Title MVC, California Mil. & Vet. Code

During the absence of organizations of the National Guard in the service of the United States, their State or Federal designations shall not be given to new organizations. (Enacted by Stats. 1935, Ch. 389.)

For all purposes under this code, commissioned officers, warrant officers and enlisted persons of the California National Guard, California Air National Guard, and California National Guard Reserve who have heretofore or hereafter performed service in the United States Army, Unit…

Former members of the National Guard who have been honorably discharged for “expiration of term of service” or on account of “removal” and have returned to the limits of their commands, and officers who have resigned or have been honorably discharged, or whose terms have expired,…

The California National Guard shall inform its members that it will assist noncitizen members in acquiring United States citizenship as soon as they are eligible. If a noncitizen member requests such assistance, then the California National Guard shall assist the member in filing…

All officers shall be commissioned by the Governor. All appointments of officers shall be made and all vacancies shall be filled in the manner provided by the laws and regulations of the United States Army and United States Air Force. (Amended by Stats. 1963, Ch. 117.)

All officers duly commissioned shall take the oath of office prescribed by the laws of the United States relating to the appointment and recognition of federally recognized officers of the National Guard and in addition thereto any other oath prescribed by law, and file or be cov…

Persons to be commissioned in the National Guard shall be selected from those eligible for federal recognition in accordance with Army and Air National Guard Regulations promulgated from time to time by the Department of the Army or the Department of the Air Force of the United S…

All officers, warrant officers, and enlisted persons of the militia and all persons on duty with the militia shall give any bonds and security as may be required and within the time prescribed by the Adjutant General to secure the state against loss on account of misuse or misapp…

Rank: How Determined. All officers of the National Guard shall take rank according to the date assigned them by their commissions, which date shall be that of their appointment, except that in the case of an officer who has previously held the same or a higher grade in the Califo…

Warrant officers of the National Guard shall be appointed by the Governor. The classes of persons from which warrant officers may be appointed shall be the same as are provided in the rules and regulations adopted by the United States for the control, administration and governmen…

Every officer shall provide himself with the arms, uniforms, and equipment prescribed and approved by the Governor. (Amended by Stats. 1963, Ch. 120.)

When an officer of the National Guard is sixty-four years of age, he shall be retired from active service and placed on the retired list. (Enacted by Stats. 1935, Ch. 389.)

(a) A commissioned or warrant officer of the California National Guard who has served 20 years in the active service of the state may, on application, in the discretion of the Governor, be retired. Service in the United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Navy, or…

When a board of officers finds that an officer is incapacitated for active service, and that their incapacity is the result of an incident of the service, and its decision is approved by the Governor, the officer shall be retired from active service and placed on the retired list…

The Governor may detail, with their own consent, officers or noncommissioned officers of the retired list to active duty and return them to the retired list in their discretion. Officers or noncommissioned officers retired for age may not be detailed to command troops, but only t…

The provisions of sections 232 to 237, inclusive, shall apply with equal force to commissioned officers of the National Guard and the unorganized militia when called into active service. (Enacted by Stats. 1935, Ch. 389.)

The commission of an officer shall be vacated by death, by acceptance by proper authority of resignation, by discharge on account of inefficiency, for physical disqualifications, when dropped from the rolls for an absence without leave for three months, by discharge to accept a c…

An officer who resides outside this state shall be permitted to transfer to the National Guard of any other state or territory or to the United States Army Reserve, the United States Air Force Reserve, or another federal military reserve component, in accordance with federal law,…

An officer who desires to resign shall submit their resignation to the Governor, whose action thereon shall be final. The Governor may refuse to accept a resignation when the officer is under investigation, under charges, awaiting the result of a trial, absent without leave, abse…

At any time the moral character, capacity, and general fitness for service of an officer may be determined by an efficiency board. The board shall be appointed by order of the Governor, and shall consist of three commissioned officers, senior in rank to the officer under investig…

At any time the physical fitness for service of an officer may be determined by a board of three medical officers, which shall be appointed by the Governor for that purpose. The findings and recommendations of the board shall be transmitted to the Governor. If the officer is foun…

An officer absent without leave for a period of three months shall, with the approval of the Governor, be discharged. Such discharge shall be a general discharge under honorable conditions. (Amended by Stats. 1953, Ch. 193.)

An officer may be dismissed from the service only by sentence of a general court-martial, which sentence is approved by the Governor. (Enacted by Stats. 1935, Ch. 389.)

No officer who has been dismissed from the military or naval service of the State shall be permitted again to enter the military or naval service of the State without the approval of the Governor of this State. No officer who has resigned for the good of the service, or who has b…

The Governor may assign, reassign, or transfer commissioned officers and warrant officers from one organization to another or to the retired or the reserve list when deemed for the benefit of the California National Guard. The Governor may direct the Adjutant General to take any …

(a) A person is not eligible to commission as an officer or warrant officer in the California National Guard if they actively participate in any of the following: (1) Advocating for, or engaging in, the use of unlawful force, unlawful violence, or other illegal means to deprive a…

The qualifications for enlistment and re-enlistment in the National Guard and the term and the form of oath shall at all times conform to the requirements of the laws of the United States and of this State and the regulations from time to time promulgated by the Department of the…

Every person who enlists or reenlists shall sign the enlistment papers and take the oath required by the laws and regulations of this State and of the United States. Such oath shall be taken before any military or naval officer authorized to administer oaths by the regulations or…

Appointments of noncommissioned and petty officers shall conform to the tables of organization and to the rules and regulations prescribed by the United States for the government and administration of the National Guard. All noncommissioned and petty officers shall be appointed b…

Privates, privates first class and noncommissioned officers shall be appointed within authorized allotments and pursuant to the rules and regulations prescribed by the United States for the government and administration of the National Guard. (Amended by Stats. 1952, 1st Ex. Sess…

Enlisted persons may be transferred to or from organizations or units. Noncommissioned officers may be reduced one or more grades upon good cause appearing therefor. In transferring or reducing an enlisted person or noncommissioned officer the procedure laid down in regulations f…

Every enlisted person who enters the National Guard or who is a member of the unorganized militia when called into the service of the state, may be provided by the state with a service or dress uniform, or both, corresponding in make and general appearance to the service or dress…

(a) An enlisted member of the California National Guard who has served 20 years in the active service of the state may, on application, in the discretion of the Governor, be retired. Service in the United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Navy, or any reserve co…

When an enlisted person of the National Guard is 64 years of age, they shall be retired from active service or discharged. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 67, Sec. 136. (AB 1170) Effective January 1, 2026.)

In time of war or other emergency or imminent danger thereof, the Governor may detail retired enlisted persons to active duty and on conclusion of the emergency return them to the retired list. (Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 118, Sec. 12. (SB 1501) Effective January 1, 2019.)

Separation from service of an enlisted person of the National Guard or the unorganized militia called into active service is effected by death or by discharge by proper authority. (Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 118, Sec. 13. (SB 1501) Effective January 1, 2019.)

The following are causes for discharge of enlisted personnel: (a) Expiration of term of service. (b) Attainment of the age of 64 years. (c) Acceptance of appointment as a commissioned officer in the state or federal service. (d) To enlist in the United States Army, Navy, Marine C…

(a) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the discharge of enlisted personnel under the provisions of Section 260 shall be effected by order of the Governor, under those regulations as may be prescribed, or as may be authorized by the laws and regulations prescribed for the …

An enlisted person discharged from the National Guard or the unorganized militia when called or ordered into active service of the state shall receive a discharge in writing in a form and with those qualifications as may be prescribed under the laws and regulations prescribed for…

When an enlisted person of the National Guard or the unorganized militia called into active service is absent without leave and there is reason to believe that the enlisted person does not intend to return, or quits their organization or place of duty with the intent to avoid haz…

With the express authority of the Governor, a deserter may be dropped from the rolls of his organization. Any soldier discovered to be a deserter from the military or naval service of the United States shall, if not under charges, be dropped from the rolls. (Enacted by Stats. 193…

Lists of deserters shall be published by The Adjutant General in orders, from time to time as the Governor directs. (Enacted by Stats. 1935, Ch. 389.)

An enlisted person who has been dropped as a deserter shall not be restored to duty without prior disposition of the charge of desertion standing against them. The charge shall be disposed of by trial by court-martial; by restoration to duty, desertion admitted, upon a written ap…

A deserter shall not be restored to duty without trial except by the Governor or by an officer authorized to appoint a general court-martial. Restoration to duty without trial shall not remove the charge of desertion or relieve the enlisted person from any of the forfeitures atta…

All time lost while absent without leave or in desertion, in excess of twenty-four hours, shall be made good unless the enlisted person is sooner discharged by proper authority. (Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 118, Sec. 18. (SB 1501) Effective January 1, 2019.)

No enlisted person who has been dishonorably discharged from the military or naval service of this state, or of another state, territory or district, or of the United States shall be permitted to enter again the military or naval service of this state without the approval of the …