PRIA Logo™
Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110

§1135 Replacement of Military Decorations

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 57 — DECORATIONS AND AWARDS › § 1135

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary in charge must replace a military decoration one time, free of charge, when the person who received it or that person’s immediate next of kin asks. This is in addition to any other ways the Secretary can replace medals. If the request is made under this rule or under sections 7277, 7281, 8303, 9277, or 9281, the Secretary must finish all steps, including checking the service record, within one year and must mail the replacement within 90 days after the record is verified. Decoration means any award or decoration given by the President or the Secretary, except the Medal of Honor.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §1135

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Replacement.—
In addition to other authorities available to the Secretary concerned to replace a military decoration, the Secretary concerned shall replace, on a one-time basis and without charge, a military decoration upon the request of the recipient of the military decoration or the immediate next of kin of a deceased recipient.
(b)Prompt Replacement Required.—
When a request for the replacement of a military decoration is received under this section or section 7277, 7281, 8303, 9277, or 9281 of this title, the Secretary concerned shall ensure that—
(1)all actions to be taken with respect to the request, including verification of the service record of the recipient of the military decoration, are completed within one year; and
(2)the replacement military decoration is mailed to the person requesting the replacement military decoration within 90 days after verification of the service record.
(c)Military Decoration Defined.—
In this section, the term “decoration” means any decoration or award (other than the medal of honor) that may be presented or awarded by the President or the Secretary concerned to a member of the armed forces.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “section 7277, 7281, 8303, 9277, or 9281” for “section 3747, 3751, 6253, 8747, or 8751” in introductory provisions. 2013—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 113–66 added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 1135

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110