{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-434.444","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 434.444","heading":"Misrepresenting current or former military status -- Exemptions --","body":"Penalties -- Transfer of fines revenue -- Short title.\n(1) A person is guilty of misrepresenting current or former military status when he or\nshe, for the purpose of direct or indire ct monetary gain, and with intent to defraud,\nobtain employment, or be elected or appointed to public office, intentionally makes:\n(a) A claim, orally, in writing, or by any fraudulent display, that he or she is\nentitled to wear military awards, military decorations, or military rank;\n(b) A claim that he or she served in the United States Armed Forces, a Reserve\nComponent thereof, or the National Guard; or\n(c) A claim that he or she served in the military during a wartime era, whether or\nnot there was a dec lared war, or served in a combat zone, or makes any\nmisrepresentation of actual military service.\n(2) This section shall not apply to a person who or an organization which:\n(a) Is reenacting military history or a military event;\n(b) Is playing the part of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a\nReserve Component thereof, or the National Guard in a play, motion picture\ntelevision production, or other dramatic production, or at a patriotic or civic\nevent;\n(c) Is a member of the Armed Forces of th e United States, a Reserve Component\nthereof, or the National Guard and, as part of a military assignment, is\nrepresenting a member of the Armed Forces in a previous war or time period\nfor ceremonial, recruiting, or training purposes;\n(d) Is an employee of  or volunteer for a museum and, as a part of their duties, is\nrepresenting a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve\nComponent thereof, or the National Guard for ceremonial, historical, or\ntraining purposes;\n(e) Owns, displays, purchases, sells, or trades militaria, including but not limited\nto medals, ribbons, and rank insignia, and does not claim to have personally\nearned them unless he or she is legally entitled to do so;\n(f) Is a natural person using his or her given name that includes a military rank, so\nlong as he or she does not use the name to defraud another in a manner\nprohibited by this section;\n(g) Uses a name or honorary military or military -like rank which has been\nbestowed upon him or her by a public officer, public employee , or public\nagency, in the name of a public officer or public agency;\n(h) Uses a corporate, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other name for a business\nor product which includes a military rank, so long as the name is not used to\ndefraud another in a manner prohibited by this section; or\n(i) Holds a registered trademark which includes a military rank or honorary rank,\nso long as the trademark is not used to defraud another in a manner prohibited\nby this section.\n(3) Misrepresenting current or former military status is:\n(a) A violation of KRS 514.040 if the defendant, by the misrepresentation,\nobtains money or property; and\n(b) If the defendant, by the misrepresentation, obtains a public benefit, a violation\nof the app licable statute that prohibits obtaining that public benefit and\nprovides a specific penalty.\n(4) If a violation of subsection (3) of this section is not involved, the defendant shall be\nfined an amount not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) or be im prisoned in\nthe county jail for not more than twelve (12) months, or both.\n(5) KRS 431.100 to the contrary notwithstanding, any fine assessed as a penalty for\nconviction under this section shall be transferred by the circuit clerk and deposited\nwith the veterans program trust fund established by KRS 40.460(2)(b).\n(6) This section shall be cited as the Kentucky Stolen Valor Act.","path":["KRS Chapter 434"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=42401","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:59:49Z","sha256":"d4ec388fa7cd0e6714ca35192f676195a93f539f0966c7bdcf315ba242b22536","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-434.442","next":"us-ky/krs-434.445"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}