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42 USC § 238g - Wearing of uniforms 

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s238g"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 238g - Wearing of uniforms"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "238g"
section_name: "Wearing of uniforms"
chapter_number: 6
chapter_name: "PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "ADMINISTRATION AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS"
part_number: "B"
part_name: "Miscellaneous Provisions"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title II, § 238, formerly title V, § 510, 58 Stat. 711; June 25, 1948, ch. 645, § 5, 62 Stat. 859; renumbered title XXI, § 2110, Pub. L. 98–24, § 2(a)(1), Apr. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 176; renumbered title XXIII, § 2310, Pub. L. 99–660, title III, § 311(a), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3755; renumbered title XXV, § 2508, Pub. L. 100–607, title II, § 201(1), (3), Nov. 4, 1988, 102 Stat. 3062, 3063; renumbered title XXVI, § 2608, Pub. L. 100–690, title II, § 2620(a), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4244; renumbered title XXVII, § 2708, Pub. L. 101–381, title I, § 101(1), (2), Aug. 18, 1990, 104 Stat. 576; renumbered title II, § 238, Pub. L. 103–43, title XX, § 2010(a)(1)–(3), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 213.)"
---

# § 238g. Wearing of uniforms

Except as may be authorized by regulations of the President, the insignia and uniform of commissioned officers of the Service, or any distinctive part of such insignia or uniform, or any insignia or uniform any part of which is similar to a distinctive part thereof, shall not be worn, after the promulgation of such regulations, by any person other than a commissioned officer of the Service.

---

**Source Credit**: (July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title II, § 238, formerly title V, § 510, 58 Stat. 711; June 25, 1948, ch. 645, § 5, 62 Stat. 859; renumbered title XXI, § 2110, Pub. L. 98–24, § 2(a)(1), Apr. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 176; renumbered title XXIII, § 2310, Pub. L. 99–660, title III, § 311(a), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3755; renumbered title XXV, § 2508, Pub. L. 100–607, title II, § 201(1), (3), Nov. 4, 1988, 102 Stat. 3062, 3063; renumbered title XXVI, § 2608, Pub. L. 100–690, title II, § 2620(a), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4244; renumbered title XXVII, § 2708, Pub. L. 101–381, title I, § 101(1), (2), Aug. 18, 1990, 104 Stat. 576; renumbered title II, § 238, Pub. L. 103–43, title XX, § 2010(a)(1)–(3), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 213.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to  prior to renumbering by , to  prior to renumbering by , to  prior to renumbering by , and to  prior to renumbering by .

### Amendments

1948—Act , struck out penal provisions. See , Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

“Secretary of Health and Human Services” substituted for “Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare” pursuant to , which is classified to , Education.

### Effective Date of 1948 Amendment

Amendment effective , see section 20 of act .

## Executive Documents

### Transfer of Functions

Functions of Public Health Service, Surgeon General of Public Health Service, and all other officers and employees of Public Health Service, and functions of all agencies of or in Public Health Service transferred to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1966, eff. , 31 F.R. 8855, , set out as a note under .

### Delegation of Functions

Functions of President delegated to Secretary of Health and Human Services, see Ex. Ord. No. 11140, , 29 F.R. 1637, as amended, set out as a note under .