul>
+                  deleteDisabled={deleteCriterion.isPending}
+                />
+              ))}
+            </ul>
+          </SortableContext>
+        </DndContext>
       )}
 
       <CreateCriterionDialog open={createOpen} onOpenChange={setCreateOpen} />
@@ -164,6 +189,51 @@ export function QualificationCriteriaAdmin() {
   );
 }
 
+function SortableCriterionRow({
+  criterion,
+  onToggleEnabled,
+  onDelete,
+  deleteDisabled,
+}: {
+  criterion: CriterionRow;
+  onToggleEnabled: (enabled: boolean) => void;
+  onDelete: () => void;
+  deleteDisabled: boolean;
+}) {
+  const { attributes, listeners, setNodeRef, transform, transition, isDragging } = useSortable({
+    id: criterion.id,
+  });
+  const style = {
+    transform: CSS.Transform.toString(transform),
+    transition,
+    opacity: isDragging ? 0.5 : 1,
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <li ref={setNodeRef} style={style} className="flex items-start gap-3 p-3">
+      <button
+        type="button"
+        aria-label="Drag to reorder"
+        {...attributes}
+        {...listeners}
+        className="cursor-grab touch-none rounded p-1 text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground active:cursor-grabbing"
+      >
+        <GripVertical className="size-4" aria-hidden />
+      </button>
+      <CriterionEditableRow criterion={criterion} onToggleEnabled={onToggleEnabled} />
+      <button
+        type="button"
+        aria-label="Delete criterion"
+        disabled={deleteDisabled}
+        onClick={onDelete}
+        className="ml-auto rounded p-1.5 text-muted-foreground hover:bg-destructive/10 hover:text-destructive"
+      >
+        <Trash2 className="size-4" aria-hidden />
+      </button>
+    </li>
+  );
+}
+
 function CriterionEditableRow({
   criterion,
   onToggleEnabled,
diff --git a/src/lib/services/qualification.service.ts b/src/lib/services/qualification.service.ts
index ae159e67..b9adebb2 100644
--- a/src/lib/services/qualification.service.ts
+++ b/src/lib/services/qualification.service.ts
@@ -14,10 +14,11 @@ import { and, asc, eq } from 'drizzle-orm';
 import { db } from '@/lib/db';
 import { interestQualifications, interests, qualificationCriteria } from '@/lib/db/schema';
 import { createAuditLog, type AuditMeta } from '@/lib/audit';
-import { ConflictError, NotFoundError } from '@/lib/errors';
+import { ConflictError, NotFoundError, ValidationError } from '@/lib/errors';
 import { emitToRoom } from '@/lib/socket/server';
 import type {
   CreateQualificationCriterionInput,
+  ReorderQualificationCriteriaInput,
   SetInterestQualificationInput,
   UpdateQualificationCriterionInput,
 } from '@/lib/validators/qualification';
@@ -137,6 +138,70 @@ export async function deleteCriterion(id: string, portId: string, meta: AuditMet
   return { ok: true };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Whole-list reorder. Rewrites display_order to match the array index of
+ * each id, inside a single transaction so partial failure can't leave the
+ * port with a scrambled order. The ids array must cover exactly the port's
+ * current criteria — any mismatch (extra or missing id) is rejected so the
+ * UI can't silently drop a criterion by sending a stale list.
+ */
+export async function reorderCriteria(
+  portId: string,
+  data: ReorderQualificationCriteriaInput,
+  meta: AuditMeta,
+) {
+  return db
+    .transaction(async (tx) => {
+      const current = await tx
+        .select({ id: qualificationCriteria.id })
+        .from(qualificationCriteria)
+        .where(eq(qualificationCriteria.portId, portId));
+
+      const currentIds = new Set(current.map((r) => r.id));
+      const incomingIds = new Set(data.ids);
+
+      if (
+        currentIds.size !== incomingIds.size ||
+        [...currentIds].some((id) => !incomingIds.has(id))
+      ) {
+        throw new ValidationError(
+          'Reorder payload must reference exactly the port’s current criteria',
+        );
+      }
+
+      for (let i = 0; i < data.ids.length; i++) {
+        await tx
+          .update(qualificationCriteria)
+          .set({ displayOrder: i, updatedAt: new Date() })
+          .where(
+            and(
+              eq(qualificationCriteria.id, data.ids[i]!),
+              eq(qualificationCriteria.portId, portId),
+            ),
+          );
+      }
+
+      return tx
+        .select()
+        .from(qualificationCriteria)
+        .where(eq(qualificationCriteria.portId, portId))
+        .orderBy(asc(qualificationCriteria.displayOrder), asc(qualificationCriteria.createdAt));
+    })
+    .then((rows) => {
+      void createAuditLog({
+        userId: meta.userId,
+        portId,
+        action: 'update',
+        entityType: 'qualification_criterion',
+        entityId: 'reorder',
+        newValue: { orderedIds: data.ids },
+        ipAddress: meta.ipAddress,
+        userAgent: meta.userAgent,
+      });
+      return rows;
+    });
+}
+
 // ─── Per-interest state ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 export interface QualificationRow {
diff --git a/src/lib/validators/qualification.ts b/src/lib/validators/qualification.ts
index a897da48..284563f9 100644
--- a/src/lib/validators/qualification.ts
+++ b/src/lib/validators/qualification.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,15 @@ export const updateQualificationCriterionSchema = createQualificationCriterionSc
   .omit({ key: true })
   .partial();
 
+/**
+ * Whole-list reorder. The IDs array must cover exactly the port's current
+ * criteria — the service rejects partial / extraneous IDs to keep the
+ * resulting display_order contiguous.
+ */
+export const reorderQualificationCriteriaSchema = z.object({
+  ids: z.array(z.string().min(1)).min(1),
+});
+
 /**
  * Per-interest qualification state. Only `confirmed` + optional `notes` are
  * writable — `confirmedAt` / `confirmedBy` are stamped server-side from
@@ -36,3 +45,4 @@ export const setInterestQualificationSchema = z.object({
 export type CreateQualificationCriterionInput = z.infer<typeof createQualificationCriterionSchema>;
 export type UpdateQualificationCriterionInput = z.infer<typeof updateQualificationCriterionSchema>;
 export type SetInterestQualificationInput = z.infer<typeof setInterestQualificationSchema>;
+export type ReorderQualificationCriteriaInput = z.infer<typeof reorderQualificationCriteriaSchema>;