Can You Join The Navy With a DUI?

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.

Individuals who have been convicted of an alcohol-related offense must be considered under the guidelines for processing applicants with past civil convictions. In this regard, two or more behind-the-wheel (BTW) convictions (such as driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving under the influence (DUI), operating under influence of alcohol (OUIL), driving while alcohol impaired (DWAI), etc.) can be indicative of a serious problem with alcohol.

Whenever an applicant is adversely adjudicated for driving while under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol, the offense is considered a BTW offense regardless of how the State terms the offense. As an example, a charge of DUI, which is reduced to reckless driving, is still considered a BTW offense if there was evidence presented that the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

With the definitions out of the way, here is the meat: If you have an adversely adjudicated BTW offense, 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 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.

Applicants granted a drug or alcohol abuse waiver for entry into a program and who are ineligible for certain special programs may, on a case-by-case basis, reapply for consideration of these special programs to the Chief of Naval Personnel after a minimum of two years active duty.


If you have any questions after reading the article, either contact your local recruiter, or you can ask me directly.

*** Once in the Navy, if you are arrested, you have an obligation to self-report the arrest immediately to your chain of command. Withholding that information would be a violation of a direct order and could be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

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