What Can You Bring to Marine Boot Camp: Documents, Cash, and Gear

For Marine Corps boot camp, what to bring fits in a small folder and the clothes on your back: a few required documents, one modest civilian outfit, and a short list of permitted personal items. The depot issues uniforms, boots, hygiene supplies, bedding, and your service rifle during initial processing, so packing extras only creates paperwork on your first night.¹ The guiding principle from receiving staff at MCRD San Diego: “If a recruit shows up with nothing, the recruiter is doing his job.”²

Required Documents

This is the category where a mistake actually costs you. Missing paperwork can delay your first military paycheck or your family’s access to benefits. Bring all of the following, and verify each one with your recruiter during the 96-hour window before you ship.²

A government-issued photo ID. As of May 7, 2025, military installations require REAL ID-compliant identification for base access. A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state ID is the simplest option; if yours is not compliant, bring a U.S. passport or passport card instead.³
Your original Social Security card. A photocopy will not do.
Direct deposit information: your bank’s routing number and your account number. Military pay is set up during processing, and without this you could wait weeks for a workaround.
Your recruiter’s business card, in case anything goes sideways during travel.

Paperwork for Dependents and SGLI

If you are married or have children, bring the documents needed to enroll your family in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Without DEERS enrollment, your dependents cannot access military healthcare, and your family separation allowance and housing benefits may be delayed. What you bring depends on the relationship:

Spouse: a marriage certificate.⁴
Biological child: a birth certificate or certificate of live birth.⁴
Adopted child: the birth certificate plus the adoption decree.
Stepchild: the child’s birth certificate plus your marriage certificate to the child’s parent.

You will also designate a beneficiary for Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance during processing. Write down your intended beneficiary’s full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number before you leave home. Getting this wrong creates paperwork that follows you into the fleet.

What to Wear on Arrival

You wear exactly one set of civilian clothes to the depot, and it will be bagged and stored until graduation. Keep it modest and put together: trousers with a belt, a tucked-in shirt, and closed-toe shoes.² No shorts, no sandals, no clothes with holes or stains. Men should wear briefs or boxer briefs rather than loose boxers. Running shoes are a safe footwear choice.

Female recruits should arrive with two supplemental civilian bras in addition to the one they are wearing. The depot exchange has limited inventory, and these bras are authorized for wear during scheduled clothing appointments until full issue is complete.⁵

Personal Items You Can Keep

Beyond documents and the outfit you arrive in, the permitted list is short. Anything valued at $100 or more, including watches and jewelry, must be sent home at your expense, so the general theme is inexpensive and replaceable.⁵

A Small Amount of Cash

You will not spend money during boot camp. Bring enough for travel emergencies and nothing more. The 9th Marine Corps District recommends no more than ten dollars; some recruiters suggest up to twenty.² Whatever you bring goes into your money valuable bag during processing.

Eyeglasses and Prescription

If you wear corrective lenses, bring your glasses and a copy of your prescription. Contact lenses are not authorized during recruit training because the close-quarters living environment spreads eye infections quickly. The Marine Corps will issue you military-prescription glasses during processing, but having your civilian pair on hand means no gap in your vision on day one.

A Plain, Inexpensive Watch

A basic watch without GPS or smart features is permitted, and you will actually use it. A digital watch in the five-to-fifteen dollar range is ideal. Anything worth $100 or more will be sent home.⁵

Religious Items

A small religious text and a religious medallion are generally permitted. Medallions are evaluated case by case under the $100 valuables rule.⁵ Pocket-sized is the practical choice, because footlockers get inspected and anything sentimental risks damage. Chaplains on the depot also provide pocket Bibles and other texts during Sunday services if you would rather not risk your personal copy.

Broken-in Running Shoes (Optional)

You may bring your own running shoes if they are laced, closed-toe, and in good condition. The depot issues a new pair regardless.⁵ If you already have a pair that fits well and has some miles on it, wearing them can reduce your break-in injury risk in early physical training.

Address Book, Stamps, and a Few Photos

A small address book with family mailing addresses, a few postage stamps, and photos of loved ones are commonly permitted. Letters are your main link to home for thirteen weeks, so having addresses ready means you can write as soon as you are allowed.

Prescription Medication and Female-Specific Items

If you take prescription birth control, bring your supply with the prescription label intact. The Marine Corps encourages recruits to continue their method throughout training, whether pills, patches, rings, or injections; long-term methods like IUDs or implants stay in place. Bring enough to last the full training cycle if your insurance allows it, and if your supply runs out, the medical department can issue or transfer a prescription. This information is kept confidential with medical personnel and is not shared with drill instructors or peers.⁶

A small supply of tampons or pads for travel is reasonable, but the depot provides them once you arrive.

What Not to Bring

The simplest rule: if your recruiter did not tell you to bring it, leave it home. The following items cause the most first-night problems, either because each confiscation requires a signed custody receipt or because they are outright prohibited:

Electronics of any kind: cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, gaming devices, cameras, earbuds, and portable music players.²
Weapons of any kind: knives, firearms, brass knuckles, or anything that could be used as one.²
Tobacco products: cigarettes, chewing tobacco, lighters, and vapes.²
Over-the-counter medications: vitamins, supplements, pain relievers, or anything non-prescription.²
Reading material and entertainment: magazines, books, crossword puzzles, and any non-religious media.²
Jewelry, expensive watches, and any personal item worth $100 or more, which will be sent home at your expense. A plain wedding band under the $100 threshold is the common exception.⁵
Extra civilian clothing beyond the outfit you wear.
Food and drinks: nothing perishable, consumable, or breakable is stored with personal effects.⁵
Illegal substances and alcohol. Recruits are drug-tested during processing.

What Happens to Your Belongings on Receiving Night

During receiving, drill instructors inspect everything you brought. Prohibited items go into red bins and are sent to a depot warehouse.² The clothes you wore in go into a civilian clothing bag and are stored until graduation. Permitted personal items under $100 go into your money valuable bag. Items worth $100 or more are shipped home at your expense.⁵ Documents like your ID and Social Security card are secured. The less you bring, the faster you get through this.

1
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. Depot Order 1513.6G Recruit Training Order
2
9th Marine Corps District. What Not to Bring to Bootcamp
3
Marine Corps Community Services. Mandatory REAL ID Base Access
4
CAC.mil. DoD Identity and Eligibility Documentation Requirements
5
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. Depot Order 1513.6H Recruit Training Order
6
Navy Medicine. Information for Recruiters – Contraception for Recruit Training