Federal agents in California don’t have to visibly display their badges for now, judges say

Federal law enforcement officers in California don’t have to visibly display their badges for now, a panel of appellate judges said.

The “No Vigilantes Act” required any law enforcement officer operating in California to visibly display identification that includes their agency and either their name or badge number. It has exceptions for certain operations, though it notably also applies to state police.

Now, a temporary administrative injunction preventing the state from enacting those requirements in the Senate Bill 805 was granted by a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week in order to allow the court to review the case and make a decision, court documents show.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed that law in September of last year, along with the “No Secret Police Act” that prohibited any law enforcement officer from wearing a facial covering in the performance of their duties, with a few exceptions, including SWAT team duties and in undercover operations.

That law was blocked by a U.S. district court judge on Feb. 9 after a lawsuit was filed by the Trump administration.

In blocking the “No Secret Police Act”, U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder said the law’s exemption for state police discriminates against federal agents included in the ban.

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Both laws were set to go into effect on Jan. 1, but Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office has not enforced either as the federal government lawsuit plays out.

A hearing is set for March 3 in the Richard H. Chambers U.S. Court of Appeals in Pasadena to decide whether to continue the temporary injunction, according to court documents.