Defense and national security

Executive Order 14004: Enabling All Qualified Americans To Serve Their Country in Uniform

President: Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Revoked the prior transgender-service restrictions and directed Defense and Homeland Security to permit otherwise qualified transgender people to serve openly under generally applicable standards.

Status: Revoked.

Is Executive Order 14004 still in effect? No. Revoked January 20, 2025; military policy reversed and litigated.

People in different military uniforms stand before open gates, with an aircraft, ship, boots and U.S. flag motifs.
Military service and access, illustrated symbolically; these are not portraits of identified service members or a statement of current eligibility. EO Explained · site-generated editorial illustration · not documentary evidence.

What does Executive Order 14004 do?

Defense and Homeland Security were each given 60 days to issue policies for their services and report on implementation.

Administration position: The order’s findings and policy rationale were the Biden administration’s positions. This guide distinguishes them from implementation records and judicial rulings.
SignedJanuary 25, 2021
Lead officialsDefense and Homeland Security/Coast Guard
Express timingImplementation guidance and presidential report within 60 days

Before and after

Before the order

A 2018 policy restricted accession and service for many people diagnosed with gender dysphoria while allowing some existing service members to continue.

After the order

Defense restored open-service policies effective April 2021. EO 14148 revoked EO 14004, and EO 14183 plus 2025 Defense guidance replaced it with restrictive eligibility and separation rules that became subject to ongoing litigation.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
DefenseIssue open-service policy and record-correction guidanceWithin 60 days
Homeland SecurityApply corresponding Coast Guard policyWithin 60 days
Defense and Homeland SecurityReport implementation progress60 days

What happened next

EO 14004 signed.

Defense announced restored open-service policies, effective April 30.

EO 14148 revoked EO 14004.

EO 14183 directed a new restrictive policy; Defense issued implementing guidance.