Signs, Signals, and Codes Merit Badge
Ten requirements, each a code or signal to learn and use: Morse code, American Sign Language and semaphore (each with a six- to 10-word message), braille read and written, sound and silent Scout signals, nautical flags, symbols, traffic signs, map symbols and text symbols, and a secret code of your own. Requirement 7 is a trail of at least a mile laid out on a Scout outing, and requirement 8 is five signals each for THREE of five activities.
Elective Merit Badges Communication Merit Badges Outdoors Requirements
The plan behind this
Messages to send or receive
| requirement | code | what you do |
|---|---|---|
| 3(a) | Morse code | spell your first name; send or receive a message of six to 10 words |
| 3(b) | American Sign Language | spell your first name; send or receive a message of six to 10 words |
| 4(c)(1) | semaphore | spell your first name; send or receive a message of six to 10 words, after 4(a) and 4(b) |
| 5 | braille | by sight or touch, the letters of your name and a message of at least six words; then create a message of at least six words |
| 10 | your own secret code | a message of up to 25 words, shared with a friend or fellow Scout, then with your counselor with the code key |
What needs other people
| requirement | who |
|---|---|
| 6(b) | your patrol or troop, directed with six silent Scout signals |
| 7 | your patrol or troop, on a Scout outing: a trail of at least one mile with at least six different trail signs and markers, which you then replace or return to their original locations following the Leave No Trace Seven Principles and the Outdoor Code |
| 9(c) | your parent, guardian or counselor, who sees if they can identify your 10 text symbols |
Requirement 8: THREE of five
Five signals each, with what they mean and why they are used, for three of: (a) a sports official's hand signs or signals, (b) a heavy-equipment operator's hand signals, (c) aircraft carrier catapult crew signals, (d) cyclist's hand signals, or (e) an activity selected by you and your counselor.
What this page is
The Signs, Signals, and Codes merit badge, drawn so each code, signal and symbol set is its own step, with requirement 8 drawn as a question, 4(c) drawn after 4(a) and 4(b), and the trail and patrol signals that need other Scouts marked. It is not a copy of the requirements: each step is a short label with a link to the official requirements, which are what actually governs and which change from year to year. The free official pamphlet is the fuller guide.
Sources for this page
- Signs, Signals, and Codes Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-31 · The requirements themselves, and the free official pamphlet linked from them.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.0.3 · The process every merit badge is earned through, which this page does not repeat.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.4.3 · Which version of a changed requirement applies to a Scout who has already started.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 4.0.0.1 · Why the requirements are not in the Guide to Advancement and are expected to change annually.
Last checked against its sources on .