• Home
  • Military Discounts
    • Military & Veteran Discount List
    • Local Military and Veterans Discounts
    • Apple Military Discount
    • Veteran & Military Cell Phone Discounts
    • Gym and Health Club Discounts
  • Benefits
    • 10 Veterans Benefits You May Not Know About
    • Top Military Spouse Benefits
    • Medal of Honor: Benefits, History and Facts
    • Purple Heart Benefits
    • Veterans Health A to Z
  • Housing & Home Ownership
    • VA Loan Calculator
    • VA Loan Limits by County
    • VA Home Loan Guide
    • 5 Benefits of a VA Loan
    • 2022 BAH Rates
    • BAH Calculator
  • Money & Finance
    • 2022 Military Pay Charts
    • 2022 Defense Budget
    • 2022 Military Pay
    • 2022 Military Pay Charts
    • COLA Watch 2022-2023
    • Military Pay Calculator
    • Military Pay Dates
    • VA Disability Rates
  • Jobs
    • Veteran Friendly Employers
    • Military Spouse Employment Preference
    • Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS)
    • Security Clearance Jobs After the Military
  • Education
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges
    • Online Colleges with Military Discounts
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges Guide
    • Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
    • Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the GI Bill
    • Forever GI Bill
  • Resources
    • How to Get a Veterans ID Card
    • Veterans ID on Driver’s License or ID Card by State
    • Military ID Cards
    • Military Calendar
    • State Veteran’s Benefits
Home » Military Enlistment Age Limits

Military Enlistment Age Limits

by MilitaryBenefits

The minimum and maximum enlistment age for joining the military differs by each branch of the military. The earliest is 17 with parental consent and the maximum is 39 but see below for the specific age limits by each branch of service.

This does not mean that the age requirements are not similar, but there is no Defense Department-wide standard. Each branch of service sets their own.

Here are things to know about military enlistment age limits and other criteria for joining the military.

Military Age Requirements by Branch of Service

BranchActive DutyReserveGuardService Academies
Army17-3517-3517-3517-23
Marine Corps17-2817-28N/A17-23
Navy17-3917-39N/A17-23
Air Force17-3917-3817-3917-23
Space ForceContact an Air Force recruiter at 1-800-423-8723 for eligibility requirements.
Coast Guard17-3117-40N/A17-22

Military Service Branches Age Limits

#1. The Minimum Age Permitted to Join the Military

In all cases except for the Navy Reserve, the minimum age permitted is 17 with parental consent in writing. Those 18 and older are permitted to join the military without parental consent. The Navy Reserve minimum age is 18. Federal law says no military branch can enlist someone over the age of 42; however each service may set their own policy below that age limit.


Military Maximum Age Requirements:

Did you know there is an upper age limit for all branches of military service?

Military Age Limits:

  • Army Age Limit: 35 for active duty, Guard, and Army Reserve
  • Navy Age Limit: 39 for active duty, 39 for Navy Reserve
  • Marine Corps Age Limit: 28 for active duty and Marine Corps Reserve
  • Air Force Age Limit: 39 for active duty and Guard, 38 for Air Force Reserve
  • Coast Guard Age Limit: 31 for active duty, 40 for Coast Guard Reserve
  • Space Force Age Limit: 39

Prior service military members may not be subject to the same age limitations as new recruits depending on age, the nature of military service, recruiting demand, and other factors.

#2: Age Requirements Are Supplemented by Education Requirements

In most cases, the minimum age a new recruit may enter military service is 17. However, a high school diploma or GED is usually required. Some branches of service may, depending on recruiting issues at any given time, offer alternatives such as allowing a new recruit who has a GED with college credits. Having a GED may subject the enlistee to additional standards not applied to those who have high school diplomas.

If the applicant does not meet the stricter standards for GED holders without college coursework, it may be possible to enroll in college (see below) to earn additional credit hours.

All branches of service restrict how many new recruits may enter military service each year without a high school diploma. According to some reports, this is due to statistics which tend to indicate a higher number of unsuccessful basic trainees come from backgrounds that do not include a diploma.

Those who want to enter the military as quickly as possible should know that they may technically qualify to serve, but their status as “without a high school diploma” may push their application to the following year if the quota for non-diploma holders has already been met.

#3: GED Holders Must Score Higher on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

Those who do not have a high school diploma will be required to score higher on the ASVAB test, regardless of the branch of service desired.

Some potential new military members may find that the recruiter will upon learning of the GED status of an applicant wish to have the recruit take the ASVAB first. Those who do not score high enough are often encouraged to take a specified amount of college credits before retaking the ASVAB.

The reason for this is that those who have GEDs and college credits are put in the same ASVAB scoring category as someone with a high school diploma. The high school graduates do not get more stringent ASVAB scoring requirements.

#4: Selective Service System

For almost all male U.S. citizens and male aliens living in the United States who are ages 18 through 25, there is a requirement to register with the Selective Service System.

#5: Prior Service Enlistments

Each branch of the military has an enlistment option that allows  people who separated from military active duty, the Guard or Reserve, to enter full-time back into service. The age limit for prior service enlistment for most of the branches is the same as above, except that an individual’s total previous military time can be subtracted from their current age. For example, if an individual has five years of credible military service in the Army and wants to join the Navy. The Navy could waive the maximum enlistment age to 44. The maximum age of 39 for the Navy, plus five years credible service in the Army).

The Army and Air National National Guard maximum age for prior service enlistment is 59.

The Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Reserve maximum age of enlistment for prior service is 32, after computing the prior-service age adjustment.


If You Haven’t Earned Your Diploma Yet and Want to Join The Military Out of High School

Any recruiter will urge a potential new recruit to complete high school first before trying to enter the military. That said, military recruiting involves something known as the Delayed Enlistment program where those who are not technically eligible to serve yet due to age or school status may enter into a provisional agreement with the service they wish to join.

Delayed Enlistment may put the enlistee into a program to familiarize them with military life, procedures, what to expect in basic training, etc. It can be a big help to those who want to serve, but are not yet eligible to become full-fledged military recruits.


About The AuthorJoe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News


Related Articles
VSO High School Leadership Programs Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT)
Education Military Training and Experience College Credit
Physical Fitness Test (PFT) ASVAB Test

Filed Under: Resources

Comments

Military + Veteran Discounts

Want 30+ Mil/Vet discounts to use today? Enter your email for updates and we'll send it!
Name(Required)

Popular Articles

2022 VA Disability Rates

2022 Military Pay

Military Pay Calculator

VA Loan Calculator

2022 BAH Rates

Search Veteran.com

Military Benefits Logo

Company

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Add a Discount
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Unsubscribe

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Military Discounts
  • Benefits
  • Housing & Ownership
  • Money & Finance
  • Employment
  • Education
  • Resources

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
Copyright © 2022 Three Creeks Media, LLC

Veteran.com is a property of Three Creeks Media. Neither Veteran.com nor Three Creeks Media are associated with or endorsed by the U.S. Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs. The content on Veteran.com is produced by Three Creeks Media, its partners, affiliates and contractors, any opinions or statements on Veteran.com should not be attributed to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs , the Dept. of Defense or any governmental entity. If you have questions about Veteran programs offered through or by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, please visit their website at va.gov. The content offered on Veteran.com is for general informational purposes only and may not be relevant to any consumer’s specific situation, this content should not be construed as legal or financial advice. If you have questions of a specific nature consider consulting a financial professional, accountant or attorney to discuss. References to third-party products, rates and offers may change without notice.

Advertising Notice: Veteran.com and Three Creeks Media, its parent and affiliate companies, may receive compensation through advertising placements on Veteran.com; For any rankings or lists on this site, Veteran.com may receive compensation from the companies being ranked and this compensation may affect how, where and in what order products and companies appear in the rankings and lists. If a ranking or list has a company noted to be a “partner” the indicated company is a corporate affiliate of Veteran.com. No tables, rankings or lists are fully comprehensive and do not include all companies or available products.

Editorial Disclosure: Editorial content on Veteran.com may include opinions. Any opinions are those of the author alone, and not those of an advertiser to the site nor of Veteran.com.