Placement · Scouting
Cub Scout uniform patch placement follows one official layout, and it is simpler than it first looks: two items on each sleeve, rank on the left pocket, temporary patches on the right. This guide sets out where each patch goes on the Cub Scout shirt, position by position, with the changes that came in with the new Cub Scout program in June 2024.
Short answer. Left sleeve: council shoulder emblem at the top, pack numeral below it. Right sleeve: U.S. flag at the top, den numeral below it, Journey to Excellence patch below that. Left pocket: rank badges, in the order earned. Right pocket: one temporary patch at a time. Webelos badge on the left pocket; Arrow of Light directly below it.
A note on the names
Scouts BSA became Scouting America in 2025, but the uniform guidance, the insignia and the Cub Scout ranks — Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos and Arrow of Light — carry on as before. The authority on placement is the official Cub Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet and the Guide to Awards and Insignia. This page follows them; where it ever disagrees with them, they are right.
Cub Scout shirt patch placement: the sleeves
| Position | Patch | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Left sleeve, top | Council shoulder emblem | Sewn just below the shoulder seam |
| Left sleeve, below the emblem | Pack numeral | Directly under the council shoulder emblem |
| Left sleeve, between the two (optional) | Veteran unit bar | Only for packs chartered 25 years or more; touches the emblem above and the numeral below |
| Left shoulder | Denner or assistant denner cord | Worn over the left shoulder |
| Right sleeve, top | U.S. flag | Just below the shoulder seam |
| Right sleeve, below the flag | Den numeral | Directly under the flag |
| Right sleeve, below the den numeral | Journey to Excellence patch | Only the most recently earned one |
Pockets and the chest
| Position | Patch | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Left pocket | Rank badges (Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear) | Worn in the order earned, arranged as on the inspection sheet diagram |
| Above the left pocket | World Crest | Centred horizontally over the pocket, between the shoulder seam and the top of the pocket |
| Just above the left pocket seam | Medals and religious emblem knots | No more than five medals |
| Above medals or knots | Service stars | Or 3/8 inch above the pocket seam if no medals are worn |
| Right pocket | Temporary patch | One at a time — centred on the pocket or hung from the button |
| Right pocket flap | National Summertime Award pin and Outdoor Activity Award | Centred on the flap |
| Below the right pocket | Recruiter strip | Directly under the pocket |
Webelos and Arrow of Light patch placement
Webelos and Arrow of Light Scouts can wear the blue Cub Scout shirt or the tan shirt. The sleeves follow the same layout as above. On the front:
- Webelos badge — on the left pocket once earned.
- Arrow of Light patch — directly below the left pocket. It is the only Cub Scout badge that may also be worn on the Scouts BSA uniform after crossover.
- Adventure pins — on the Webelos colors (the ribbons) rather than the shirt.
Adventure loops and the belt
Lion, Tiger, Wolf and Bear Scouts wear adventure loops on the Cub Scout belt, not on the shirt. Slide them on in any order. Webelos and Arrow of Light Scouts earn pins instead, worn on their colors.
What changed in 2024
The new Cub Scout program took effect on 1 June 2024. The change most families notice on the uniform is that Bobcat is no longer a separate rank badge. It is now a required adventure within each rank, so there is no Bobcat patch to sew on above the rank badges. Older diagrams that show Bobcat at the top of the left pocket predate this change.
Sewing patches on a Cub Scout shirt
Most packs sew patches on, because the uniform shirt is washed constantly and is a polyester blend that iron-on adhesive does not always grip. A neat whipstitch or a machine zigzag round the edge is enough — see how to sew on a patch. If you would rather avoid a needle, our guide to attaching a patch without an iron covers the alternatives, and fabric glue for patches explains when glue is good enough.
How to check this yourself
Get the current Cub Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet from your pack leader or the Scout Shop, and keep the Guide to Awards and Insignia to hand for anything unusual — special awards, position patches and religious emblems. Your pack may also have its own conventions for temporary patches. For older Scouts, our Boy Scout patch placement guide covers the Scouts BSA shirt.
This guide is independent and is not endorsed by Scouting America. Scouting America, Cub Scouts and the emblems described here belong to their respective owners; nothing here is permission to reproduce them.
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Where does the den number go on a Cub Scout uniform?
On the right sleeve, directly below the U.S. flag.
Where does the pack number go?
On the left sleeve, directly below the council shoulder emblem.
Where do Cub Scout rank patches go?
On the left pocket, in the order they are earned. The Webelos badge also goes on the left pocket, and the Arrow of Light patch directly below it.
Where do temporary patches go?
On the right pocket, one at a time — either centred on the pocket or hung from the pocket button.