U.S. Military Eases Enlistment Requirements for People with ADHD

The Department of Defense has removed waiver requirements and lowered treatment hurdles for 51 conditions, including ADHD and dyslexia.

By Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman Verified Updated on December 12, 2024

December 6, 2024

Enlisting in the military just became easier for people with ADHD.

The restrictions on ADHD and other medical conditions historically used to disqualify potential recruits from joining the military have been lifted by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) under its Medical Accession Records Pilot (MARP) program. According to MARP’s new guidelines, people with ADHD and learning disorders, such as dyslexia, can enlist without a waiver if they have not received treatment for the conditions within the past year.

Historically, ADHD disqualified candidates unless they secured a military waiver to allow enlistment, a lengthy, multi-step, and largely imprecise process. Candidates were also required to go without treatment for ADHD for at least three years prior to enlistment.

When the MARP program began in 2022, it listed 38 medical conditions that no longer required waivers for enlistment. Earlier this year, the DOD increased the number to 51. Removing the waiver requirement accelerates the enlistment process and frees up medical evaluators to review candidates with more complex medical histories.

“Nearly 77% of youth between the ages of 17 and 24 need some type of waiver to qualify for military service,” said Dr. Katie Helland, DOD director of military accession policy, at a Pentagon news briefing on October 31. “This is where programs like MARP have been helpful.”

Between July 2022 and August 2024, MARP medically qualified more than 9,900 applicants, 57% of whom ultimately enlisted. According to the DOD, about 60% of those recruits had a history of ADHD.

“ADHD is probably more prevalent in the military than you realize,” said Brandi Walker, Ph.D., in the ADDitude webinar “Can You Join the Military with ADHD? What Hopeful Service Members Need to Know.” In 2018, more than 41,000 active service members had an ADHD diagnosis, according to a study that looked at medical data among service members in a five-year period.¹

Individuals with ADHD should consider several factors before enlisting. “You’ll have to be honest with yourself about your strengths, challenges, and how well you cope with ADHD, especially without medication,” Walker said. “The first step is to conduct lots of research, including learning as much as you can about the military, its enlistment procedures, the service branches and roles within them that appeal to you, and the pros and cons of military life. Even if you’re set on joining, it’s a great idea to set the foundations for success well before applying.”

The pilot program will continue testing the feasibility of permanently changing military accession regulations to make enlistment easier for people with previously disqualifying medical conditions.

“Initial results from the program have been positive,” Helland said.