Legislation
SECTION 238
Converting military property; unlawful wearing of uniforms and devices indicating rank; unlawful use of name of military or naval organiz...
Military (MIL) CHAPTER 36, ARTICLE 11
§ 238. Converting military property; unlawful wearing of uniforms and
devices indicating rank; unlawful use of name of military or naval
organization, or unit thereof. 1. Any person who shall secrete, sell,
dispose of, offer for sale, purchase, retain after demand by a
commissioned officer of the organized militia, or in any manner pawn or
pledge any arms, uniforms, equipments, or other military property,
issued under the provisions of this chapter; or,
2. Any person, except members of the armed forces of the United
States, members of the organized militia of this or any other state,
personnel of the independent military organizations designated in
section two hundred forty of this article, members of associations
wholly composed of persons who (a) were honorably discharged from the
armed forces of the United States, or (b) have a qualifying condition,
as defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law, and have
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from the
armed forces of the United States, or (c) are discharged LGBT veterans,
as defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law, and have
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from the
armed forces of the United States, and members of associations wholly
composed of sons of veterans of any war of the United States, who shall
wear any uniform or any device, strap, knot or insignia of any design or
character used as a designation of grade, rank or office, such as are by
law or by regulation, duly promulgated, prescribed for the use of the
organized militia or similar thereto; or,
3. Any person, society or corporation who shall, with intent to
acquire or obtain for personal or business purposes a benefit or
advantage, assume, adopt or in any manner use the name of a regiment,
battalion, battery, squad, troop, division, company or other unit of any
military or naval organization constituting a part of the organized
militia of the state of New York, or of any society, association or
other organization, or a part thereof, whether incorporated or
unincorporated, that has been recognized by the commanding officer of
such military or naval organization as a society or association of its
veterans or ex-members, or who shall assume or adopt a name so nearly
resembling it as to be calculated to deceive the public with respect to
any such military or naval organization, or any such society,
association or other organization, or a part thereof, of its veterans or
ex-members, without first having obtained the written consent of the
commanding officer of such military or naval organization; or,
4. Any person who shall fraudulently wear any badge, insignia, clasp,
rosette or button issued by the government of the United States or the
state of New York or any foreign government to which the United States
was allied in any war,
Is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Whenever there shall be an actual or threatened violation of any of
the subdivisions of this section, an application may be made to a court
or justice having jurisdiction to issue an injunction, upon notice to
the defendant of not less than five days, for an injunction to enjoin
and restrain said actual or threatened violations; and if it shall
appear to the satisfatcion of the court or justice that the defendant is
in fact violating any of the subdivisions of this section, or is
threatening to do so, an injunction may be issued by such court or
justice enjoining and restraining such action or threatened violation
without requiring proof that any person has in fact been misled or
deceived or otherwise injured thereby.
devices indicating rank; unlawful use of name of military or naval
organization, or unit thereof. 1. Any person who shall secrete, sell,
dispose of, offer for sale, purchase, retain after demand by a
commissioned officer of the organized militia, or in any manner pawn or
pledge any arms, uniforms, equipments, or other military property,
issued under the provisions of this chapter; or,
2. Any person, except members of the armed forces of the United
States, members of the organized militia of this or any other state,
personnel of the independent military organizations designated in
section two hundred forty of this article, members of associations
wholly composed of persons who (a) were honorably discharged from the
armed forces of the United States, or (b) have a qualifying condition,
as defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law, and have
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from the
armed forces of the United States, or (c) are discharged LGBT veterans,
as defined in section three hundred fifty of the executive law, and have
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from the
armed forces of the United States, and members of associations wholly
composed of sons of veterans of any war of the United States, who shall
wear any uniform or any device, strap, knot or insignia of any design or
character used as a designation of grade, rank or office, such as are by
law or by regulation, duly promulgated, prescribed for the use of the
organized militia or similar thereto; or,
3. Any person, society or corporation who shall, with intent to
acquire or obtain for personal or business purposes a benefit or
advantage, assume, adopt or in any manner use the name of a regiment,
battalion, battery, squad, troop, division, company or other unit of any
military or naval organization constituting a part of the organized
militia of the state of New York, or of any society, association or
other organization, or a part thereof, whether incorporated or
unincorporated, that has been recognized by the commanding officer of
such military or naval organization as a society or association of its
veterans or ex-members, or who shall assume or adopt a name so nearly
resembling it as to be calculated to deceive the public with respect to
any such military or naval organization, or any such society,
association or other organization, or a part thereof, of its veterans or
ex-members, without first having obtained the written consent of the
commanding officer of such military or naval organization; or,
4. Any person who shall fraudulently wear any badge, insignia, clasp,
rosette or button issued by the government of the United States or the
state of New York or any foreign government to which the United States
was allied in any war,
Is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Whenever there shall be an actual or threatened violation of any of
the subdivisions of this section, an application may be made to a court
or justice having jurisdiction to issue an injunction, upon notice to
the defendant of not less than five days, for an injunction to enjoin
and restrain said actual or threatened violations; and if it shall
appear to the satisfatcion of the court or justice that the defendant is
in fact violating any of the subdivisions of this section, or is
threatening to do so, an injunction may be issued by such court or
justice enjoining and restraining such action or threatened violation
without requiring proof that any person has in fact been misled or
deceived or otherwise injured thereby.