Adrian Imperial College of Arms

Policy on Non-Registered Arms

11 October 2000

There has been some confusion and consternation among the Populace of the Empire regarding the registration of armory. This Policy is intended to clarify this issue with regard to the Imperial College of Arms.

At current, there is no law against displaying unregistered armory. The Bylaws are silent on this issue, and the Estates Writ on Armigerous Rights &c. speaks only that armorial display is restricted to armigers.

This is what the Estates Writ says about displaying armory:

The right to display arms is reserved to armigers.

Armigers are those who have either been granted the right to bear arms by the Crown or the Estates, such as by being granted the titles of Lord/Lady, Baronet, Viscount/ess, Count/ess Royal, and Prince/ss, or those who have earned the right to bear arms by virtue of being Knighted.

Non-Knightly armigers may display their arms on their person in any shape so long as it is no more than six inches on its longest edge.

Knightly Peers have the further right to display their arms on an heraldic tabard.

Landed Knights, and Royal and Imperial Knightly Peers have the further right of livery.

Any member may register arms against the day they shall be permitted to display them.

Any armiger may display armory on period implements as approved by the Imperial College of Arms.

Imperial Law holds that new subdivisions and Domains require registered armory, but this does not hold for individuals. Except where required by regional Kingdom Law, no person is required to register arms of any kind, nor is any person required to register the armory that they display.

If the current Imperial Sovereign of Arms has anything to say about it, there will never be an Imperial-level law requiring arms registration for any individual, nor will there ever be a law requiring that any armorial display be registered.

This brings to mind the question that many have asked: "So why bother to register?"

The answer is threefold:

• Your arms get listed in the Imperial Armorial and Roll of Arms for all the world to see and admire.

• Other people can use this information to make Nice Stuff for you.

• Your arms are COPYRIGHTED.

This last reason is the most important. No one wants to spend hours working on an expensive banner or surcoat for themselves only to find that someone else in another subdivision has created the identical item.

You register your arms so that no matter where you may go in the Empire, your arms will be unique.

If, however, you do not register your arms, no one from the College of Arms will tell you to take them down unless they violate local standards regarding offensiveness or obscenity.

The College of Arms does not care about the size or shape of banner, nor how high off the ground they are. We don't care if it's registered or not. We don't even care if it's heraldic or not. As the standard-bearers of Period armorial style, the College would like to ask that unregistered banners at least look like they fall within our Period, but we will not require it.

Therefore, it is the official policy of the Adrian Imperial College of Arms that while we encourage individuals to register their armory, we will neither require that displayed armory be registered, nor will we encourage the passage of laws that require such registration.

Signed this 12th day of October, Anno Ludus XIV, being 2000 in the Common Era,

Sir Nigel the Byzantine
Fleur-de-Lis King of Arms