---
kind: "section"
citation: "36 U.S.C. § 230101"
title: "36"
title_heading: "Patriotic and National Observances, Ceremonies, and Organizations"
number: "230101"
heading: "Organization"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/36/230101"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Patriotic and National Organizations"
  - "Part B — Organizations"
  - "Chapter 2301 — Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States"
---

# §230101. Organization

- (a) **Federal Charter.—** Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (in this chapter, the “[corporation](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-7)”), a national association of veterans who as soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen served this Nation in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign soil or in hostile waters, is a federally chartered [corporation](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-7).
- (b) **Perpetual Existence.—** Except as otherwise provided, the [corporation](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-7) has perpetual existence.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1481; Pub. L. 113–199, § 1(a), Dec. 4, 2014, 128 Stat. 2058.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 230101(a) | 36:111. | May 28, 1936, ch. 471, § 1, 49 Stat. 1390; May 29, 1953, ch. 85, § 1, 67 Stat. 40. |
|  | 36:112. | May 28, 1936, ch. 471, §§ 2, 4 (words before 4th semicolon related to perpetual succession), 49 Stat. 1390, 1391. |
| 230101(b) | 36:114 (words before 4th semicolon related to perpetual succession). |  |

Subsection (a) is substituted for the source provisions for consistency in the revised title and to eliminate unnecessary and executed words.

In subsection (b), the words “perpetual existence” are substituted for “perpetual succession” for consistency in the revised title.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–199 substituted “veterans” for “men”.