Over the past years many California State Police and Highway Patrol badges have been offered on the collector market with titles that have never been used, like PILOT, K-9, MAJOR, DIVER, SWAT, CORPORAL, COLONEL and a few others.
Most departments in California use SERGEANT, LIEUTENANT, CAPTAIN, some use INSPECTOR or COMMANDER. Earlier basic rank CHP badges bore the title TRAFFIC OFFICER. The current basic rank is OFFICER.
There have been many stories about the state badges marked WA. Some say they are prototypes, others say they were made for the department and rejected. So far as I know (and I've been collecting since about 1950) the WA hallmark has never been used on a CHP nor California State Police badge.
CHP does not have the title CHIEF, but SUPERINTENDENT.
So far as I know, California was the only state to have both a STATE POLICE and HIGHWAY PATROL. That ended on July 12, 1995 when the STATE POLICE was absorbed by the CHP.
CHP like the Texas Rangers is a well known agency, hence their patches and badges are most often reproduced. It's highly unlikely that you will ever see a real one offered on ebay or anywhere else in the $35. as frequently seen with these unauthorized replicas.


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