Is It Legal to Make Your Own Press Pass? What Laws Say

We can't give you a yes or no on making your own press pass, because the answer depends on your state, your country and how the card is used. What we can show you is what the laws actually say, and they mostly target something else. They go after pretending to be an officer or official, faking government badges, IDs and seals, and pretending to represent someone to get a benefit.

For example, the federal law at 18 U.S.C. 912 covers anyone who falsely pretends to be an officer or employee acting under the authority of the United States, and it carries up to three years in prison¹. This page walks through the statute text we pulled, real cases where fake press passes led to arrests, and the things you should never put on a card. It is general information, not legal advice. Laws vary by state and country, so check the rules where you work.

Facts and prices checked November 13, 2026. See something wrong? Tell us.

Key takeaways

• This page explains statute text and is not legal advice, and laws vary by state and country.
• Federal law punishes pretending to be a federal officer or employee, with up to three years in prison¹.
• Federal law also covers fake federal badges and ID cards, counterfeit police badges, and fake agency seals²³⁴.
• New York's impersonation law also covers pretending to represent a person or organization to get a benefit⁵.
• Never put police, government or agency marks on a card, and never claim an outlet you don't work for.

The short answer, and why we can't give a yes or no

People ask can I make my own press pass because the word press sounds official. It isn't a protected title in the statutes we looked at. None of the federal or state laws below use the words press pass. What they do cover is closer to the behavior around a card than the card itself.

That's why a yes or no answer would be wrong. The same printed card could be harmless as a name badge at a meetup and a serious problem if someone uses it to claim to be police, to fake a government ID, or to pose as staff of an outlet they don't work for. Courts look at facts, and each state writes its own laws.

So here's what this page does. It explains what specific statutes say, with links to the text. It shows real cases. And it lists what to keep off any card. For the basics of what passes are and who issues them, see what a press pass is and how it works.

What federal law says about pretending to be an officer

The main federal law here is 18 U.S.C. 912. It covers anyone who falsely assumes or pretends to be an officer or employee acting under the authority of the United States and acts as one¹. It also covers someone who, in that pretended role, demands or obtains something of value¹.

The penalty in the text is a fine, up to three years in prison, or both¹.

Notice what this law is about. It's about pretending to be a federal officer or employee. A card that just says PRESS doesn't, on its face, name a federal office. But a card that mixes press wording with federal agency names, or that someone uses to claim they're acting for a federal body, moves toward what the statute describes. That's one reason our list later on says to keep every government name and mark off your card.

Federal laws on badges, ID cards and seals

Three more federal laws deal with the look of official items, not just the act of pretending. Here's what each one covers, in the words of the text, and the maximum prison term it lists.

Section 716 defines a counterfeit police badge as an item that so resembles a police badge that it would deceive an ordinary person into believing it is genuine³. It also defines official insignia to include a badge, emblem or identification card that shows a public employee's authority, and public employee covers federal, state and local government³. The law lists defenses, such as a genuine item that isn't used to mislead or is kept in a collection or used as decoration, and a counterfeit used only as a prop in a play, film or TV show³.

The common thread is clear from the text. These laws care about things that look like government authority. A card that borrows a seal, a badge shape or an agency name is the kind of item they describe.

State impersonation laws, two examples

Every state has its own rules, so we picked two whose text we could pull from the state's own site. They show how wide these laws can be. Check your own state's code before you rely on anything here.

New York

New York Penal Law 190.25 defines criminal impersonation in the second degree, a class A misdemeanor⁵. It covers several kinds of conduct, including these⁵.

• Impersonating another person and acting in that role to get a benefit or to injure or defraud someone
• Pretending to be a representative of some person or organization and acting in that role to get a benefit or to injure or defraud someone
• Pretending to be a public servant, or wearing or showing an official uniform, badge or insignia without authority, to get someone to submit to that pretended authority or rely on it
• Doing the same kinds of impersonation online or by other electronic means

The second item matters for press passes. A card that names an outlet you don't actually represent, used to get a benefit, is the kind of conduct that subdivision describes.

Florida

Florida Statutes 843.08 covers falsely pretending to be one of a long list of officers, from police officers and sheriffs to firefighters, state attorneys and federal law enforcement officers, and acting as one⁶. The base offense is a third degree felony, and it rises to a second degree felony if it happens while committing another felony⁶.

Those are just two states. Other states word their laws differently, and some cover more roles. The safe habit is to read your own state's statute on the legislature's site.

Real cases where fake press passes led to arrests

In January 2025, during the Palisades fire in Los Angeles, the California Highway Patrol stopped two people at road closures inside the evacuation zone⁷. They were using what appeared to be Sheriff's Department press passes⁷. After the Sheriff's Department confirmed the passes were fake, the CHP arrested both, and a search found more fake press passes⁷. The report didn't say what charges they could face⁷.

In 2018, the Associated Press reported on a Missouri man accused of posing as an FBI agent, a journalist and a hockey team employee⁸. He was first indicted over a fake FBI ID card, and prosecutors later added charges for other counterfeit credentials, including a fake White House press pass, and for equipment used to make such documents⁸.

Both cases have the same pattern. The cards copied something a real issuer gives out, a sheriff's press pass or a White House pass, and they were used to get somewhere or claim a role. A plain card with your own name and your own work doesn't copy a real issuer, but how any card is used still matters, and laws vary.

What to never put on a card

Whatever you print, keep it honest and keep it plain. This list follows the laws above and the cases where fake passes caused trouble.

• No government names or marks. No police, sheriff, FBI, federal, state, city or agency names, and no seals⁴.
• No badge or shield shapes. Nothing that looks like a police badge³.
• No authority words. Skip official, authorized, accredited, credential, law enforcement and similar wording.
• No copies of real passes. Don't copy the look of a sheriff's, city, White House, league or event credential⁷⁸.
• No outlet you don't work for. Only name an outlet if you actually publish there⁵.
• No one else's name or photo. The card is about you and your work.

If all you want is a simple card with your name, photo and contact details, a blank design is enough.

Our free template is plain by design. It has a PRESS header, no Media List name or logo on the card faces, and a disclaimer printed on both sides. It has no seals, no badge shapes and no OFFICIAL, AUTHORIZED, ACCREDITED or CREDENTIAL wording. Nobody checks anything, so it shows no verification, and it's not an ID. The free press pass template guide shows how to edit and print it, and press pass design covers layout choices.

Pretending to work for an outlet

The trickiest line for most people isn't police. It's the outlet. New York's law covers pretending to be a representative of an organization to get a benefit⁵. Putting a well known outlet's name on your card, or writing your own assignment letter in an editor's name, can look exactly like that.

The fix is simple. A letter of assignment is filled in and signed by an editor or client at the outlet. You never sign it for them, never use an outlet name you don't work for, and never sign in someone else's name. Our letter of assignment template shows what a real one says.

If you're freelance or independent and nobody at an outlet will vouch for you, you still have honest options. You can send organizers links to your own published work and your audience numbers. You can also have a third party look at your bylines and give you files that show the result.

None of these options grant access. Organizers decide.

How the law treats real journalists, briefly

It helps to know that a card isn't what makes you a journalist in the eyes of most officials. New York City says a press card is not required to work as a journalist in the city or to gather news⁹. The city's card is needed only for certain things, like crossing police and fire lines it sets up and attending city events open to the press⁹.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says journalists covering protests have the same rights as other members of the public to observe, photograph and record in public places¹⁰. It also says newsgathering is no excuse for trespass or other unlawful conduct¹⁰. RCFP adds that the press has no right of special access beyond the general public, though some places give journalists extra protections, such as exemptions from dispersal or curfew orders¹⁰. A card you print yourself doesn't change what the law in your area says. Our guide on what a press pass does goes deeper.

Laws vary by state and country

Everything above is US law, and only a few examples of it. Your state may have broader rules, and other countries handle press identity in their own way.

The UK is a good example of a system run by the news industry. The UK Press Card Authority runs the UK Press Card as a voluntary scheme through 22 gatekeeper organizations, each issuing only to its own staff or members¹¹. It says its card is the only press identity card recognized by the UK chief police officers' associations, and it warns that cards sold by other groups for a fee are invariably fakes with no standing or value¹¹.

Before you print anything, do three things.

1. Read your state's or country's impersonation and false ID laws on the official legislature site.
2. Check the rules of the place you want to cover, such as the city press office, the venue or the event's media page.
3. Keep the card plain and true, with your real name and your real work.

Show your published work instead of borrowing authority

A card is only as useful as what it can back up. If you want something stronger than a blank template, the Media List Press Pass is built around that idea.

It's a verification of your published work, based on what you send us, plus print-ready design files. We look for at least 5 articles with your name as the author from the last 24 months, and proof the bylines are yours, either a work email at the outlet, which is fastest, or a link from your author page that a person checks. The site has to be registered 5 or more years ago, or you need 2 or more years of your work on Substack, Medium, beehiiv and similar, and the site has to mainly publish news, reviews, analysis or commentary.

You get a wallet card front and back in 4 styles, a 3 by 4 inch lanyard badge, a letter of verification, a certificate, a vehicle placard, and a public verification page on medialist.com, with a QR code on every file that opens it. Our designs carry no seals, no badge shapes and no government look.

It is not an official or government ID, not a credential, license, accreditation or proof of employment, and it grants no access. Organizers, venues and officials decide. You're solely responsible for how you use it and for following the law where you work. If you don't qualify, you get a full refund, and the free template is always there if you just need a blank card. Details are on the Media List Press Pass page.

Questions, answered

Is it legal to make your own press pass?

We can't answer that for your situation, because it depends on your state, your country and how the card is used. The laws we looked at target pretending to be an officer, faking government badges, IDs and seals, and pretending to represent someone for a benefit¹⁵. Check the rules where you work.

Can I get in trouble for a fake press pass?

People have been arrested after using fake press passes. In the 2025 Palisades fire, two people using what looked like Sheriff's Department press passes were arrested once the department confirmed the passes were fake⁷.

Is it a crime to impersonate a journalist?

None of the statutes we pulled use the word journalist. New York's law does cover pretending to represent a person or organization to get a benefit or to defraud someone, which could include claiming an outlet you don't work for⁵. Other states word their laws differently.

What is 18 U.S.C. 912?

It's the federal law against falsely pretending to be an officer or employee acting under the authority of the United States and acting as one. The text lists a fine, up to three years in prison, or both¹.

Can I put a badge or seal on my press pass?

Don't. Federal law covers imitation federal badges and ID cards, counterfeit police badges and fake agency seals²³⁴. Keep any card plain.

Do I need a press pass to be a journalist?

Not in New York City, which says a press card is not required to work as a journalist or gather news there⁹. You need the city's card only for certain things, like crossing its police and fire lines.

Can I write my own letter of assignment?

No. An editor or client at the outlet fills it in and signs it. Writing it in their name or using an outlet you don't work for can look like the impersonation New York's law describes⁵.

Related guides

• What Is a Press Pass, Who Issues One and How It Works
• Free Press Pass Template to Download and Edit in Word
• Press Pass Design and What to Put on Your Badge
• What Does a Press Pass Do, and What It Does Not Do
• Letter of Assignment Template for Press Credentials

Sources

1. Legal Information Institute, 18 U.S. Code 912, Officer or employee of the United States, checked 2026-11-13
2. Legal Information Institute, 18 U.S. Code 701, Official badges, identification cards, other insignia, checked 2026-11-13
3. Legal Information Institute, 18 U.S. Code 716, Public employee insignia and uniform, checked 2026-11-13
4. Legal Information Institute, 18 U.S. Code 506, Seals of departments or agencies, checked 2026-11-13
5. New York State Senate, Penal Law 190.25, Criminal impersonation in the second degree, checked 2026-11-13
6. Florida Legislature, Florida Statutes 843.08, False personation, checked 2026-11-13
7. Los Angeles Times via Yahoo News, To get into off-limits fire zone, two people pretended to be reporters, officials say (January 20, 2025), checked 2026-11-13
8. Associated Press via KSIS Radio, Man facing impersonation charges for using fake credentials (May 21, 2018), checked 2026-11-13
9. NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Press Card, checked 2026-11-13
10. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Police, Protesters, and the Press, checked 2026-11-13
11. UK Press Card Authority, About the UK Press Card, checked 2026-11-13