PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

It is a crime to on purpose move, send, give, get, or carry fake official badges or uniforms across state or country lines, or to send a real official badge to someone you know is not allowed to have it where it is official. The law also covers knowingly getting a real badge in that kind of improper transfer, or a person who is not allowed to have a real badge transporting it across state or country lines. A person who breaks this can be fined, put in jail for up to 6 months, or both. You can defend against charges if the item is real and not used to trick people, or if it is used only as a keepsake, decoration, for a play/film/TV, or for recreation. A fake used only for drama or for real law enforcement work is also a defense. Definitions: genuine police badge — an official badge showing police powers; counterfeit police badge — something that looks like a real badge and could fool an ordinary person; official insignia or uniform — clothing or items that show a public employee’s authority; public employee — a federal, state, or local government worker; uniform — distinctive clothing worn while doing official duties.

Title 18, §716

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever—

(1)knowingly transfers, transports, or receives, in interstate or foreign commerce, a counterfeit official insignia or uniform;

(2)knowingly transfers, in interstate or foreign commerce, a genuine official insignia or uniform to an individual, knowing that such individual is not authorized to possess it under the law of the place in which the badge is the official official insignia or uniform;

(3)knowingly receives a genuine official insignia or uniform in a transfer prohibited by paragraph (2); or

(4)being a person not authorized to possess a genuine official insignia or uniform under the law of the place in which the badge is the official official 1 insignia or uniform, knowingly transports that badge in interstate or foreign commerce,

shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both.

(b)It is a defense to a prosecution under this section that the insignia or uniform is other than a counterfeit insignia or uniform and is not used to mislead or deceive, or is used or is intended to be used exclusively—

(1)as a memento, or in a collection or exhibit;

(2)for decorative purposes;

(3)for a dramatic presentation, such as a theatrical, film, or television production; or

(4)for any other recreational purpose.

(c)As used in this section—

(1)the term “genuine police badge” means an official badge issued by public authority to identify an individual as a law enforcement officer having police powers;

(2)the term “counterfeit police badge” means an item that so resembles a police badge that it would deceive an ordinary individual into believing it was a genuine police badge; and

(3)the term “official insignia or uniform” means an article of distinctive clothing or insignia, including a badge, emblem or identification card, that is an indicium of the authority of a public employee;

(4)the term “public employee” means any officer or employee of the Federal Government or of a State or local government; and

(5)the term “uniform” means distinctive clothing or other items of dress, whether real or counterfeit, worn during the performance of official duties and which identifies the wearer as a public agency employee.

(d)It is a defense to a prosecution under this section that the official insignia or uniform is not used or intended to be used to mislead or deceive, or is a counterfeit insignia or uniform and is used or is intended to be used exclusively—

(1)for a dramatic presentation, such as a theatrical, film, or television production; or

(2)for legitimate law enforcement purposes.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2006—Pub. L. 109–162, § 1191(a)(6), substituted “Public employee insignia and uniform” for “Police badges” in section catchline. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 109–162, § 1191(a)(1), substituted “official insignia or uniform” for “police badge”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 109–162, § 1191(a)(1), (2), substituted “official insignia or uniform to” for “police badge to” and “official insignia or uniform;” for “badge of the police;”. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 109–162, § 1191(a)(1), substituted “official insignia or uniform” for “police badge”. Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 109–162, § 1191(a)(1), (2), substituted “official insignia or uniform under” for “police badge under” and “official insignia or uniform,” for “badge of the police,”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–162, § 1191(a)(3)(C), which directed the insertion of “is not used to mislead or deceive, or” before “is used or intended” was executed by making the insertion before “is used or is intended”, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Pub. L. 109–162, § 1191(a)(3)(A), (B), substituted “the insignia or uniform” for “the badge” and inserted “is other than a counterfeit insignia or uniform and” before “is used or is intended to be used”. Pub. L. 109–162, § 1191(a)(1), which directed substitution of “official insignia or uniform” for “police badge” could not be executed because the term “police badge” did not appear. Subsec. (c)(3) to (5). Pub. L. 109–162, § 1191(a)(4), added pars. (3) to (5). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–162, § 1191(a)(5), added subsec. (d).

§716 Public Employee Insignia and Uniform

Summary

Title 18, §716

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata