§112.4. Unlawful production, manufacturing, distribution, or possession of unauthorized peace officer badges

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly or intentionally produce, manufacture, distribute, or possess unauthorized peace officer badges.

B. For purposes of this Section:

(1) "Distribute" means to sell, give, transport, issue, provide, lend, deliver, transfer, transmit, distribute, or disseminate.

(2) "Peace officer" shall include commissioned police officers, sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, marshals, deputy marshals, correctional officers, constables, wildlife enforcement agents, park wardens, livestock brand inspectors, forestry officers, attorney general investigators, district attorney investigators, inspector general investigators, and probation and parole officers.

(3) "Produce or manufacture" means to develop, prepare, design, create, or otherwise process.

(4) "Unauthorized peace officer badge" means any device or emblem, regardless of the material of which it is made, worn as an insignia of rank, office, or membership of a peace officer in a law enforcement agency which has not been expressly authorized by the law enforcement agency.

C.(1) Whoever violates the provisions of this Section by possessing an unauthorized peace officer badge shall be fined not more than fifty dollars, imprisoned for not more than ten days, or both.

(2) Whoever violates the provisions of this Section by distributing, manufacturing, or producing an unauthorized peace officer badge upon a first conviction shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars, imprisoned for not more than ninety days, or both. Upon a second or subsequent conviction, the offender shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars, imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.

D. The provisions of this Section shall not be construed to limit the production, manufacturing, distribution, or possession of a peace officer badge with the designation "police", "marshal", "sheriff", "law enforcement", "warden", or any other designation which does not designate a specific law enforcement agency by name or jurisdiction and which is intended for novelty purposes.

E. The definition of a "peace officer" as provided for in Paragraph (B)(2) of this Section, shall be strictly construed solely for the purposes of this Section and shall not be construed as granting the authority to any agency not defined as a "peace officer" pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 40:2402 to make arrests, perform search and seizures, execute criminal warrants, prevent and detect crime, and enforce the laws of this state.

Acts 2011, No. 91, §1.