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Heritage Structure | Section 10 – Badge ownership, reproduction and use

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  • Section 10 – Badge ownership, reproduction and use (6-10-1)
  1. All badges and other insignia are recorded in the Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada and cannot be used without authorization, pursuant to the National Defence Act, Trade-Marks Act and Copyright Act. In particular, the unauthorized use of badges in any advertising or in any trade or service is prohibited by Section 291 of the National Defence Act.
  2. CAF badge use is regulated by the Criminal Code of Canada, Defence Administrative Orders and Directives (DAODs), A-DH-265-000/AG-001 Canadian Armed Forces Dress Instructions, and this manual.
  3. Badge ownership is retained by the Crown, as represented by DND. Their day-to-day use is vested in the officer commanding the unit or formation concerned.
  4. Only approved badges shall be used on service ships, vehicles, aircraft, buildings, signs, printed matter, websites or other CAF material.
  5. There is no automatic right for all badges to be worn on uniform. See A-DH-265-000/AG-001, CAF Dress Instructions for the regulations involved.
  6. A formation commander or CO may authorize non-commercial reproduction of the formation or unit's primary or supplementary badge or portion thereof. These reproductions can be made using non-public funds. Examples where this applies are as follows but not limited to:
    1. silver, trophies and sports uniforms;
    2. unit stationery, official invitations, greeting cards, printed publicity and decals;
    3. personal items of unit members such as blazers, lighters, wallets, cuff links and sweaters;
    4. articles to be presented officially to other units or organizations, or to civic communities or authorities, either Canadian or foreign, upon which a depiction of the badge would be appropriate; and
    5. wherever symbolic representation is appropriate;
  7. A headquartered element or other organization may also be authorized by the chain of command to mark a working relationship with some other CAF or outside organization. In this case, a second badge might also be used, if properly placed in accordance with precedence rules (see Chapter 1) to avoid a false impression of the identity and command and control. Only one supplementary badge is authorized.
  8. Branch Advisors, regiments and COs may grant authority to ex-service member associations or affiliated cadets corps to use their badges in accordance with established custom. Such organizations shall always include a separate identification line or scroll with the badge on signs, stationery, etc., to prevent confusion – see Section 6, paragraph 4. (See also Chapter 4, Section 6, paragraph 18 for parallel instructions for the use of camp flags by ex-service member associations).
  9. Authority for other uses or to reproduce other badges, including obsolete ones, is to be requested from NDHQ/DHH (Inspector of CAF Colours and Badges). See section 11.

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