---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 657"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "657"
heading: "Prohibition on service in the armed forces by individuals convicted of certain sexual offenses"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/657"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 37 — General Service Requirements"
---

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

- (a) **Prohibition on Commissioning or Enlistment.—** A [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) who has been convicted of an offense specified in [subsection (b)](#b) under Federal or [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4) law may not be processed for commissioning or permitted to enlist in the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4).
- (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)](#b-1) through [(3)](#b-3), as punishable under applicable Federal or [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4) law.

## Source credit

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