US Legal Right to Arms

 
Alexander Liptak
 
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Alexander Liptak
Total Posts:  846
Joined  06-06-2008
 
 
 
06 October 2008 20:58
 

I can not recall where it is in US Law that allows one to adopt arms.  Could someone please help?

 
kimon
 
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kimon
Total Posts:  1035
Joined  28-03-2008
 
 
 
06 October 2008 21:22
 

The beautiful thing about these United States is that you don’t need a law to allow you to do something. You are free to do whatever you want, unless there’s a law against it.

 
Jonathan R. Baker
 
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Jonathan R. Baker
Total Posts:  625
Joined  27-03-2007
 
 
 
06 October 2008 22:32
 

Quote:

There are many countries that have had official authorities with the responsibilities of granting, recording, or certifying the rights of their subjects to use particular coats of arms. The exact degree of regulation varied from place to place and time to time. In most countries, even some of those that grant arms as a sign of the sovereign’s favor, common people could legally adopt and use arms of their own devising. In others countries, such as the United Kingdom, no person has the legal right to a coat of arms without the approval of the official heraldic authorities. In the United States, however, there is no such heraldic regulation, and citizens are legally free to assume whatever arms they like.

Taken from "An American Heraldic Primer" by our own Philip D. Blanton.  The full text can be found HERE