When there are two dates in the "Pamphlet Copyright Date / Revision Date" column, there has been a revision since the copyright date. These dates (Copyright and/or Revision) frequently do NOT correspond to the date of the latest revision to the requirements for the Merit Badge. (The date is the date the CONTENT of the pamphlet was last updated.)
In the past, BSA used a number of techniques for identifying the most current edition of these books. The following descriptions all identify books which were last updated in 1985:
- © 1969 - Revised in 1985
- 1985 Edition
- 1990 printing of the 1985 Edition
- 2nd 1998 printing of the 1985 Revision
- 1985 Revision
In recent years, like BSA does for other publications, when the content has been updated, the stock number has been changed from 33123 to 33123A, 33123B, etc. If the stock number has changed, you should use the newer book, regardless of the dates listed below. Note that an initial letter is used in the catalog to designate which edition of the catalog is being used (C in 2005, D in 2006, etc.).
If you find a pamphlet with a later publication or copyright date or a newer stock number than what we have listed below, please write us, with the Merit Badge name, BSA stock number (e.g.. 33999A, 33999B, etc.) and the exact wording of the revision description (as described above - (e.g. ©1999, 1999 Revision, 2nd 1999 printing of the 1985 Revision, etc.). If the booklet also has revised requirements, a copy of those requirements would also be appreciated so we can update this site.
The REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL MERIT BADGES posted on this system are current as of January 1, 2006. If you are starting a Merit Badge, use these, rather than those in the Merit Badge Pamphlet, when they differ.
Many Merit Badge pamphlets are in the process of being rewritten, with the original goal of updating all of them within 4-5 years (a rate of around 25 per year). Since Jan. 1, 2000, all but eight of the merit badges have had new or revised requirements implemented, and all but four of the pamphlets have been rewritten and new editions issued.
As new pamphlets are issued, when they contain new requirements, Scouts will have the option of starting with the new requirements as soon as the pamphlets are issued, or they may start work using the old requirements until the next edition of Boy Scout Requirements is issued. If a Scout starts work after the next edition of Boy Scout Requirements is issued, he must use the new requirements. In any case, once a boy starts with a set of requirements he can continue using them until he completes the badge or turns 18. This is stated in the on-line Merit Badge Counselor Training on BSA's web site. If he started using the old requirements, he also has the option of switching to the new requirements (which may in fact mean starting over in some cases). So long as he meets all of the requirements (either old or new) he can earn the badge. However, he can't use, for example, old requirements 1, 3, and 5 and new requirements 2, 4, and 6-8.
The Requirements Revision Dates in the tables below usually reflect the year the revisions first appear in Boy Scout Requirements, unless a special announcement is made by BSA, such as was done with Personal Fitness Merit Badge in 1999.
To our knowledge, there is NOWHERE on the web where you can find complete copies of any of the 120 merit badge pamphlets published by BSA. The contents of those pamphlets are copyright by BSA, they use the proceeds from the sale of the pamphlets to defray the cost of revising them periodically, and the sheer size of the files needed to have those available on line would probably be prohibitive.
Note that Music and Bugling, while separate Merit Badges, with separate requirements, are covered in one pamphlet -- Music and Bugling.
Dates in Bold RED Italic in the tables below are changes in the 2007 edition of Boy Scout Requirements (33215B). Dates in GREEN denote a new or revised pamphlet issued during 2007 after the release of Boy Scout Requirements, or revised requirements that have not yet appeared in Boy Scout Requirements, but which have appeared in the most recent edition of the appropriate merit badge pamphlet. Publication Dates in Fuchsia indicate a new pamphlet has been announced but I haven't gotten it yet.
| MERIT BADGE
Pamphlet Stock Numbers and Revision Dates and Merit Badge Requirements Revision Dates |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSA ID number | Merit Badge Name | Pamphlet Stock Number |
Pamphlet Copyright Date / Revision Date |
BSA Listed Pamphlet Revision Date |
Requirements Revision Date |
| Boy Scout Requirements | 33215 | 2007 | |||
| 15 | American Business | 33325A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 17 | American Cultures | 33399A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 16 | American Heritage | 33398A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 121 | American Labor | 33326A | 2006 | 2006 | 2006 |
| 18 | Animal Science | 33395B | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 132 | Archaeology | 35000A | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 19 | Archery | 33259A | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 20 | Architecture | 33304A | 2004 | 2004 | 1995 |
| 21 | Art | 33320B | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 22 | Astronomy | 33303A | 2004 | 2004 | 2006 |
| 23 | Athletics | 33324A | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 127 | Auto Mechanics | 33241A | 2000 | 2000 | 2001 |
| 25 | Aviation | 33293B | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 26 | Backpacking | 33232C | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 27 | Basketry | 33313A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 29 | Bird Study | 33300B | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 32 |
Bugling (Music and Bugling Pamphlet) |
33341A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 1 | Camping (Eagle) | 33256B | 2005 | 2005 | 2007 |
| 32 | Canoeing | 33305B | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 33 | Chemistry | 33382A | 2004 | 2004 | 2006 |
| 126 | Cinematography | 33238A | 2001 | 2001 | 2002 |
| 2 | Citizenship in the Community (Eagle) | 33249A | 2005 | 2005 | 2005 |
| 3 | Citizenship in the Nation (Eagle) | 33248A | 2005 | 2005 | 2005 |
| 4 | Citizenship in the World (Eagle) | 33260A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 133 | Climbing | 35001B | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 35 | Coin Collecting | 33390A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 128 | Collections | 33242B | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 5 | Communications (Eagle) | 33258B | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 137 | Composite Materials | 33252 | 2006 | 2006 | 2006 |
| 36 | Computers | 33246A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 38 | Cooking | 33349B | 2007 | 2007 | 2007 |
| 131 | Crime Prevention | 33400A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 39 | Cycling (Eagle) | 33226A | 2003 | 2003 | 2005 |
| 40 | Dentistry | 33394C | 2002 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 60 | Disabilities Awareness | 33370A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 41 | Dog Care | 33289A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 42 | Drafting | 33262 | 1993 | 1993 | 1993 |
| 43 | Electricity | 33408B | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 44 | Electronics | 35003A | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 6 | Emergency Preparedness (Eagle) | 33368B | 2003 | 2003 | 2005 |
| 45 | Energy | 33335A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 46 | Engineering | 33376A | 2000 | 2000 | 2001 |
| 134 | Entrepreneurship | 35008A | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 7 | Environmental Science (Eagle) | 33363B | 2006 | 2006 | 2006 |
| 129 | Family Life (Eagle) | 33243A | 2005 | 2005 | 2005 |
| 48 | Farm Mechanics | 33346B | 1997 | 1997 | 1998 |
| 49 | Fingerprinting | 33287A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 50 | Fire Safety | 33318A | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 8 | First Aid (Eagle) | 33301B | 2002 | 2002 | 2005 |
| 51 | Fish and Wildlife Management | 33307A | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 52 | Fishing | 33231A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 136 | Fly Fishing | 33283 | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 54 | Forestry | 33302A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 55 | Gardening | 33240A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 56 | Genealogy | 33383A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 58 | Geology | 33284A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 59 | Golf | 33397A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 122 | Graphic Arts | 33374B | 2006 | 2006 | 2006 |
| 61 | Hiking (Eagle) | 33407D | 2007 | 2001 | 2000 |
| 62 | Home Repairs | 33247A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 63 | Horsemanship | 33298A | 2003 | 2004 | 2004 |
| 64 | Indian Lore | 33360A | 2003 | 2003 | 1995 |
| 65 | Insect Study | 33353A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 66 | Journalism | 33350B | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 67 | Landscape Architecture | 33355A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 68 | Law | 33389A | 2003 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 69 | Leatherwork | 33310A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 9 | Lifesaving (Eagle) | 33297B | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 |
| 71 | Mammal Study | 33271A | 2003 | 2003 | pre 1979 |
| 130 | Medicine | 33244A | 2002 | 2002 | 2005 |
| 74 | Metalwork | 33312C | 2007 | 2001 | 2007 |
| 75 | Model Design and Building | 33280A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 76 | Motorboating | 33345 | 1992 / 1997 | 1992 | 1998 |
| 77 |
Music (Music and Bugling Pamphlet) |
33341A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 78 | Nature | 33285A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 24 | Nuclear Science | 33275A | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 79 | Oceanography | 33306A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 80 | Orienteering | 33385A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 81 | Painting | 33372A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 10 | Personal Fitness (Eagle) | 33286B | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 11 | Personal Management (Eagle) | 35002A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 82 | Pets | 33281A | 2003 | 2005 | 1995 |
| 83 | Photography | 33340A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 84 | Pioneering | 33377A | 2006 | 2006 | 2006 |
| 85 | Plant Science | 33396A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 86 | Plumbing | 33386B | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 87 | Pottery | 33314A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 89 | Public Health | 33233A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 90 | Public Speaking | 33373A | 2002 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 91 | Pulp & Paper | 33343A | 2006 | 2006 | 2006 |
| 93 | Radio | 33361A | 2001 | 2001 | 2002 |
| 94 | Railroading | 33292A | 2003 | 2003 | 2005 |
| 95 | Reading | 33378A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 96 | Reptile and Amphibian Study | 33288A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 123 | Rifle Shooting | 33330A | 2001 | 2001 | 2002 |
| 98 | Rowing | 33404B | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 12 | Safety | 33347B | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 99 | Salesmanship | 33351A | 2003 | 2003 | 2003 |
| 100 | Scholarship | 33384A | 2004 | 2004 | 2006 |
| 101 | Sculpture | 33322B | 2007 | 2002 | 2007 |
| 124 | Shotgun Shooting | 33331A | 2005 | 2005 | 2007 |
| 103 | Skating | 35006B | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 105 | Small Boat Sailing | 33356A | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 135 | Snow Sports | 33365B | 2007 | 2007 | 2007 |
| 106 | Soil and Water Conservation | 33291A | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 107 | Space Exploration | 33354A | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 13 | Sports | 35007A | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 108 | Stamp Collecting | 33296C | 2007 | 2007 | 2007 |
| 109 | Surveying | 33327A | 2004 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 14 | Swimming (Eagle) | 33352D | 2002 | 2002 | 2002 |
| 110 | Textile | 33344A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
| 111 | Theater | 33328B | 2005 | 2005 | 2005 |
| 112 | Traffic Safety | 33391B | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 113 | Truck Transportation | 33371A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 114 | Veterinary Medicine | 35004A | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 115 | Waterskiing | 33348A | 1999 | 1999 | 1999 |
| 116 | Weather | 33274B | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 125 | Whitewater | 33405B | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 117 | Wilderness Survival | 33265A | 2001 | 2001 | 2002 |
| 118 | Wood Carving | 33309B | 2006 | 2006 | 2002 |
| 119 | Woodwork | 33316A | 2003 | 2003 | 2004 |
The following listing shows the Merit Badge Pamphlet and Requirements Revision Dates listed above, sorted by Date. Where Pamphlet Publication Dates below are shown in Fuchsia, it means that a new book is listed in Boy Scout Requirements 2007, but has not yet been released. In such a case, the current pamphlet publication date is also listed lower in the table.
