A 9NEWS viewer noticed a Facebook group where a person was buying and selling police badges. She thought it sounded fishy. So we looked into her question: Is that even legal?

Nationwide, there is a federal law, 18 U.S.C. 716, prohibiting people from owning badges displaying the current designs of federal law enforcement agencies like the ATF, FBI or Denver Mint Police.

In Colorado, hundreds of volunteers wear badges and carry guns as they work as sworn officers for sheriff’s offices and police departments. Those unpaid volunteers patrol the road, guard jails ...

Nibarger has owned other badges made of solid gold, or silver and jewels, and paid $2,000 for an extremely rare badge worn by one of the 30-40 officers of the old Alaska Territory Highway Patrol.