Military Time Converter
This free military time converter translates between standard 12-hour time and 24-hour military time in both directions. Enter a time like 3:45 PM to get 1545, or type a military time like 0015 to see 12:15 AM — results update instantly as you type.
12-hour → military time
Military time → 12-hour
Your results
Midnight is 0000 and noon is 1200 — the only two hours where the 12-hour number changes in conversion.
Quick-reference chart
| 12-hour | Military | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 0000 | zero hundred hours |
| 1:00 AM | 0100 | oh one hundred hours |
| 6:00 AM | 0600 | oh six hundred hours |
| 9:00 AM | 0900 | oh nine hundred hours |
| 12:00 PM | 1200 | twelve hundred hours |
| 1:00 PM | 1300 | thirteen hundred hours |
| 3:45 PM | 1545 | fifteen forty-five hours |
| 6:30 PM | 1830 | eighteen thirty hours |
| 9:00 PM | 2100 | twenty-one hundred hours |
| 11:59 PM | 2359 | twenty-three fifty-nine hours |
How to use this calculator
To convert a regular time, enter the hour (1–12), the minutes, and choose AM or PM. The military time appears instantly — for example, 3:45 PM becomes 1545.
To go the other way, type a military time of 1 to 4 digits in the second box, with or without a colon. Typing 0015 shows 12:15 AM, and 1545 shows 3:45 PM.
Use the quick-reference chart below the calculator for the most common times at a glance — handy for schedules, travel itineraries, and shift work.
How it works
Converting from 12-hour to military time follows three rules. If the period is AM, keep the hour as-is — except 12 AM, which becomes 00 (midnight starts the day at zero). If the period is PM, add 12 to any hour from 1 to 11 — except 12 PM, which stays 12 (noon). Then pad the result to two digits and append the minutes, so 3:45 PM becomes 15:45, written 1545.
Converting back works in reverse. Hours 00 to 11 become AM, with 00 reading as 12 AM. Hours 12 to 23 become PM, where 12 stays 12 PM and 13 to 23 subtract 12 — so 1545 splits into hour 15 and minute 45, and 15 − 12 = 3, giving 3:45 PM. The only tricky cases are the two twelves: 12:00 AM maps to 0000 and 12:00 PM maps to 1200.
Frequently asked questions
What is military time?
Military time is a 24-hour timekeeping system that runs from 0000 (midnight) to 2359 (one minute before midnight). Because the hour is always two digits and the day starts at 00 instead of 12 AM, it removes the AM/PM ambiguity that causes scheduling mistakes.
How do you convert 3:45 PM to military time?
Add 12 to the hour and drop the PM: 3 + 12 = 15, so 3:45 PM becomes 1545. In general, for any PM hour from 1 to 11, add 12; for AM hours (except 12 AM), keep the hour as-is and pad it to two digits.
How do you convert 0015 to standard time?
Split 0015 into hours (00) and minutes (15). Since 00 is less than 12, it is an AM hour, and 00 AM is 12 AM — so 0015 is 12:15 AM.
What is 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM in military time?
12:00 AM (midnight) is 0000, and 12:00 PM (noon) is 1200. The tricky part is that 12 AM wraps to 00, while 12 PM stays 12.
How do you say military time out loud?
Say each pair of digits as a number followed by "hours": 1545 is "fifteen forty-five hours", and 0900 is "oh nine hundred hours". Midnight, 0000, is "zero hundred hours".