Title 38Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-73

§302 Seal

Title 38 › Part PART I— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › Chapter CHAPTER 3— - DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS › § 302

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must have an official Department seal that the President approves, and courts must accept that seal. Public Department records with the seal and certified by the Secretary or a person the Secretary has authorized in writing are as good as the originals.

Full Legal Text

Title 38, §302

Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall cause a seal of office to be made for the Department of such device as the President shall approve. Judicial notice shall be taken of the seal.
(b)Copies of any public document, record, or paper belonging to or in the files of the Department, when authenticated by the seal and certified by the Secretary (or by an officer or employee of the Department to whom authority has been delegated in writing by the Secretary), shall be evidence equal with the original thereof.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Prior section 302 was renumbered section 1102 of this title. Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 202 of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–83, § 2(a).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

38 U.S.C. § 302

Title 38Veterans' Benefits

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73