10 USC § 626 - Acceptance of promotions; oath of office

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s626"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 626 - Acceptance of promotions; oath of office"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "626"
section_name: "Acceptance of promotions; oath of office"
chapter_number: 36
chapter_name: "PROMOTION, SEPARATION, AND INVOLUNTARY RETIREMENT OF OFFICERS ON THE ACTIVE-DUTY LIST"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "PROMOTIONS"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "PERSONNEL"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 96–513, title I, § 105, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2858.)"
---


# § 626. Acceptance of promotions; oath of office

**(a)** An officer who is appointed to a higher grade under section 624 of this title is considered to have accepted such appointment on the date on which the appointment is made unless he expressly declines the appointment.

**(b)** An officer who has served continuously since he subscribed to the oath of office prescribed in section 3331 of title 5 is not required to take a new oath upon appointment to a higher grade under section 624 of this title.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 96–513, title I, § 105, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2858.)

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective , but the authority to prescribe regulations under this section effective on , see , set out as an Effective Date of 1980 Amendment note under .