Title 14, Coast GuardRelease 119-102
§2706 Right to Wear Uniform
Title 14 › SUBTITLE II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 27 — PAY, ALLOWANCES, AWARDS, AND OTHER RIGHTS AND BENEFITS › SUBCHAPTER I — PERSONNEL RIGHTS AND BENEFITS › § 2706
Summary
Under Coast Guard rules, a member who served honorably in a war and is not on active duty can use their official title and, at ceremonies, wear the uniform of the highest rank or rating they held during that war. A member on the retired list may wear the uniform of their rank or rating.
Full Legal Text
Title 14, §2706
Coast Guard, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
When authorized by and in accordance with applicable regulations:
(a)any member who has served honorably in the Coast Guard during war shall when not in active service, whether or not on the retired list, be entitled to bear the official title and upon occasions of ceremony to wear the uniform of the highest rank or rating held by him during his war service, and
(b)any member on the retired list shall be entitled to wear the uniform of his rank or rating.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Subsection (a) is based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 167b–2 (June 21, 1930, ch. 563, § 2, 46 Stat. 793). Inasmuch as the act cited above applies equally to the Navy and Marine Corps as well as the Coast Guard, it is not scheduled for repeal but is being amended by section 12 of this act to eliminate reference to the Coast Guard. Subsection (b) is new to the Coast Guard, although it has been the practice for retired officers to wear the uniform when they so desire. Such authority is granted to retired officers of the Navy (see title 34, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 389). Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress,
House Report No. 557
.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 483 of this title as this section. 1984—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 98–557 substituted reference to member for reference to commissioned officer, warrant officer, and enlisted man.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
14 U.S.C. § 2706
Title 14, Coast Guard
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102