The statute, read against the Code

The SCRA, Section by Section

50 U.S.C. Chapter 50 in plain English

All 64 sections of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, §§ 3901 through 4043, one row each: what the section does, the numbers inside it, and the guide on this site that puts it to work. Every row links to the section text at uscode.house.gov so you can read the law itself.

Read at uscode.house.gov August 15, 2026

What this chapter is

One law, eight subchapters, 64 sections

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is Chapter 50 of Title 50 of the United States Code. Its current text is the 2003 rewrite (Pub. L. 108-189, December 19, 2003) of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, and Congress has amended it more than a dozen times since, most recently in 2023 and 2024 to add professional license portability (§ 4025a) and Space Force coverage. The chapter runs from § 3901 (the short title) to § 4043 (preservation of remedies), grouped into eight subchapters: general provisions, general relief, housing and contracts, life insurance, taxes and public lands, administrative remedies, further relief, and civil liability.

Old citations. Until December 1, 2015 the Act was printed in the Appendix to Title 50 and cited as 50 U.S.C. App. §§ 501 et seq. The Office of the Law Revision Counsel then eliminated the Appendix and moved the Act, unchanged, to §§ 3901 et seq. So a lender letter or court order that cites "50 App. U.S.C. § 527" means today's § 3937 (the 6% cap), App. § 521 is § 3931 (default judgments), App. § 533 is § 3953 (mortgages), App. § 535 is § 3955 (lease termination), and App. § 571 is § 4001 (tax residence). Both numbers point at the same words.

Why "prelim". The links below open the United States Code Online, the version the Office of the Law Revision Counsel maintains between print editions (the "prelim" in each URL). On August 15, 2026, that site stated it was current through Public Law 119-102 (July 12, 2026), and no section of this chapter listed a pending update. Each section page shows its own currency line above the text, so check it there rather than here.

How to read a citation

50 U.S.C. § 3937(b)(1)(A), decoded

50 U.S.C.: Title 50 of the United States Code, "War and National Defense". The SCRA is Chapter 50 within it.
§ 3937: The section. Each row below is one section. Two sections carry a letter suffix (§ 3938a, § 4025a) because they were added later between existing numbers.
(b): The subsection. In § 3937, subsection (b) is "Implementation of limitation", the notice-and-orders rule.
(1)(A): Paragraph and subparagraph. § 3937(b)(1)(A) is the sentence that gives you 180 days after leaving service to send written notice and a copy of your orders.
§§: Plural: "§§ 3971 through 3979" means the whole life insurance subchapter.

Start here

The ten sections most people need

Almost every question that reaches this site lands on one of these. Each entry jumps to the row below and to the guide that walks you through using it.

50 U.S.C. § 3937 Maximum rate of interest on debts incurred before military service The 6% interest rate cap on debt you took on before service, and the 180-day window to claim it. Our guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3955 Termination of residential or motor vehicle leases Ending an apartment lease or a car lease on PCS or deployment orders with no early termination charge. Our guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3956 Termination of certain consumer contracts Cancelling a phone, internet, cable, gym, or home security contract on relocation orders. Our guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3931 Protection of servicemembers against default judgments The military-status affidavit a plaintiff must file before any default judgment, and how to reopen one. Our guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3932 Stay of proceedings when servicemember has notice The stay that pauses a civil case at least 90 days when duty keeps you from court. Our guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3951 Evictions and distress No eviction from your home without a court order while you serve, under the rent ceiling. Our guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3952 Protection under installment contracts for purchase or lease No repossession of a car or other installment purchase without a court order. Our guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3953 Mortgages and trust deeds No foreclosure on a pre-service mortgage without a court order, through service and one year after. Our guide →
50 U.S.C. § 4001 Residence for tax purposes Your tax home stays put on orders, for you and your spouse. Our guide →
50 U.S.C. § 4042 Private right of action Your right to sue over a violation, join a class action, and recover attorney fees. Our guide →

Subchapter I. General Provisions 12 sections, §§ 3901 to 3920

Subchapter I. General Provisions: section, plain-English summary, key facts, and the site guide for each section.
Section	What it does	Key facts from the text	Our guide
50 U.S.C. § 3901 Short title Text at uscode.house.gov →	Names the law. Everything from § 3901 through § 4043 may be cited as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, and every guide on this site refers to it that way.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3902 Purpose Text at uscode.house.gov →	States why the law exists: so servicemembers can devote their full energy to the defense of the nation, and so civil court and administrative proceedings that could hurt their rights can be paused while they serve.	Two stated purposes: strengthen the national defense, and temporarily suspend judicial and administrative proceedings and transactions that may adversely affect a servicemember’s civil rights during service	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3911 Definitions Text at uscode.house.gov →	Defines the words the rest of the chapter turns on: who is a servicemember, what counts as military service, when a period of service starts and ends, and who is a dependent.	For a National Guard member, military service also includes a call to active service of more than 30 consecutive days under 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) for a national emergency declared by the President and supported by federal funds A dependent is a spouse, a child, or a person the servicemember supported by more than half for the 180 days before applying for relief “Court” includes an administrative agency of the United States or of any State, so agency proceedings are covered too	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3912 Jurisdiction and applicability of chapter Text at uscode.house.gov →	Sets where the law reaches: the United States, every State and its political subdivisions, and all territory under U.S. jurisdiction. It covers civil and administrative proceedings but not criminal ones.	Does not apply to criminal proceedings	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3913 Protection of persons secondarily liable Text at uscode.house.gov →	Lets a court extend a servicemember’s stay or vacated judgment to co-signers, guarantors, endorsers, and co-makers on the same obligation, and blocks enforcement of a bail bond while service keeps the principal from appearing.	A surety, guarantor, or co-maker can waive this only in a written instrument separate from the obligation The court may discharge the surety and exonerate bail when military service prevents the principal from attending	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3914 Extension of protections to citizens serving with allied forces Text at uscode.house.gov →	Extends the same protections to a U.S. citizen serving with the forces of an allied nation in a war or military action, if that service resembles military service as this chapter defines it. Protection ends on discharge or release.	No operative figures in this section.	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3915 Notification of benefits Text at uscode.house.gov →	Requires each service Secretary to give written notice of the benefits of this chapter to people in military service and to people entering it.	No operative figures in this section.	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3916 Information for members of the Armed Forces and their dependents on rights and protections of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Text at uscode.house.gov →	Requires the services to brief every member on SCRA rights and protections at initial orientation, again when a reservist is mobilized for more than a year, and allows them to brief adult dependents too.	Briefing is required during initial orientation training and, for a reserve component member, when mobilized or ordered to active duty for more than one year	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3917 Extension of rights and protections to reserves ordered to report for military service and to persons ordered to report for induction Text at uscode.house.gov →	Starts the clock early for reservists and inductees: rights under subchapters I, II, and III attach on the day you receive orders to report, not the day you actually report.	Coverage runs from the date you receive the order to the date you report for service (or the date the order is revoked) Applies to subchapters I, II, and III, which include the 6% cap, stays of proceedings, and lease termination A member of the Space Force ordered to report is treated the same way as a reservist	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3918 Waiver of rights pursuant to written agreement Text at uscode.house.gov →	Says you can waive SCRA rights, but a waiver that lets a creditor modify, terminate, foreclose, or repossess counts only if it is a separate written document made under an agreement signed during or after your service.	The waiver must be in writing and executed as an instrument separate from the contract or loan it applies to For those actions, the waiver is effective only under a written agreement executed during or after the period of military service A contract waiver must be printed in at least 12 point type	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3919 Exercise of rights under chapter not to affect certain future financial transactions Text at uscode.house.gov →	Bars lenders, insurers, and credit bureaus from treating your use of an SCRA stay or deferral as a reason by itself to deny credit, change terms, report you adversely, or refuse to insure you.	Applying for or receiving a stay, postponement, or suspension cannot by itself support a credit denial, changed credit terms, or an adverse credit report A creditor or credit bureau may not annotate your record as National Guard, reserve, or Space Force because you used the SCRA	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3920 Legal representatives Text at uscode.house.gov →	Lets an attorney acting for you, or anyone holding your power of attorney, exercise your SCRA rights. Wherever the chapter says servicemember, it includes that representative.	No operative figures in this section.	No guide yet

Subchapter II. General Relief 9 sections, §§ 3931 to 3938a

Subchapter II. General Relief: section, plain-English summary, key facts, and the site guide for each section.
Section	What it does	Key facts from the text	Our guide
50 U.S.C. § 3931 Protection of servicemembers against default judgments Text at uscode.house.gov →	Stops a court from entering a default judgment against you without first checking whether you are in the military. If you are, the court must appoint a lawyer and can stay the case, and a judgment entered during service can be reopened.	The plaintiff must file an affidavit stating whether the defendant is in military service before a default judgment; knowingly filing a false one is punishable by fine or up to one year in prison The court must stay the case at least 90 days when there may be a defense that needs the absent defendant, or when appointed counsel cannot reach the defendant A default judgment entered during service or within 60 days after can be reopened if you apply within 90 days after leaving service, were materially affected by service, and have a meritorious defense	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3932 Stay of proceedings when servicemember has notice Text at uscode.house.gov →	Pauses any civil case, including a custody case, for at least 90 days once you show that duty keeps you from appearing. It applies during service and 90 days after, and asking for the stay does not waive your defenses.	The stay is not less than 90 days on application, and the court may also grant it on its own motion Application needs your letter stating how duty prevents your appearance and when you can appear, plus a commanding officer’s letter that leave is not authorized If the court refuses a further stay, it must appoint counsel to represent you	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3933 Fines and penalties under contracts Text at uscode.house.gov →	Blocks contract penalties from piling up while a case is stayed under this chapter, and lets a court cut or waive a penalty you incurred because service materially affected your ability to perform.	No penalty accrues for nonperformance of a contract during the period of a stay	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3934 Stay or vacation of execution of judgments, attachments, and garnishments Text at uscode.house.gov →	Requires a court, on your application, to stay execution of a judgment and to vacate or stay a garnishment or attachment when service materially affects your ability to comply. Covers cases filed before, during, or within 90 days after service.	The court shall stay execution and vacate or stay an attachment or garnishment on application when the servicemember is materially affected by service Applies to an action commenced before or during service, or within 90 days after it ends	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3935 Duration and term of stays; codefendants not in service Text at uscode.house.gov →	Sets how long a stay under this chapter can run: the whole period of service plus 90 days, or any part of it. A plaintiff may proceed against co-defendants who are not in service with the court’s approval.	A stay may be ordered for the period of military service and 90 days thereafter, or any part of that period Does not govern § 3932 stays or § 4021 anticipatory relief	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3936 Statute of limitations Text at uscode.house.gov →	Tolls every statute of limitations, in court or before any agency, for the whole period of your service, in cases by you or against you. It also excludes service time from real property redemption periods.	Military service time is not counted in any limitation period for bringing an action, by or against the servicemember Does not apply to limitation periods under the internal revenue laws of the United States	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3937 Maximum rate of interest on debts incurred before military service Text at uscode.house.gov →	Caps interest on debt you (or you and your spouse jointly) took on before entering service at 6% per year. Interest above 6% is forgiven, not deferred, and the payment must drop to match.	The 6% cap runs for the whole period of service; on a mortgage it runs one more year after service Send written notice and a copy of orders no later than 180 days after release from service; the creditor must then apply the cap back to the date you were called to service “Interest” includes service charges, renewal charges, and fees, except bona fide insurance; a knowing violation is punishable by fine or up to one year in prison	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3938 Child custody protection Text at uscode.house.gov →	Protects deployed parents in custody cases. A temporary custody order based only on deployment must expire when the deployment does, and a court cannot treat deployment as the sole factor in deciding a child’s best interest.	Deployment means movement to a location for more than 60 days and not more than 540 days on orders that are unaccompanied or do not allow family members to move there A State law that protects the deploying parent more strongly controls Creates no federal right of action, federal jurisdiction, or right of removal	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3938a Annual notice to members of the Armed Forces regarding child custody protections guaranteed by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Text at uscode.house.gov →	Requires each military department to notify every member with dependents, once a year and before each deployment, of the SCRA’s child custody protections.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →

Subchapter III. Rent, Installment Contracts, Mortgages, Liens, Assignment, Leases, Communications Service Contracts 9 sections, §§ 3951 to 3959

Subchapter III. Rent, Installment Contracts, Mortgages, Liens, Assignment, Leases, Communications Service Contracts: section, plain-English summary, key facts, and the site guide for each section.
Section	What it does	Key facts from the text	Our guide
50 U.S.C. § 3951 Evictions and distress Text at uscode.house.gov →	Bars a landlord from evicting you or your dependents from your home during service without a court order, so long as the monthly rent is under an inflation-adjusted ceiling. A court can also stay the eviction 90 days.	The rent ceiling was $2,400 in 2003 and is adjusted each year by the CPI rent index; the Federal Register notice of March 10, 2026 sets it at $10,542.60 as of January 1, 2026 The court shall stay eviction proceedings 90 days (or adjust the lease) on request when service materially affects ability to pay rent Knowingly evicting in violation is punishable by fine or up to one year in prison	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3952 Protection under installment contracts for purchase or lease Text at uscode.house.gov →	Protects installment purchases and leases (a car, furniture, real estate) on which you paid a deposit or installment before service. Once you are in, the seller cannot rescind, terminate, or repossess for a breach without a court order.	Applies only where a deposit or installment was paid before entry into military service Repossession without a court order is a misdemeanor: fine or up to one year in prison The court may order repayment of prior installments or deposits as a condition of letting the seller take the property back	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3953 Mortgages and trust deeds Text at uscode.house.gov →	Blocks foreclosure, sale, or seizure of property under a mortgage you took out before service unless a court orders it first. The protection lasts through service and one year after, and a court can stay or adjust the loan.	Covers a mortgage, trust deed, or similar security interest that originated before military service No valid sale, foreclosure, or seizure without a court order during service or within one year after it, unless waived under § 3918 A knowing violation is punishable by fine or up to one year in prison	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3954 Settlement of stayed cases relating to personal property Text at uscode.house.gov →	When a court stays a repossession, a foreclosure on personal property, or a contract termination, it may appoint three appraisers and order the servicemember’s equity paid out as a condition of letting the creditor take the property.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3955 Termination of residential or motor vehicle leases Text at uscode.house.gov →	Lets you end a housing lease or a car lease early, with no early termination charge, when you enter service or receive PCS or deployment orders. Written notice plus a copy of your orders does it.	Housing: entry into service, or orders to PCS or deploy for at least 90 days; a monthly lease ends 30 days after the next rent due date following delivery of notice Vehicles: entry into service on orders of at least 180 days, a PCS from the continental U.S. to outside it (or from a non-contiguous State to anywhere outside that State), or a deployment of at least 180 days; return the car within 15 days of notice No early termination charge, and rent paid in advance must be refunded within 30 days of the termination date	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3956 Termination of certain consumer contracts Text at uscode.house.gov →	Lets you cancel a cell phone, landline, internet, cable or satellite TV, gym, or home security contract without an early termination charge when you get relocation orders of at least 90 days to a place that does not support the service.	Six contract types: commercial mobile service, telephone exchange service, internet access, multichannel video programming, gym membership or fitness program, and home security You may keep your phone number if you re-subscribe within 90 days after a relocation of three years or less The provider must refund advance payments within 60 days; you must return provider-owned equipment within 10 days of disconnection	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3957 Protection of life insurance policy Text at uscode.house.gov →	If you assigned a life insurance policy as loan collateral before service, the assignee cannot exercise its rights under that assignment during service or one year after without a court order, unless premiums are unpaid or the insured dies.	Protection lasts the period of military service plus one year Does not apply when premiums are due and unpaid, on the death of the insured, or with the insured’s written consent given during the protected period	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3958 Enforcement of storage liens Text at uscode.house.gov →	Stops a storage facility, repair shop, towing yard, or any other lien holder from foreclosing or enforcing a lien on your property during service and 90 days after without first getting a court order.	Covers liens for storage, repair, or cleaning of the servicemember’s property, and any other lien on that property The court order must be granted before foreclosure or enforcement; a knowing violation is punishable by fine or up to one year in prison	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3959 Extension of protections to dependents Text at uscode.house.gov →	Lets a dependent apply to a court for the protections of this subchapter (evictions, installment contracts, mortgages, leases, liens) when the servicemember’s service materially affects the dependent’s ability to comply.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →

Subchapter IV. Life Insurance 9 sections, §§ 3971 to 3979

Subchapter IV. Life Insurance: section, plain-English summary, key facts, and the site guide for each section.
Section	What it does	Key facts from the text	Our guide
50 U.S.C. § 3971 Definitions Text at uscode.house.gov →	Defines the terms for the life insurance subchapter. A protected policy is an individual whole, endowment, universal, or term life policy (not group term) that was in force at least 180 days before you entered service.	The policy must have been in force not less than 180 days before entry into military service Group term life insurance coverage is excluded	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3972 Insurance rights and protections Text at uscode.house.gov →	Turns on the life insurance protection when you, your legal representative, or (if you are outside a State) your beneficiary applies in writing, and caps how much coverage the government will stand behind.	Total protected coverage may not exceed $250,000 or the SGLI maximum, whichever is greater, regardless of how many policies are submitted Send the original application to the insurer and a copy to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3973 Application for insurance protection Text at uscode.house.gov →	Sets what the written application must contain: your signature (or your representative’s), the policy and insurer, and an acknowledgment that the policy is modified by this subchapter. The insurer must report the policy to the VA.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3974 Policies entitled to protection and lapse of policies Text at uscode.house.gov →	The VA decides whether a policy qualifies. Once it does, the policy cannot lapse, terminate, or be forfeited for nonpayment of premiums, and the protection lasts through service and two years after.	Protection applies during the period of military service and for two years thereafter Lapse protection starts on the date the Secretary of Veterans Affairs receives the application	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3975 Policy restrictions Text at uscode.house.gov →	While a policy is protected, dividends and cash or loan value cannot be paid out or borrowed without VA approval. Your right to change the beneficiary or pick a settlement option is unaffected.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3976 Deduction of unpaid premiums Text at uscode.house.gov →	If a protected policy pays out, on death or otherwise, during the protection period, the insurer deducts the guaranteed unpaid premiums plus interest at the policy loan rate from the proceeds and reports the amount to the VA.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3977 Premiums and interest guaranteed by United States Text at uscode.house.gov →	The United States guarantees the premiums and interest on a protected policy. Whatever the government pays becomes a debt you owe it, collectible by offset, and not dischargeable in bankruptcy.	Unpaid guaranteed amounts are treated as a policy loan when protection ends; if cash value cannot cover them, the policy terminates and the U.S. pays the insurer the difference The resulting debt to the United States is not dischargeable in bankruptcy	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3978 Regulations Text at uscode.house.gov →	Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prescribe the regulations that implement the life insurance protection.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3979 Review of findings of fact and conclusions of law Text at uscode.house.gov →	Puts VA decisions under this subchapter on the normal veterans appeals track: findings of fact and law can be appealed to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, with judicial review only as chapter 72 of title 38 allows.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →

Subchapter V. Taxes and Public Lands 11 sections, §§ 3991 to 4001

Subchapter V. Taxes and Public Lands: section, plain-English summary, key facts, and the site guide for each section.
Section	What it does	Key facts from the text	Our guide
50 U.S.C. § 3991 Taxes respecting personal property, money, credits, and real property Text at uscode.house.gov →	Protects your home, land, and personal property (including cars) from being sold for property taxes or assessments that fell due before or during service, unless a court finds service does not affect your ability to pay. Interest is capped at 6%.	No tax sale except by court order after a finding that service does not materially affect ability to pay; the court may stay proceedings through service plus 180 days The right to redeem property sold for taxes runs through service and 180 days after Unpaid tax bears interest at 6% per year with no additional penalty or interest	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 3992 Rights in public lands Text at uscode.house.gov →	Keeps rights in federal public lands (including mining and mineral leasing claims) begun before service from being forfeited for absence or unfinished work while you serve, and lets grazing permittees suspend permits.	A grazing permit or license may be suspended for the period of service and 180 days after, with grazing fees remitted, reduced, or refunded	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3993 Desert-land entries Text at uscode.house.gov →	Shields a desert-land entry made before service from contest or cancellation for missed improvement spending or reclamation during service and 180 days after. A notice must be filed with the land office.	File notice of military service with the district land office within 180 days after entry into service	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3994 Mining claims Text at uscode.house.gov →	Suspends the annual $100 labor or improvement requirement on a mining claim during service and 180 days after, and bars forfeiture for missed annual assessment work in that window. A notice must be filed with the recording office.	The notice must be filed before the end of the assessment year in which service begins, or within 60 days after that year ends	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3995 Mineral permits and leases Text at uscode.house.gov →	Lets a holder of a federal mineral permit or lease suspend all operations for the period of service and 180 days after; the term does not run and no rental or royalty accrues while suspended.	Notify the Secretary of the Interior by registered mail within 180 days after entering service	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3996 Perfection or defense of rights Text at uscode.house.gov →	Preserves your right to act on pre-service Interior Department land rights while serving, and lets you make required affidavits before a military notary or a superior commissioned officer, with the same legal effect as a civilian oath.	No operative figures in this section.	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3997 Distribution of information concerning benefits of subchapter Text at uscode.house.gov →	Requires the service Secretaries to explain this subchapter’s benefits to servicemembers and provide application forms, using material and forms the Secretary of the Interior supplies.	No operative figures in this section.	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3998 Land rights of servicemembers Text at uscode.house.gov →	Gives servicemembers under 21 the same public land rights as those 21 and older, suspends any deadline to establish residence on the land until 180 days after service, and lets entry applications be verified before a military notary.	Residence deadlines on public land entries are suspended until 180 days after termination of or release from service	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 3999 Regulations Text at uscode.house.gov →	Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue regulations for the public lands parts of this subchapter, but not for the tax sections (§§ 3991, 4000, and 4001).	No operative figures in this section.	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 4000 Income taxes Text at uscode.house.gov →	Defers collection of federal, state, or local income tax that fell due before or during service, if service materially affects your ability to pay, once you notify the tax authority. No interest or penalty accrues during the deferral.	Deferral runs up to 180 days after termination of or release from military service The collection statute of limitations is suspended for the period of service plus 270 days Does not apply to the employee FICA tax under 26 U.S.C. § 3101	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 4001 Residence for tax purposes Text at uscode.house.gov →	Fixes your tax home. Neither you nor your spouse gains or loses a residence or domicile for tax purposes by being somewhere on military orders, and a couple may elect either spouse’s domicile or the duty station state for any tax year.	Military pay is not income from sources within a State where you serve on orders but are not domiciled; a spouse’s earned income gets the same treatment Personal property (including cars) is not taxable by the host State, except property used in a trade or business A host State may not use nonresident military pay to raise the tax on other income	Read the guide →

Subchapter VI. Administrative Remedies 3 sections, §§ 4011 to 4013

Subchapter VI. Administrative Remedies: section, plain-English summary, key facts, and the site guide for each section.
Section	What it does	Key facts from the text	Our guide
50 U.S.C. § 4011 Inappropriate use of chapter Text at uscode.house.gov →	Lets a court disregard any transfer of property, interest, or contract made to abuse the SCRA and delay the just enforcement of someone’s rights, and enter whatever judgment it could otherwise have entered.	No operative figures in this section.	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 4012 Certificates of service; persons reported missing Text at uscode.house.gov →	Makes a certificate signed by the Secretary concerned prima facie evidence of a person’s military status, entry and release dates, rank, unit, and pay. A servicemember reported missing is presumed to remain in service until accounted for.	The Secretary concerned must furnish the certificate on receipt of an application for it	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 4013 Interlocutory orders Text at uscode.house.gov →	Lets the court that issued a temporary (interlocutory) order under this chapter revoke, modify, or extend it, on its own motion or otherwise, after notifying the affected parties.	No operative figures in this section.	No guide yet

Subchapter VII. Further Relief 8 sections, §§ 4021 to 4027

Subchapter VII. Further Relief: section, plain-English summary, key facts, and the site guide for each section.
Section	What it does	Key facts from the text	Our guide
50 U.S.C. § 4021 Anticipatory relief Text at uscode.house.gov →	Lets you ask a court, during service or within 180 days after, to restructure a pre-service debt or a tax that fell due before or during service if service materially affects your ability to pay. The court can stay enforcement and stretch out repayment.	Apply during military service or within 180 days after termination of or release from it For a mortgage or real estate installment contract, the stay can run the remaining life of the contract plus a period equal to your service, with the balance repaid in equal installments No fine or penalty accrues while you comply with the terms of the stay	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 4022 Power of attorney Text at uscode.house.gov →	Automatically extends a power of attorney you executed during service (or after receiving orders) that names a spouse, parent, or other relative, for as long as you are in missing status, unless the document says it expires regardless.	No operative figures in this section.	No guide yet
50 U.S.C. § 4023 Professional liability protection Text at uscode.house.gov →	Lets a doctor, lawyer, or other professional called to active duty suspend professional liability insurance without paying premiums, then reinstate it on return at the pre-suspension premium. Malpractice suits filed during the suspension are stayed.	The carrier must refund premiums paid for the suspension period, or credit them to the reinstatement premium Request reinstatement within 30 days after release from active duty; the reinstated premium may not exceed the pre-suspension rate except for general increases A suit based on pre-suspension conduct that is filed during the suspension is stayed until the suspension ends	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 4024 Health insurance reinstatement Text at uscode.house.gov →	Entitles you to reinstate health insurance you had before service and lost during it, with no exclusion or waiting period for conditions that arose before or during service, at a premium no higher than before.	Apply within 120 days after termination of or release from military service Does not apply if you are entitled to employer-offered coverage under chapter 43 of title 38 (USERRA) The premium is capped at the pre-termination amount for the balance of the coverage period, except general increases	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 4025 Guarantee of residency for military personnel and spouses of military personnel Text at uscode.house.gov →	For voting in federal, state, and local elections, being away from your State on military orders (or accompanying a spouse who is) does not cost you your residence there or make you a resident anywhere else.	A spouse may elect to use the servicemember’s residence for voting regardless of when the marriage occurred	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 4025a Portability of professional licenses of servicemembers and their spouses Text at uscode.house.gov →	Makes a professional license held by a servicemember or spouse valid in the new State when orders move them, once they apply with proof of orders, a notarized affidavit of good standing, and (for a spouse) the marriage certificate.	If the State cannot act on the application within 30 days, it may issue a temporary license with the same rights and responsibilities The license must be in good standing, not revoked or disciplined, and not under investigation for unprofessional conduct Does not apply where the license operates under an interstate compact	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 4026 Business or trade obligations Text at uscode.house.gov →	If your trade or business owes a debt you are personally liable for, your non-business assets cannot be reached to satisfy it during your service. The creditor can ask a court to modify that relief.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 4027 Guarantee of residency for spouses of servicemembers Text at uscode.house.gov →	Lets a servicemember’s spouse elect to use the servicemember’s residence for any purpose, including registering a business, no matter when the marriage occurred.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →

Subchapter VIII. Civil Liability 3 sections, §§ 4041 to 4043

Subchapter VIII. Civil Liability: section, plain-English summary, key facts, and the site guide for each section.
Section	What it does	Key facts from the text	Our guide
50 U.S.C. § 4041 Enforcement by the Attorney General Text at uscode.house.gov →	Authorizes the Attorney General to sue anyone engaged in a pattern or practice of SCRA violations, or a violation of significant public importance, and to win damages for servicemembers plus civil penalties. This is the section behind the DOJ enforcement ledger.	Statutory civil penalty: up to $55,000 for a first violation and $110,000 for each later one; DOJ’s inflation-adjusted figures at 28 CFR 85.5 are $79,380 and $158,761 for penalties assessed after July 3, 2025 The court may award monetary damages to any person aggrieved by the violation An aggrieved person may intervene and recover what a private suit under § 4042 would allow, plus costs and a reasonable attorney fee	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 4042 Private right of action Text at uscode.house.gov →	Gives you a private right to sue over any SCRA violation for equitable relief and money damages, to bring or join a class action even if you signed an agreement saying otherwise, and to recover costs and a reasonable attorney fee if you win.	The class action right applies notwithstanding any previous agreement to the contrary The court may award costs, including a reasonable attorney fee, to a prevailing aggrieved person	Read the guide →
50 U.S.C. § 4043 Preservation of remedies Text at uscode.house.gov →	Makes clear that the two enforcement sections do not limit any other remedy available under other law, including consequential and punitive damages.	No operative figures in this section.	Read the guide →

How this index was built

Section numbers, headings, and subchapter names were read from the chapter table of contents and section text at uscode.house.gov on August 15, 2026. Headings are copied as the Office of the Law Revision Counsel prints them. Every figure in the key-facts column (a rate, a day count, a dollar amount) was read from the statutory text of that section on the same date; nothing was carried over from memory or from a secondary source. Where the statute says a figure is adjusted by regulation, the current figure is stated with its source: the § 3951 rent ceiling from the Federal Register notice of March 10, 2026 that § 3951(a)(3) requires each year, and the § 4041 civil penalty from 28 CFR 85.5 as published in the eCFR on August 13, 2026.

The plain-English column summarizes; it does not replace the text. When a lender, landlord, or court disputes a point, cite the section and read the words at the link in the row. General information, not legal advice; read our editorial policy. New to the SCRA? Start with the complete guide or the glossary.