Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110
§904a Art. 104a. Fraudulent Enlistment, Appointment, or Separation
Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 47 — UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE › SUBCHAPTER X — PUNITIVE ARTICLES › § 904a
Summary
Anyone who lies or hides important facts to join the armed forces and then gets pay or allowances can be punished by a military court. Anyone who lies or hides important facts to get separated from the armed forces can also be punished by a military court.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §904a
Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Any person who—
(1)procures his own enlistment or appointment in the armed forces by knowingly false representation or deliberate concealment as to his qualifications for that enlistment or appointment and receives pay or allowances thereunder; or
(2)procures his own separation from the armed forces by knowingly false representation or deliberate concealment as to his eligibility for that separation;
shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 88350:677.May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 1 (Art. 83), 64 Stat. 134. In clauses (1) and (2), the words “means of” are omitted as surplusage.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2016—Pub. L. 114–328 renumbered section 883 of this title as this section.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2016 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–328 effective on Jan. 1, 2019, as designated by the President, with implementing
Regulations
and provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328 and Ex. Ord. No. 13825, set out as notes under section 801 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 904a
Title 10, Armed Forces
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110