How to Fill Out and Submit CAP Form 12: Sections, Documents, and Dues

CAP Form 12 is the adult membership application for the Civil Air Patrol, the volunteer civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. You fill it out to join as a senior member or patron member, then submit it through a local squadron along with identity documents, an FBI fingerprint card, and your wing’s annual dues. The current edition is dated September 2025 and can be downloaded from CAP National Headquarters at gocivilairpatrol.com.¹

Who Can Apply

You must be at least 18 years old to apply as a senior member. The one exception is active-duty military — there is no age minimum for service members.² You also need to be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident with a current Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551). If your permanent-resident status changes for any reason other than becoming a citizen, you lose eligibility.³

If you are lawfully present in the U.S. but do not hold permanent-resident status, you can still apply by requesting a citizenship waiver. The request routes through the wing and region commander to CAP’s Membership Services office (CAP/DP), and you must use the paper Form 12 — the online application is not available for waiver applicants. An approved waiver only covers the period you remain in the United States.³

Section II asks whether you have ever been arrested or charged with a crime. A yes answer requires the date, the charges, a description of what happened, and the outcome. A criminal record does not automatically disqualify you, but the squadron commander reviews the information before deciding whether to forward your application. Disclose everything. An arrest that surfaces on the FBI background check but was left off the form is a much bigger problem than one you reported up front.

Active Member or Patron Member

Form 12 asks you to select a membership type at the top of Section I. The two categories open to new adult applicants involve very different levels of participation.

An active member attends regular meetings, holds a duty assignment, completes training, wears the CAP uniform, and can compete for grade advancement. This is the traditional volunteer role.

A patron member is a financial supporter. Patron members receive a membership card, subscriber discounts, and invitations to conferences and social events, but cannot wear the uniform, fly in CAP aircraft, or participate in missions. Patron applications use the same Form 12, marked “PATRON MEMBER” in red across the top, and patron applicants are not required to submit a fingerprint card. If you join as a patron and later want to become active, you can transfer, but you will need to submit a fingerprint card at that point and meet all active-member qualifications.³

Find a Squadron First

Before you can complete the form, you need to know which unit you are joining. Section I requires the squadron’s charter number, and your application routes through that unit’s commander. Use the unit locator at gocivilairpatrol.com to find squadrons near you.⁴ Visit a meeting or two before applying. Squadrons vary in focus — some emphasize search-and-rescue flying, others cadet programs or ground-based emergency services — and the commander’s willingness to endorse your application often follows from having met you.

Filling Out the Form Section by Section

Form 12 runs two pages with four sections.¹

Section I — Applicant Information

This section collects your legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, gender, home and cell phone numbers, email, and mailing address. Use the name exactly as it appears on your government-issued ID. Mismatches between the form and your documents are among the most common reasons applications get sent back. You also enter the charter number of the squadron you are joining, your employer and job title, race and ethnicity, and how you heard about CAP. If a current member recruited you, include their name and CAP ID.

Section II — Membership Eligibility

Section II covers citizenship status, criminal background, military service, and any prior CAP membership. For citizenship, indicate whether you are a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident with Form I-551. The criminal-background block asks for details on every arrest or charge, not just convictions. If you served in the military, list each branch, your highest grade, discharge date, and discharge type. Former or current CAP members disclose that history here as well.

Section III — Authorization and Oath

Your signature in Section III authorizes CAP and the FBI to conduct a background check, consents to CAP’s drug-free policy, and administers the CAP oath of membership. Read the authorization language carefully before signing. It permits CAP to obtain background information from any source and to share your records within the organization. Sign and date at the bottom of the section.

Section IV — Commander Approval

You do not fill out Section IV. The squadron commander (or a designated representative) certifies here that they reviewed your application, personally examined your identity documents, and briefed you on CAP’s core values, ethics, safety requirements, and the Cadet Protection Program. The commander also records whether a membership review board interviewed you and whether the First Talk Guide was used. Their signature is the local endorsement that must be in place before the package moves to National Headquarters.

Identity Documents to Bring

The commander has to personally examine proof of your identity before signing off. Acceptable documents follow the same structure as the federal I-9, organized into three columns.³

One document from Column A is enough on its own. Column A includes a U.S. passport or passport card, a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), or certain foreign passports with valid immigration stamps or employment authorization documents.

Without a Column A document, you present one item from Column B and one from Column C. Column B is photo ID: a state driver’s license, a government-issued ID card, a military ID, or a photo school ID, among others. Column C establishes citizenship or work authorization: a Social Security card, an original or certified birth certificate with an official seal, a Certification of Birth Abroad (Form FS-545), or a U.S. Citizen ID Card (Form I-197).³

Bring originals. Photocopies alone do not satisfy the inspection requirement.

FBI Fingerprint Card

Every active senior member applicant submits an FBI Form FD-258 fingerprint card with Form 12. Your squadron can usually provide the blank card and help you complete it on site.⁵ The card must be printed or typed in blue or black ink with all required fields filled in, including the ORI (Originating Agency Identifier) code, your date and place of birth, and the reason fingerprinted. Missing fields can cause the FBI to reject the card without processing it.⁶ Patron members are exempt.

Membership Dues

You pay annual dues when you submit your application, and the amount varies by wing. For FY 2026 (October 2025 through September 2026), senior dues range from $45 in West Virginia to $85 in Maryland, with most wings between $60 and $75. Look up your wing’s amount on the membership dues page at gocivilairpatrol.com.⁷ Payment is typically by check or money order payable to Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters; some wings accept online payment. A wrong amount or a missing payment gets the whole application returned.

How the Application Is Submitted

You do not mail Form 12 yourself. The submission moves in three steps.

First, you meet with the squadron commander. Bring your completed Form 12, your original identity documents, and your fingerprint card. The commander reviews the application, examines your ID, and may convene a membership review board to interview you. All prospective members applying to a local unit must meet the membership board before the commander approves the application.³

Second, if the commander recommends you for membership, they sign and date Section IV and certify that all required briefings were completed and your identity verified.

Third, the squadron forwards your Form 12, fingerprint card, and dues payment to CAP National Headquarters at CAP/DP, 105 South Hansell Street, Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6332.³

If the commander declines to recommend you, whether because of the criminal-history disclosures, the interview, or other concerns, the application does not move forward. The commander’s endorsement is a real gate, which is another reason to spend time at the squadron before applying.

After You Submit

Once National Headquarters receives the package, the FBI background check begins. CAP’s Member Services office asks applicants to allow at least 14 business days for processing.⁸ If the check clears and everything on your application holds up, you are issued a CAP identification number (CAPID) that gives you access to eServices, the online portal for training records, personnel management, and unit communications.

If the background check reveals disqualifying information, the application is denied and the applicant is unable to join.⁹ CAP publishes a guide to membership termination appeal hearings, but that process is for existing members whose membership is terminated for cause and is not the same as appealing an initial application denial.¹⁰

What Comes After Your CAPID

Getting a CAPID is the start of the training track, not the end of joining. New active senior members complete Level 1 Orientation, which combines online modules with required in-person discussions with an assigned mentor covering core values, the Cadet Protection Program, safety, customs and courtesies, the uniform, organizational structure, and grade requirements. Several of those lessons require face-to-face discussion, not just an online quiz.¹¹ Cadet Protection Training is moving from a 48-month renewal cycle to an annual requirement, meaning you retake it every 12 months from the date you last completed the course.¹²

Active senior members are also required to procure and maintain the minimum uniform outlined in CAP Regulation 39-1.¹³ The regulation does not set a hard deadline, but your commander will monitor compliance, so plan to have the basics within your first few meetings.

1
Civil Air Patrol. Civil Air Patrol Adult Membership Application
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Civil Air Patrol. Senior Membership
3
Civil Air Patrol. CAP Regulation 39-2 – Civil Air Patrol Membership
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Civil Air Patrol. Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters
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Civil Air Patrol. How to Join
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Federal Bureau of Investigation. FBI Standard Fingerprint Form FD-258
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Civil Air Patrol. Membership Dues
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Civil Air Patrol. Member and Personnel Actions
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Civil Air Patrol. FAQ
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Civil Air Patrol. The CAP Guide To Membership Termination Appeal Hearings
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Civil Air Patrol. Level 1 Orientation Mentor Guide
12
Civil Air Patrol. Cadet Protection Training
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Civil Air Patrol. CAPR 39-1, Civil Air Patrol Uniform Regulation