US Marshal Service Credentials

C

Cineimmune

New Member
I am looking for the current photo ID card for US Marshal Service. I have found FBI, CIA, even early Marshal ID, just nothing current.
Anyone have any leads or suggestions?
 
We actually need to see the current version to make sure that we aren't too close in making ours. Being too close to the original would be worse for us...
Although I don't see why it would be illegal... Police badges aren't.
 
Reading the guideline posted by cheech9898 seems to put me in the clear. It is for a film/television production... Also being shot in Canada.
 
eltee said:
No, not even close. Well, a LITTLE like the real one, but wouldn't fool anyone who has seen a real one.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up. I need my badge to look authentic, but would, like you say, "[not] fool anyone who has seen a real one." It's one of those things where we need to know what the real one looks like so that Network legal can see that ours is sufficiently different.
 
Cineimmune said:
...
Although I don't see why it would be illegal... Police badges aren't.
Click to expand...

That is not a generally true statement. Badges, police indicia, ID cards, etc. are all "regulated" and based on use, intention, sourcing and jurisdiction there are various laws (with criminal penalties) that control them. Just because you can buy, say, an NYPD badge online does not necessarily make it legal to possess unless you are in a particular jurisdiction and stay within specified parameters.


Depending upon which country / state you are in, the laws vary.

Even bonafide, real Hollywood studios working on actual, big budget productions have been ordered to control their use of realistic police / LEO props. The FBI internal newsletter (the "Informant") had an entire article on them cracking down on shows. They cited such well known productions as X-Files, Mancuso FBI, the FBI, Greatest American Hero, Silence of the Lambs, etc. More recently, there was a TV series featuring Ernie Hudson as an LASD training officer with a rookie. They wore real LASD patches and the dept. got a cease and desist order on them. If you saw the show or have it on DVD, you can see the floating overlay on all scenes showing the patch.

The Tommy Lee Jones movies abut the US Marshals (Fugitive, USM) used, IMHO, the most realistic prop marshal ID cards. It could be that the movie had the support, approval and a tech advisor from the USMS. The TV series, "The Marshal" also had a pretty close ID set.

The USMS recently (within 5 or so years) modified their IDs a little, but the old double card set is still commonly seen.

Hope this helps a little.
 
Last edited:
Hey guys,

I am sure there is a public relations department at your local police HQ. Ever thought about contacting about getting information on the do´s and don´ts? I am sure that the ADA and prop masters guild, especially the graphics artists, have info on that topic. I can´t imagine that colleagues who worked on police TV shows wouldn´t share their knowledge, at least that´s the way we do it over here in Germany (which is of course a very small industry compared to the U.S.)
What about specialised prop houses for Police, Medical and Fire department props?
 
ManfromNaboo said:
Hey guys,

I am sure there is a public relations department at your local police HQ. Ever thought about contacting about getting information on the do´s and don´ts? I am sure that the ADA and prop masters guild, especially the graphics artists, have info on that topic. I can´t imagine that colleagues who worked on police TV shows wouldn´t share their knowledge, at least that´s the way we do it over here in Germany (which is of course a very small industry compared to the U.S.)
What about specialised prop houses for Police, Medical and Fire department props?
Click to expand...
Thanks...
We all have fakes...which is fine, except legal needs an original to verify we are not using the original.
 
Yea,
not even close. It has maybe one thing the same but everything else is wrong. You could use that one and not get in trouble in my opinion. I don't understand why your legal department would need one to compare the fake to? You could always email the Marshal service and explain your intentions and ask them if the one you have is fine. Just a thought.
Jim

Cineimmune said:
Found a good fake... but need a real one to compare against...
Is this one real?
http://www.refractedeye.com/wp-content/uploads/svgalleries/design/regulars/US-Marshal-badges.jpg
Click to expand...
 
If you get the book, "Badges of the US Marshals" by Ray Sherard, there is a picture sample of the then current US Marshal's cred. id as of the book print date of 1991. Don't know how much it has changed since.
 
Here is one that I used on my Justified Display created by another member here:

justified003.jpg
justified004.jpg
 
@ the director the marshal ids have changed since the 1990's. i think the book you mentioned is out of print and hard to find. i would excercise caution when trying to replicate a federal agency credentials due to it can be miscontrued as something else.
 
i checked with the author and the book is hard to come bye and if you do come across the book expect to pay over $100.00. the ids are no longer used. they have been updated.
 
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