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About Merit Badges
Pick a Subject: Talk to your unit leader about your interests - as of 2025, you must get the unit leader's permission to begin a merit badge. Read the requirements of the merit badges you think might interest you and pick one to earn. Your unit leader will give you the name of a person from a list of counselors. These individuals have special knowledge in their merit badge subjects and are interested in helping you.
Scout Buddy System: You must have another person with you at each meeting with the merit badge counselor. This person can be another Scout, your parent or legal guardian, or another registered adult.
Call the Merit Badge Counselor: Get in touch with the merit badge counselor and explain that you want to earn the badge. The counselor may ask to meet you to explain what is expected and to start helping you meet the requirements. The Application for Merit Badge ("Blue Card"), is no longer required to record your merit badge progress. Instead, your unit leader will connect you with the merit badge counselor of your choice through Scoutbook and your progress will be recorded there. You should also discuss work you have already started or possibly completed. At the first meeting, you and your merit badge counselor will review and may start working on the requirements. In some cases, you may share the work you have already started or completed.
Start anytime (unless otherwise stated): Ask your counselor to help you learn the things you need to know or do. You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject. Many troops, schools, and public libraries have them.
Show Your Stuff: When you are ready, call the counselor again to make an appointment. When you go, take along the things you have made to meet the requirements. If they are too big to move, take pictures or have an adult tell in writing what you have done. The counselor will test you on each requirement to make sure you know your stuff and have done or can do the things required.
Get the Badge: When the counselor is satisfied you have met each requirement, he or she will sign your application. Give the signed application to your unit leader so your merit badge emblem can be secured for you.
Merit badge requirements are revised as needed to reflect updated information and technology. Refer to the Scouting America Merit Badge Reference website for merit badge requirement updates.
Must Know Information
You are expected to meet the requirements as they are stated—no more and no less. You must do exactly what is stated in the requirements. If it says “show or demonstrate,” that is what you must do. Just telling about it isn’t enough. The same thing holds true for such words as “make,” “list,” “in the field,” and “collect,” “identify,” and “label.”
Use the links to the right to access the current and official requirements of Scouting America for merit badges. Each merit Badge pamphlet is also available as a digital download. Occasionally, the requirements will not match those in printed documents because of the timing of their printing schedules.
When requirements change, a Scout that has already started working on a merit badge may fulfill the requirements they started with to earn the badge. They need not start over again with the new pamphlet and revised requirements.
There is no time limit for starting and completing a merit badge, but all work must be completed by the time a Scout turns 18.
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