Traffic Safety Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020194,271

Best year20118,665 earned

All-time popularity#109official, as of 2020#109by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1975. Peak year 2011 with 8,665. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19752,425 earned#108 of 128

19764,831 earned#82 of 130

19775,411 earned#69 of 130

19784,385 earned#74 of 131

19793,363 earned#73 of 132

19802,247 earned#76 of 132

19812,685 earned#78 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

19932,351 earned#92 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19962,865 earned#86 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20002,840 earned#90 of 128

20013,084 earned#90 of 129

20024,447 earned#83 of 129

20033,937 earned#88 of 130

20044,156 earned#90 of 121

20055,576 earned#70 of 121

20065,428 earned#69 of 121

20075,817 earned#67 of 121

20086,060 earned#67 of 121

20097,745 earned#60 of 122

20107,148 earned#68 of 125

20118,665 earned#59 of 129

20127,450 earned#58 of 132

20137,582 earned#49 of 129

20147,088 earned#70 of 136

20155,604 earned#81 of 138

20166,072 earned#79 of 138

20175,689 earned#81 of 139

20187,100 earned#68 of 139

20196,477 earned#75 of 139

20205,758 earned#61 of 137

2021No data available#77 of 137

2022No data available#73 of 138

2023No data available#77 of 138

2024No data available#70 of 138

2025No data available#76 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#76 of 141" means the badge was number 76 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

19752,425#108 of 128

19764,831#82 of 130

19775,411#69 of 130

19784,385#74 of 131

19793,363#73 of 132

19802,247#76 of 132

19812,685#78 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19932,351#92 of 123

1994—

1995—

19962,865#86 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20002,840#90 of 128

20013,084#90 of 129

20024,447#83 of 129

20033,937#88 of 130

20044,156#90 of 121

20055,576#70 of 121

20065,428#69 of 121

20075,817#67 of 121

20086,060#67 of 121

20097,745#60 of 122

20107,148#68 of 125

20118,665#59 of 129

20127,450#58 of 132

20137,582#49 of 129

20147,088#70 of 136

20155,604#81 of 138

20166,072#79 of 138

20175,689#81 of 139

20187,100#68 of 139

20196,477#75 of 139

20205,758#61 of 137

2021—#77 of 137

2022—#73 of 138

2023—#77 of 138

2024—#70 of 138

2025—#76 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Traffic Safety: workbook data

Printings (38)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
x	1975	February	8A-1	back-8b	25M	1975	3391				HCT
x	1976	April	8A-2	back-8c-1	10M	1975	3391				HCT
	1977	not made
x	1978	March	8A-2	back-8d	6M	1975	3391
	1979	not made
	1980	not made
x	1981	March	9A	back-9a	2.5M	1975	3391
x	1982	May	9A	back-9a	2.3M	1975	3391
x	1983	August	9A	back-9a	2.5M	1975	3391
x	1984	April	9A	back-9a	3M	1975	3391
x	1985	July	9A	back-9b-2	2.5M	1975	3391
x	1986	May	9A	back-9b-2	3M	1975	3391
x	1987	June	9A	back-9b-2	3M	1975	3391
x	1988	March	9A	back-9b-2	3M	1975	3391
x	1989	June	9A	back-9b-2	2.5M	1975	3391
x	1990	August	9A	back-9c-1	3M	1975	3391
	1991	not made
x	1992	August	9B-1	back-9c-2	3M	1975	33391	730176333915
x	1993	August	9B-2	back-9d	2M	1975	33391	730176333915
x	1994	October	9B-2	back-9d	2M	1975	33391	730176333915
x	1995	September	9B-2	back-9d	2.5M	1975	33391	730176333915
	1996	not made
x	1997	September	9B-2	back-9d		1975	33391	730176333915
x	1998		9B-2	back-9f		1975	33391	730176333915				states 1998 printing in front but has 1-1-1999 on back cover
	1999	not made
x	2000		9B-2	back-9f		1975	33391	730176333915
x	2001		9C	back-9f		2001	33391A	730176333915
x	2001		9C	back-9f		2001	33391A	730176333915				2nd printing
c	2002		9C			2001	33391A	730176333915
x	2002		9C	back-9g		2001	33391A	730176333915				2nd printing
	2003	not made
x	2004		9C	back-9g		2001	33391A	730176333915
	2005	not made
x	2006		9D-1	back-9g		2006	33391B	730176325170
x	2007		9D-2	back-9h-2		2006	33391B	730176325170
x	2008		10A	back-1008b1		2006	35960	730176359601
	2009	not made
	2010	not made
x	2011		10C	back-1010b1		2006	35960	730176359601
x	2012		10C	back-1010b1		2006	35960	730176359601
x	2013		10C	back-1013b1		2006	35960	730176359601
x	2014		10C	back-1013b1		2013	35960	730176359601
	2015	not made
x	2016		10D	back-1016b1		2016	35960	730176358086	624336
	2017	not made
x	2018		10D	back-1019b1		2018	35960	730176358086	624336
x	2019		10D	back-1019b1		2019	35960	730176358086	649764
	2020	not made
x	2021		10D	back-1019b1		2021	35960	730176352633	656262
	2022	not made
	2023	not made
x	2024		10D	back-1019b1		2021	35960	730176352633	656262	300067150
	2025		11A	back-1125		2025	35960	730176352633	656262	300081657
	2026	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1975	2,425	108	128
1976	4,831	82	130
1977	5,411	69	130
1978	4,385	74	131
1979	3,363	73	132
1980	2,247	76	132
1981	2,685	78	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	2,351	92	123
1994
1995
1996	2,865	86	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	2,840	90	128
2001	3,084	90	129
2002	4,447	83	129
2003	3,937	88	130
2004	4,156	90	121
2005	5,576	70	121
2006	5,428	69	121
2007	5,817	67	121
2008	6,060	67	121
2009	7,745	60	122
2010	7,148	68	125
2011	8,665	59	129
2012	7,450	58	132
2013	7,582	49	129
2014	7,088	70	136
2015	5,604	81	138
2016	6,072	79	138
2017	5,689	81	139
2018	7,100	68	139
2019	6,477	75	139
2020	5,758	61	137
2021		77	137
2022		73	138
2023		77	138
2024		70	138
2025		76	141