Military Time Uses Four Digits With No Colon
The Colon
Rulebase Summary
When times are expressed in military format, use four digits with no colon or other punctuation. Military time uses a continuous four-digit number (e.g., 0400, 1445, 2310) rather than the civilian hour:minutes format.
BGGP Colon.8 · p.134
Examples
✗
A. The call came in at 14:30 hours.
✓
A. The call came in at 1430 hours.
Military time — no colon between digits.
✗
A. We arrived on scene at 02:15.
✓
A. We arrived on scene at 0215.
Four continuous digits for military time.
Transcript Notes
Military and law enforcement witnesses frequently use this format. Do not insert a colon between the hours and minutes when the speaker uses military time.
Style Guide References (1)
BGGP
Colon.8
Page 134