These requirements became effective on January 1, 2010.
These requirements appear in the official Boy
Scout Handbook, 12th Edition, which was issued in 2009,
but did not take effect until January 1, 2010.
If a Scout started work toward a rank before that date using requirements
that were current before January 1, 2010,
he may complete that rank only using the old requirements.
Any progress toward a rank that is begun after January 1, 2010, must use the
requirements as they are presented
in the Boy Scout Handbook (34622) or in Boy Scout Requirements book (34765)
To see the requirements with the changes highlighted, Click here.
To see the previous requirements, Click here.
To see the current requirements, Click here.
- Be active in your troop, team, crew, or ship for a period of at least 6 months after you have achieved the rank of Life Scout.
- Demonstrate that you live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life. List the names of individuals who know you personally and would be willing to provide a recommendation on your behalf, including parents/guardians, religious, educational, and employer references.
- Earn a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than you already have), including the following:
- While a Life Scout, serve actively for a period of 6 months in one or
more of the following positions of responsibility:
Boy Scout troop. - Patrol leader,
- assistant senior patrol leader,
- senior patrol leader,
- Venture patrol leader,
- troop guide,
- Order of the Arrow troop representative,
- den chief,
- scribe,
- librarian,
- historian,
- quartermaster,
- junior assistant Scoutmaster,
- chaplain aide,
- instructor,
- Webmaster, or
- Leave No Trace trainer
Varsity Scout team. - Captain,
- cocaptain,
- program manager,
- squad leader,
- team secretary,
- Order of the Arrow team representative,
- librarian,
- historian
- quartermaster,
- chaplain aide,
- instructor, or
- den chief.
- Webmaster, or
- Leave No Trace trainer
Venturing crew / Sea Scout ship. - President,
- vice president,
- secretary,
- treasurer,
- quartermaster
- historian
- den chief,
- guide
- boatswain,
- boatswain's mate,
- yeoman,
- purser,
- storekeeper
- Webmaster, or
- Leave No Trace trainer
- While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. (The project should benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.) The project plan must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your Scoutmaster and troop committee and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook, No. 512-927, in meeting this requirement.
- Take part in a Scoutmaster conference.
- Successfully complete an Eagle Scout board of review.
* You must choose only one merit badge listed in items (g) and (j). If you have earned more than one of the badges listed in items (g) and (j), choose one and list the remaining badges to make your total of 21.
Note: All requirements must be completed before a candidate's 18th birthday, however the Eagle Scout board of review can be held after the candidate's 18th birthday. For more information, see Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures, publication No. 33088.
If you have a permanent physical or mental disability, you may become an Eagle Scout by qualifying for as many required merit badges as you can and qualifying for alternative merit badges for the rest. If you seek to become an Eagle Scout under this procedure, you must submit a special application to your local council service center. Your application must be approved by your council advancement committee before you can work on alternative merit badges.
The Alternate requirements are also listed in more detail under Eagle Scout Rank - Alternate Requirements in the current Boy Scout Requirements book. (No. 34765).
The Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook
(#512-927)
and the Eagle Scout Application (#512-728) are available from BSA in PDF format.
The forms can be filled in on-line and saved locally.
These can be used by Scouts in lieu of the printed forms.
Click here for the
application.
Click here
for the workbook.
VENTURERS and SEA SCOUTS
The requirements above are those for boys enrolled in the Boy Scout Division as members of Boy Scout Troops (including Venture Patrols within Troops) or Varsity Scout Teams. The following requirements apply to boys registered in the Venturing Program including Sea Scouts.
- Any male Venturer who has achieved the First Class rank as a Boy Scout in a troop or Varsity Scout in a team may continue advancement toward Star, Life and Eagle Scout ranks up to his 18th birthday.
- He must meet the requirements as prescribed in the official Boy Scout Handbook and the current Boy Scout Requirements book.
- The Venturer may fulfill leadership requirements by serving as president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer of his crew, or as boatswain, boatswain's mate, yeoman, purser, or storekeeper for his ship.
- The Scoutmaster conference will be conducted by the Advisor or Skipper.
- A board of review will be conducted by the crew or ship committee.
LONE SCOUTS
For requirement 4, a Lone Scout meets the requirement by showing proof of leadership responsibility in his school, religious organization, club, or elsewhere in his community
