How-to
How to Convert Military Time to Standard Time (and Back)
Convert military time to standard time and back with 4 simple rules, the subtract-1200 shortcut, seconds, Excel formulas, common mistakes and 10 practice problems.
By Free Military Time Calculator Team · · Updated
To convert military time to standard time, subtract 12 from hours 13 to 23 and add PM; to convert standard time to military time, add 12 to PM hours and write 4 digits. Two special cases cover the 12 o’clock hours: 12 AM becomes 00 and 12 PM stays 12.
Military Time to Standard Time
Insert a colon after the first two digits, then apply the rule for the hour:
| Military hour | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | Change to 12, add AM | 0045 → 12:45 AM |
| 01–11 | Drop the leading zero, add AM | 0930 → 9:30 AM |
| 12 | Keep 12, add PM | 1215 → 12:15 PM |
| 13–23 | Subtract 12, add PM | 2245 → 10:45 PM |
If the first two digits are greater than 12, the time is always PM.
Standard Time to Military Time
Remove the colon and write 4 digits:
| Standard time | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00–12:59 AM | Replace 12 with 00 | 12:30 AM → 0030 |
| 1:00–9:59 AM | Add a leading zero | 7:45 AM → 0745 |
| 10:00–11:59 AM | Keep the hour | 11:10 AM → 1110 |
| 12:00–12:59 PM | Keep 12 | 12:20 PM → 1220 |
| 1:00–11:59 PM | Add 12 | 6:30 PM → 1830 |
The 1200 Shortcut
Treat the 4 digits as one number for PM times only:
- Military to standard: subtract 1200 from any time above 1259. 1645 − 1200 = 445 → 4:45 PM.
- Standard to military: add 1200 to any PM time from 1:00 to 11:59. 4:45 PM → 445 + 1200 = 1645.
The shortcut does not apply to the 12 o’clock hours: 1230 is 12:30 PM, not 0:30 PM.
Converting Times With Seconds
Seconds never change. 13:17:42 is 1:17:42 PM, written 1317:42 in military style. Convert only the hour.
Converting in Excel and Google Sheets
| Direction | Formula (time in cell A2) |
|---|---|
| 1830 (number) → 6:30 PM | =TEXT(TIMEVALUE(TEXT(A2,"00\:00")),"h:mm AM/PM") |
| 6:30 PM (time) → 1830 | =TEXT(A2,"hhmm") |
5 Common Mistakes
- Writing 12 AM as 1200. Midnight is 0000; noon is 1200.
- Dropping the leading zero. 0800 is military time; 800 is not.
- Adding 12 to 12 PM. 12:30 PM is 1230, not 2430.
- Changing the minutes. 1445 is 2:45 PM, not 2:75.
- Adding AM or PM to military time. 1900 needs no suffix.
10 Practice Problems
| Convert | Answer |
|---|---|
| 0500 | 5:00 AM |
| 1310 | 1:10 PM |
| 2359 | 11:59 PM |
| 0001 | 12:01 AM |
| 1200 | 12:00 PM |
| 3:25 AM | 0325 |
| 8:00 PM | 2000 |
| 12:45 AM | 0045 |
| 12:05 PM | 1205 |
| 11:30 PM | 2330 |
Let the Converter Do It
Type any time into the military time converter, or use the military to standard and standard to military tools.