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Title 50, War and National DefenseRelease 119-110

§3998 Land Rights of Servicemembers

Title 50 › CHAPTER 50 — SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF › SUBCHAPTER V — TAXES AND PUBLIC LANDS › § 3998

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Servicemembers younger than 21 must have the same rights to U.S. public lands, including mining and mineral leases, as servicemembers who are 21. Any rule that says you must move in or establish a residence within a set time is paused for a servicemember on duty or their spouse until 180 days after the servicemember leaves or is released from military service. Applications to enter land can be sworn to or verified before someone allowed to give oaths under section 1044a of title 10 or under the law of the state where the land is located.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §3998

War and National Defense, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)No age limitations
Any servicemember under the age of 21 in military service shall be entitled to the same rights under the laws relating to lands owned or controlled by the United States, including mining and mineral leasing laws, as those servicemembers who are 21 years of age.
(b)Residency requirement
Any requirement related to the establishment of a residence within a limited time shall be suspended as to entry by a servicemember in military service or the spouse of such servicemember until 180 days after termination of or release from military service.
(c)Entry applications
Applications for entry may be verified before a person authorized to administer oaths under section 1044a of title 10 or under the laws of the State where the land is situated.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 568 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 508 of act Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, art. V, 54 Stat. 1189, related to irrigation rights and suspension of residence requirements, prior to the general amendment of this Act by Pub. L. 108–189.

Amendments

2009—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–97 inserted “or the spouse of such servicemember” after “a servicemember in military service”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2009 Amendment Pub. L. 111–97, § 4(b), Nov. 11, 2009, 123 Stat. 3008, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to servicemembers in military service (as defined in section 101 of such Act (50 U.S.C. App. 511) [now 50 U.S.C. 3911]) on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 11, 2009].”

Effective Date

Section applicable to any case not final before Dec. 19, 2003, see section 3 of Pub. L. 108–189, set out as a note under section 3901 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

50 U.S.C. § 3998

Title 50, War and National Defense

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110