Can You Join The Navy With a DUI?

Alcohol – Behind The Wheel

September 5th, 2008

Adjudicated definition – “The completion of a legal process by which an arbiter or judge reviews evidence and argumentation including legal reasoning set forth by opposing parties or litigants to come to a decision which determines rights and obligations between the parties involved.” For the purposes of enlistment, if your charges are disposed with ANY condition, it will be considered a guilty finding and will be subject to, if otherwise qualified/required, a waiver by the proper approval authority. Example – a prosecutor tells you your charges will be dropped if you write a “letter of apology,” the condition requirement of having to write the letter is considered an adverse adjudication.

Behind the Wheel (BTW) definition – Alcohol and/or drug incidents while you were BTW of a motorized vehicle such as driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving under the influence (DUI), operating under influence of alcohol (OUIL), driving while alcohol impaired (DWAI), etc. There are even circumstances where being adjudicated for “open container” could be considered a BTW offense. Example – you are under the legal drinking age, you are pulled over and found to have a trace of alcohol, not even close to enough to be guilty of DWI, you will be considered to have a BTW for enlistment purposes.

With the definitions out of the way, here is the meat: If you have a BTW conviction, you must wait a mandatory period of one year from date of original offense (the day you were given a ticket or arrested) before you can be gained as an accession onto active duty or affiliated into the Navy Reserve. The waiting period of one year is NOT waiverable.

Any more than two BTW adjudications (a single BTW is a CO NRD waiver; two BTWs require a waiver from the Commander, Navy Recruiting Command) and you are not eligible for enlistment into the United States Navy, there are no waivers authorized. I suggest to you; if you have more than two that you seek help if you haven’t already. There is no excuse for getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after you have been drinking; you’re putting your life and the lives of others at risk.


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27 Responses to “Alcohol – Behind The Wheel”


  1. sam says:
    October 10, 2011 at 1:59 pm

    how many minor in posession of alcohol will disqualify you from joining the service

  2. NCCM(ret) says:
    October 10, 2011 at 4:34 pm

    Sam,

    Two would be disqualifying, but you could receive a waiver for up to three.

  3. Bobby says:
    October 18, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    I got a DUI last year and the one year mark will be this December; Is there anyway I can go to a recruiter NOW and get a head start on my enlistment to be accepted at the one year mark or should I not even try until the full year is up?

  4. NCCM(ret) says:
    October 18, 2011 at 10:09 pm

    Bobby,

    The recruiter won’t be able to process you until you are eligible, but yes, you can go and get some of the forms and start filling them out – start gathering all the documentation you would need – ask questions – etc. Also, as I wrote a couple of days ago, Navy Recruiting will be closed from 17 Dec 2011 through 3 Jan. 2012 for holiday break.

  5. Shane says:
    October 20, 2011 at 7:26 pm

    I was told today the policy on DUIs has changed and that they will no longer be waivers for them regardless of the whole person concept. Is there any truth to this, because just two months ago it was still a waiverable offense. My recruiters are upset about the change in policy.
    Especially in my case because I had to wait for my divorce to finalize and in that time the policy changed. I only have one from 2002 and nothing else on my record.

  6. NCCM(ret) says:
    October 20, 2011 at 9:38 pm

    Shane,

    Locally, it could very well be the policy – each commanding officer has it within the prevue to adapt tougher standards than that of the national guidance. I have not heard of a national policy to restrict a single DUI.

  7. Bobby says:
    October 22, 2011 at 11:45 pm

    Thanks for the info but forget the DUI for a second, I was talking to a family friend the other day and telling him my decision to join the navy and he said regardless of my DUI or anything that it was terribly hard to join any branch of the military right now. I was curious if you knew anything about this? I know since the recession they have made and or exceeded recruiting requirements but he was saying even the most perfect individual had a slim chance. Any knowledge on this? Should I just blow them away with a genius ASVAB score, or just talk to a local recruiter to figure it out and cut any BS out of what anyone has to say?

  8. NCCM(ret) says:
    October 23, 2011 at 8:11 am

    Bobby,

    I recently wrote an article after talking directly with Navy Recruiting Command that discussed the current successes of recruiting and how it has affected qualification policies set by the national headquarters and even further by local commands. The Navy is still recruiting, but they, like all services during this economic downturn, can be very selective.

    http://www.navycs.com/blogs/2011/10/06/fy-2011-a-record-setting-year

  9. Shane says:
    October 26, 2011 at 9:23 pm

    Thank you NCCM, its kind of what I figured was likely happening. I talked to a few recruiters out of my area and they haven’t heard of the change either. I’m a fighter so I will stick it out and follow the “hurry up and wait” SOP since my packet has already been in for a month & Marine recruiters and they have expressed their eagerness to have me join their branch. They want to send me for ASVAB testing and physical asap, its not my first choice but serving in some aspect is better than not. In the meantime I will continue to take CLEP tests to bring my credits up to 48cdts minimum.
    Thanks for all the info you provide to all of us, it is appreciated.
    V/R,
    Shane

  10. Matt says:
    December 6, 2011 at 1:24 am

    Now,I have a DUI and I know its a one year waiting period and i understand that, but before the DUI i was arrested for a Minor in possession charge, I got it annulled off my record so is that going to effect me at all?

  11. NCCM(ret) says:
    December 6, 2011 at 6:31 am

    Matt,

    The minor in possession charge will be a consideration during the waiver for a DUI.

  12. Chelsey says:
    January 9, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    I was arrested for a DUI under age. But never convicted I took classes to get everything off my record, was told as of oct 15th I will have a clean record again. do I still need a waiver?

  13. NCCM(ret) says:
    January 9, 2012 at 4:22 pm

    Chelsey,

    No matter what the courts do, you will always have a DUI in your history, and that DUI will require a waiver for enlistment.

  14. Heather says:
    January 20, 2012 at 8:23 pm

    I got a DWI and a ticket for reckless operation in AUG 2011. I had just turned in my security clearance packet to my recruiter the day before the wreck and had an appointment to go to MEPS in New Orleans the following week to take the ASVAB, so needless to say, I screwed up big time! I’ve been through pre-trail and now waiting for the initial trail date in May. If I go ahead and plea out and request Article 894, the DA in my parish said he could possibly work something out with me and have the DWI expunged within 3 months, only having to complete 6 months of probation. Do I still have to wait a year from conviction date if it’s expunged? Or can I go ahead and enlist after probation is complete?

  15. NCCM(ret) says:
    January 20, 2012 at 9:16 pm

    Heather,

    The mandatory wait of one year starts the day you’re arrested, not the day you go to court.

  16. Zach says:
    January 24, 2012 at 12:40 am

    Sorry if I am being thick, but if I have one DUI over a year ago does that require a waiver as well, or just after the second?

  17. NCCM(ret) says:
    January 24, 2012 at 7:38 am

    Zack,

    A single DUI requires a waiver. http://www.navycs.com/blogs/2010/05/23/moral-waivers-for-enlistment

  18. Wil says:
    February 1, 2012 at 7:28 am

    Will two DUI’s disqualify someone from enlisting into the Navy?

  19. NCCM(ret) says:
    February 1, 2012 at 7:33 am

    Wil,

    Two DUIs require a waiver by the Commander, Navy Recruiting Command; however, currently, there is a moratorium on the processing of waivers that require that level of waiver consideration.

  20. Wil says:
    February 1, 2012 at 7:38 am

    What exactly does that mean?

  21. NCCM(ret) says:
    February 1, 2012 at 8:06 am

    Wil,

    It means that by instruction, you are eligible for waiver consideration, but because recruiting is doing so well because of the services draw down and the retention experienced because of the state of the economy, the processing of such waivers are on an indefinite hold.

  22. Wil says:
    February 1, 2012 at 8:12 am

    Is there anything I could possibly do to help my situation in the event the hold is lifted?

  23. NCCM(ret) says:
    February 1, 2012 at 8:17 am

    Wil,

    Stay out of trouble, and continue to live life in an honorable way.

  24. vick4navy says:
    February 4, 2012 at 9:00 am

    hi sir,i ve gotten 2 dui s.the second one was in july of 2009.thats that disqualify me from enlisting?because i ve been wanting to enlist but wanted to clear everything up first.do you think i will be considered?thank you

  25. NCCM(ret) says:
    February 4, 2012 at 10:03 am

    Vick,

    Having two DUIs would require a waiver by the Commander, Navy Recruiting Command; currently, such waivers are not being considered.

  26. vick4navy says:
    February 4, 2012 at 10:07 am

    Thank you for your prompt reply sir.any idea when such waivers will be considered?if not,this will be a very huge setback for me because I was planning to go see a recruiter on monday but thought doing some research will help.

  27. NCCM(ret) says:
    February 4, 2012 at 10:42 am

    Vick,

    My guess would be in maybe two to three years before they may consider those waivers again, but I do suggest that you go see your recruiter and introduce yourself – he should be able to give you a much better idea, and you would then be in his records for when/if it does open back up.

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