ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 

Am I Eligible To Join The National Guard?

Most people between the ages of 17 and 35 are eligible to join the National Guard. However, we do have strict guidelines. Read on to see if you meet the minimum requirements, as well as the physical, education and aptitude requirements for Guard service.

Minimum Requirements

To qualify for enlistment into the National Guard, you need to:

  • Be between the ages of 17 and 35* (unless you have prior U.S. military service, certain linguistic skills or a specialized professional skill, such as a chaplain, lawyer or certain medical specialties)
  • Be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident alien
  • Meet necessary medical requirements and moral requirements. For a list of legal violations which will permanently disqualify you from serving, please view the list below:

Currently, the National Guard will not accept any applicants convicted of a felony. Some minor crimes may be overlooked if significant time has passed since you were convicted and have since had no additional felonies. But you will not be accepted into the Army National Guard if you have been convicted of any of the following:

  • Aggravated assault, assault with dangerous weapon, assault intentionally inflicting great bodily harm, or assault with intent to commit a felony. This also includes child, parental or spouse abuse, child endangerment/welfare.
  • Armed robbery
  • Arson
  • Attempt to commit a felony
  • Breaking and entering
  • Bribery
  • Burglary (includes possession of burglary tools)
  • Carnal knowledge of a minor, including indecent acts or liberties with a minor
  • Cattle rustling
  • Check, worthless, making or uttering, with intent to defraud or deceive ($500 or more)
  • Conspiring to commit a felony
  • Criminal sexual conduct
  • Destruction of private property (if valued over $2,000 or more)
  • Domestic violence
  • Driving while drugged or intoxicated, or driving while ability impaired (two or more offenses)
  • Drug trafficking
  • Embezzlement (if $1,000 or more)
  • Extortion
  • Failure to pay child support
  • False bomb threat
  • Forgery; knowingly uttering or passing forged instrument
  • Grand theft, auto
  • Illegal/fraudulent use of a credit card, bank card or ATM card (value of $250 or more)
  • Indecent acts with a minor including indecent exposure
  • Kidnapping or abducting, including parental kidnapping of children
  • Larceny; embezzlement; conversion (value of $500 or more)
  • Mail matter; abstracting, destroying, obstructing, opening, secreting, stealing or taking mails; depositing obscene or indecent matter
  • Manslaughter
  • Murder
  • Narcotics or habit-forming drugs; wrongful possession, use, selling or distributing (including marijuana)
  • Negligent/vehicular homicide
  • Pandering
  • Perjury or subornation of perjury
  • Possession/ use of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver
  • Prostitution (Solicitation)
  • Public intoxication of a controlled substance
  • Rape, sexual abuse, sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse, incest
  • Riot
  • Robbery
  • Sodomy
  • Stolen property, knowingly received (value of $500 or more)
  • Theft (valued over $500)