10 USC § 1135 - Replacement of military decorations

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s1135"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 1135 - Replacement of military decorations"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "1135"
section_name: "Replacement of military decorations"
chapter_number: 57
chapter_name: "DECORATIONS AND AWARDS"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "PERSONNEL"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title V, § 571(a), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4471; amended Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title V, § 564, Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 768; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 809(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1840.)"
---


# § 1135. Replacement of military decorations

**(a)** **Replacement.—** In addition to other authorities available to the Secretary concerned to replace a military decoration, the Secretary concerned shall replace, on a one-time basis and without charge, a military decoration upon the request of the recipient of the military decoration or the immediate next of kin of a deceased recipient.

**(b)** **Prompt Replacement Required.—** When a request for the replacement of a military decoration is received under this section or section 7277, 7281, 8303, 9277, or 9281 of this title, the Secretary concerned shall ensure that—

**(1)** all actions to be taken with respect to the request, including verification of the service record of the recipient of the military decoration, are completed within one year; and

**(2)** the replacement military decoration is mailed to the person requesting the replacement military decoration within 90 days after verification of the service record.

**(c)** **Military Decoration Defined.—** In this section, the term “decoration” means any decoration or award (other than the medal of honor) that may be presented or awarded by the President or the Secretary concerned to a member of the armed forces.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title V, § 571(a), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4471; amended Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title V, § 564, Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 768; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 809(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1840.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (b).  substituted “section 7277, 7281, 8303, 9277, or 9281” for “section 3747, 3751, 6253, 8747, or 8751” in introductory provisions.

2013—Subsecs. (b), (c).  added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c).

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see , set out as a note preceding .