Us Code § 657 - Prohibition on service in the armed forces by individuals convicted of certain sexual offenses

Full text of Us Code United States Code § 657 — Prohibition on service in the armed forces by individuals convicted of certain sexual offenses, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 657. Prohibition on service in the armed forces by individuals convicted of certain sexual offenses

(a) Prohibition on Commissioning or Enlistment.—A person who has been convicted of an offense specified in subsection (b) under Federal or State law may not be processed for commissioning or permitted to enlist in the armed forces.

(b) Covered Offenses.—An offense specified in this subsection is any felony offense as follows:

(1) Rape or sexual assault.

(2) Forcible sodomy.

(3) Incest.

(4) An attempt to commit an offense specified in paragraph (1) through (3), as punishable under applicable Federal or State law.

(Added Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title XVII, §1711(a)(1), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 962.)

CHAPTER 38—JOINT OFFICER MANAGEMENT

Sec.
661.
Management policies for joint qualified officers.
662.
Promotion policy objectives for joint officers.
663.
Joint duty assignments after completion of joint professional military education.
664.
Length of joint duty assignments.
665.
Procedures for monitoring careers of joint qualified officers.
666.
Reserve officers not on the active-duty list.
[667.
Repealed.]
668.
Definitions.

        

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2014—Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title V, §505(b), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3356, struck out item 667 "Annual report to Congress".

2008—Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title V, §522(a)(3), (c)(3), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4445, added items 661 and 665 and struck out former items 661 "Management policies for officers who are joint qualified" and 665 "Procedures for monitoring careers of joint officers".

2006—Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, §516(e)(2), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2189, substituted "officers who are joint qualified" for "joint specialty officers" in item 661.

2004—Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, §532(c)(2)(B), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1900, substituted "Joint duty assignments after completion of joint professional military education" for "Education" in item 663.

About This Section

10 U.S.C. § 657 is part of Title 10 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.

This section may be cited in legal writing as 10 U.S.C. § 657. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.

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Sources

Source: official Us Code text · Last verified 2026-08-27

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Frequently Asked Questions About Us Code § 657

What does United States Code § 657 cover?

Section 657 ("Prohibition on service in the armed forces by individuals convicted of certain sexual offenses") is part of the United States Code, the codified statutory law of Us Code. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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Is this the official text of Us Code law?

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