50 USC § 3996 - Perfection or defense of rights

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t50/s3996"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "50 USC § 3996 - Perfection or defense of rights"
title_number: 50
title_name: "WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE"
section_number: "3996"
section_name: "Perfection or defense of rights"
chapter_number: 50
chapter_name: "SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF"
subchapter_number: "V"
subchapter_name: "TAXES AND PUBLIC LANDS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, title V, § 506, as added Pub. L. 108–189, § 1, Dec. 19, 2003, 117 Stat. 2857.)"
---


# § 3996. Perfection or defense of rights

**(a)** **Right to take action not affected** This subchapter shall not affect the right of a servicemember to take action during a period of military service that is authorized by law or regulations of the Department of the Interior, for the perfection, defense, or further assertion of rights initiated or acquired before entering military service.

**(b)** **Affidavits and proofs**

**(1)** **In general** section 1044a of title 10

A servicemember during a period of military service may make any affidavit or submit any proof required by law, practice, or regulation of the Department of the Interior in connection with the entry, perfection, defense, or further assertion of rights initiated or acquired before entering military service before an officer authorized to provide notary services under  or any superior commissioned officer.

**(2)** **Legal status of affidavits** section 1001 of title 18

Such affidavits shall be binding in law and subject to the same penalties as prescribed by .

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**Source Credit**: (Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, title V, § 506, as added Pub. L. 108–189, § 1, Dec. 19, 2003, 117 Stat. 2857.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 566 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 506 of , art. V, ; , , , related to mineral permits and leases and the suspension of operations and term of permits and leases, prior to the general amendment of this Act by . See .

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section applicable to any case not final before , see , set out as a note under .