Military Time Converter
For PM times after noon, add 12 to the hour. For 24-hour times above 12, subtract 12 and use PM.
Choose the clock direction
Enter a 12 hour time with AM or PM, or enter a 24 hour time. The converter returns the matching format.
Use this for schedules, travel, time sheets and any situation where 13:00 or 1730 needs to be read as a normal clock time.
If the time has no colon, read the first two digits as the hour and the last two as minutes.
For entries before 10 AM, keep the leading zero in four digit format. 6:30 AM becomes 0630.
Reading 24-hour and 12-hour time
Military time commonly writes the hour and minute without a colon, such as 1730. The 24 hour clock often writes the same time as 17:30.
Both represent 5:30 PM. The main difference is formatting and usage. The conversion logic is the same.
The format removes AM and PM, which is why it is useful for schedules that must avoid ambiguity.
AM, PM, noon, and midnight rules
For AM times, the hour usually stays the same, except 12:00 AM becomes 00:00. For PM times, add 12 to the hour, except 12:00 PM stays 12:00.
To convert from 24 hour time back to 12 hour time, hours 00 through 11 are AM, and hours 12 through 23 are PM. Subtract 12 from hours 13 through 23.
The minutes never change during conversion. Only the hour label and AM or PM marker change.
Converting 7:05 PM
7:45 PM becomes 19:45 or 1945. Add 12 to the hour because it is PM and not 12 PM. The minutes stay 45.
00:30 becomes 12:30 AM. 12:30 becomes 12:30 PM. Midnight and noon are the two cases to check carefully.
For 6:05 AM, the 24 hour form is 06:05 and military style is 0605. Keep the leading zero.
0000, 1200, and 2400
The most common mistake is mixing up 12 AM and 12 PM. 12 AM is midnight. 12 PM is noon.
Another mistake is adding 12 to 12 PM. Do not do that. 12:15 PM is already 12:15 in 24 hour time, not 24:15.
Also avoid dropping leading zeros for early morning times when a four digit military format is expected.
If a schedule says 0015, read it as 12:15 AM. If it says 1215, read it as 12:15 PM.
Military Time Converter FAQ
What is 12 AM in military time?
12 AM is midnight. In 24 hour time, it is written as 00:00. In military style, it is often written as 0000.
For times after midnight, 12:30 AM becomes 0030.
This is the most important exception to memorize. The 12 changes to 00 only for the midnight hour.
What is 12 PM in military time?
12 PM is noon. In 24 hour time, it is 12:00. In military style, it is 1200.
Do not add 12 to noon times. Add 12 only for PM hours from 1 PM through 11 PM.
For example, 12:45 PM is 1245. It stays in the 12 hour because it is already after midnight by twelve hours.
Is military time the same as the 24 hour clock?
They use the same hour logic. The 24 hour clock usually includes a colon, such as 16:30. Military time is often written as four digits, such as 1630.
In everyday use, many people use the terms loosely, but the display style can differ.
How do I convert 18:00 to regular time?
Since 18 is greater than 12, subtract 12 from the hour. 18 minus 12 is 6, so 18:00 is 6:00 PM.
The minutes stay the same. 18:45 would be 6:45 PM.
Hours from 13 through 23 convert this way. Hours from 00 through 11 are AM, with 00 becoming 12 AM.
Can 24:00 be used?
Some schedules use 24:00 to mean the end of a day, but many calculators and digital systems use 00:00 for midnight at the start of the next day.
For ordinary conversion, 00:00 is the safer midnight format. Use 24:00 only when the schedule or standard clearly allows it.