By Shanna Campbell · Updated August 29, 2026 · Statutes verified August 29, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Indiana regulates police badges more directly than most states. Two statutes matter: Indiana Code 35-44.1-2-6 makes impersonating a public servant a Class A misdemeanor and elevates it to a Level 6 felony when the person falsely claims to be a law enforcement officer, and Indiana Code 35-44.1-2-8 separately makes it a Class A misdemeanor to manufacture or sell a police or fire badge without the written permission of the agency’s chief executive officer. Indiana is one of the few states that regulates the badge maker as well as the badge wearer — and it draws the legality line with an unusual mathematical test based on badge size.
The Two Indiana Statutes That Govern Badges
| Statute | What it prohibits | Offense level | Typical penalty range |
|---|---|---|---|
| IC 35-44.1-2-6 | Falsely representing yourself as a public servant to induce someone to submit to pretended authority | Class A misdemeanor; Level 6 felony if impersonating a law enforcement officer | Misdemeanor: up to 1 year and $5,000. Level 6 felony: 6 months to 2.5 years |
| IC 35-44.1-2-8 | Manufacturing or selling a law enforcement or fire department badge without the agency chief executive’s written permission | Class A misdemeanor; Level 6 felony if made to further impersonation; Level 4 felony if tied to terrorist offenses | Escalates with intended use |
The 50/150 Rule: When a Replica Badge Is Legal in Indiana
IC 35-44.1-2-8 contains a defense that surprises almost everyone outside the badge industry. A replica badge is lawful to make and sell if its area — measured by multiplying the badge’s greatest length by its greatest width — is either less than 50 percent or more than 150 percent of the area of the official badge it resembles. In practical terms, Indiana lets manufacturers produce clearly miniature keepsakes and clearly oversized display pieces, and reserves criminal liability for replicas close enough in size to pass as the real thing.
From a production standpoint, this rule has real consequences. A standard full-size duty badge runs roughly 2.5 to 3 inches tall. Under the Indiana formula, a commemorative or family keepsake version of that badge needs to be dramatically smaller (think wallet-size) or dramatically larger (a plaque piece) to fall inside the safe harbor — a 90-percent-scale copy is exactly what the statute targets. This is why reputable manufacturers ask about the intended use and the ordering authority before die-striking anything modeled on an active department’s design.
Who May Lawfully Order and Wear a Police Badge in Indiana
Nothing in Indiana law prevents a sworn officer, a department, or an authorized purchasing agent from ordering badges — the manufacturing statute is written around permission, and written authorization from the agency’s chief executive resolves it. Departments typically handle this through a purchase order or a signed authorization letter that accompanies the artwork. For agencies ordering custom police badges built to department specifications, that paperwork is part of the normal order file, not an obstacle.
County agencies follow the same pattern. Indiana’s 92 county sheriff’s offices each control their own star and shield designs, and county sheriff badge styles ordered with office authorization sit squarely inside the statute’s permission framework.
How Indiana Compares to Neighboring States
Indiana’s decision to regulate manufacture, not just impersonation, makes it stricter on paper than several neighbors. Missouri, for example, treats impersonating an officer as a misdemeanor and has no manufacturing statute at all — the contrast is covered in our Missouri police badge requirements guide. What Indiana does not do is criminalize simple possession: owning a badge, collecting historical badges, or displaying a family member’s retired badge is not, by itself, an offense under either statute. The offense attaches to false representation or to unauthorized manufacture and sale.
Practical Rules of Thumb for Indiana
Collectors and families are on safe ground with retired designs, clearly marked commemorative pieces, and sizes inside the 50/150 safe harbor. Security companies should never order badges that read “police” or copy an active agency’s seal — private security badges are a distinct product category with their own conventions, and badge shape itself carries meaning, as our guide to police badge shapes explains. Departments simply need their chief executive’s sign-off in the order file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to own a police badge in Indiana?
Ownership alone is not an offense under IC 35-44.1-2-6 or 2-8. The crimes are falsely representing yourself as an officer and manufacturing or selling badges without agency permission. Using any badge to claim police authority you do not have is a Level 6 felony.
Can I buy a replica Indiana police badge?
Yes, if it is not a close-size copy of an active agency’s badge. Indiana’s 50/150 rule makes replicas lawful when their face area is under half or over one-and-a-half times the official badge’s area.
Is impersonating a police officer a felony in Indiana?
Yes. Falsely representing yourself as a law enforcement officer is a Level 6 felony under IC 35-44.1-2-6, punishable by six months to two and a half years.
Do departments need special paperwork to order badges?
The manufacturing statute is satisfied by written permission from the agency’s chief executive. In practice a purchase order or authorization letter accompanying the badge artwork covers it.
Does Indiana law say anything about badge size?
Yes — uniquely. The legality of a replica turns on measured area: greatest length times greatest width, compared to the official badge. Under 50 percent or over 150 percent of that area is the lawful zone.
Sources
Indiana Code 35-44.1-2-6 (impersonation of a public servant); Indiana Code 35-44.1-2-8 (unlawful manufacture or sale of a police or fire insignia), via the Indiana General Assembly and Justia/FindLaw current-code editions. Statutes verified August 29, 2026.