A heraldic authority is defined as an office or institution which has been established by a reigning monarch or a government to deal with heraldry in the country concerned. It does not include private societies or enterprises which design and/or register coats of arms.
Over the centuries, many countries have established heraldry authorities, and several still flourish today.
The commission deals only with municipal heraldry and vexillology. It is composed of five members appointed on a four years mandate by the Minister: jurist, heraldist, archivist, historian and visual artist.[2] Pursuant to article 10. Law on the local self-government units, all municipal coats of arms have to be made and blazoned in accordance with heraldic rules.[3] Ministry will issue armorial (Croatian: grbovnica) to municipality in the form of a booklet composed of 8 pages. The Armorial is made in three copies of which one is obtained by : unit of local self-government, Croatian State Archives and the Ministry of Public Administration.
The subcommittee deals only with municipal heraldry and vexillology. The grants of arms approved by the committee are signed by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. The Czech Republic has no heraldic authority for personal arms.
Denmark
Statens Heraldiske Konsulent (State Heraldry Advisor) (1938– ). The National Archives of Denmark is the State Heraldry Advisor since 1985.[4]
Finland
Heraldinen lautakunta (Heraldic Board), founded in 1957, known 1957–88 as Heraldinen toimikunta (Heraldic Committee).[5] It operates as a part of the National Archives of Finland.[6]
Hoge Raad van Adel (High Council of the Nobility) (1815– ) – grants personal arms (to nobles only) and official, military, and municipal arms. Also provides advice regarding arms of members of the royal family.
Cartório da Nobreza (Nobility Register) (1521–1910) – heraldic authority for the Kingdom of Portugal;
Comissão de Heráldica da Associação dos Arqueólogos Portugueses (Heraldic Commission of the Association of Portuguese Archeologists) (1930 – ) – heraldic authority for the municipalities of Portugal;
Gabinete de Heráldica Corporativa (Office for Corporate Heraldry) (1930–1974) – heraldic authority for the corporations (trade unions, guilds, etc.);
Secção de Heráldica da Direção de Cultura e História Militar (Heraldry Section of the Directorate of Military History and Culture) (1969 – ) – heraldic authority for the Portuguese Army;
Gabinete de Heráldica Naval (Office for Naval Heraldry) (1972 – ) – heraldic authority for the Portuguese Navy;
Adjunto de Heráldica do Arquivo Histórico da Força Aérea (Heraldry Deputy of the Air Force Historical Archive) (1977 – ) – heraldic authority for the Portuguese Air Force;
Gabinete de Heráldica Autárquica (Office for Municipal Heraldry) (foreseen in 1991, but never created) – heraldic authority for the municipalities of Portugal.[14]
Russia
Office of Heraldry (1722–1917), headed by the Master Herald – granted personal, official, and municipal arms.
Consejo Asesor de Heráldica y Simbología de Aragón (Advisory Council of Heraldry and Symbology of Aragon). For Aragon.
The College of Arms is the office regulating heraldry for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1484 by King Richard III, and is a private corporate body which is delegated heraldic authority by the British monarch.Sociedad de Estudios Vascos/Eusko Ikaskuntza (Basque Studies Society). For Basque Country.
Instituto de Estudios Canarios (Institute for Canary Studies). For Canary Islands.
Comisión de Heráldica de Galicia (Galician Heraldry Commission). For Galicia.
Real Academia Matritense de Heráldica y Genealogía (Royal Matritense Academy of Heraldry and Genealogy), together with the Real Academia de la Historia, for Madrid.
Real Academia Alfonso X el Sabio (Royal Academy Alfonso X the Wise). For the Region of Murcia.
Consell Tècnic d'Heràldica i Vexil·logia (Technical Council of Heraldry and Vexilogy). For Valencian Community.
Statens Heraldiska Nämnd (State Heraldry Office) (1953– ), headed by a State Herald, and forming part of the Royal Archives. registered with the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (Patent- och registreringsverket or PRV). Only official arms (royal and civic arms) are handled. Burgher and commoner arms are less strictly controlled and may be recognized by publication in the annual Scandinavian Roll of Arms.The Lord Lyon King of Arms is an official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in Scotland, issuing new grants of arms and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest heraldic court in the world that is still in daily operation.
Until 1943, Northern Ireland came under the Ulster Office; since then, it has fallen under the College of Arms part of the jurisdiction of the Norroy and Ulster King of Arms which also covers the counties of England and Wales North of the River Trent.
Scotland
Court of the Lord Lyon, headed by the Lord Lyon (c. 1399?- ) – grants personal, municipal, and corporate arms; it is illegal to bear arms in Scotland unless they have been granted or recorded by the Lord Lyon.
Africa
Kenya
Kenya College of Arms (1968– ), headed by a Registrar, and forming part of the Attorney-General's Office – grants and registers personal, municipal, and corporate coats of arms. It was established by the College of Arms Act of 1968.
South Africa
Department of the Interior (1935–1959) – inter alia registered the arms of associations and institutions, as "badges".
Provincial administrations (1949–1963 – inter alia registered the arms of municipalities in their respective provinces.
Department of Education, Arts & Sciences (1959–1963 – inter alia registered the arms of associations and institutions, as "badges".
Bureau of Heraldry (1963– ), headed by the National Herald (formerly State Herald), and forming part of the National Archives & Records Service – registers personal, official, military, municipal, and corporate arms. Together with the Heraldry Council, it forms part of the National Archives and Records Service (formerly called the State Archives Service), which is currently under the authority of the Minister of Arts & Culture.
The Heraldry Act 1962, which governs the Bureau of Heraldry, has not been changed to replace "State herald" with "National Herald".[16] Announcements in the Government Gazette of South Africa still use "State Herald".
Zambia
Colours Control Board (1958– ) – inter alia registers the arms of associations and institutions, as "badges".
Zimbabwe
Registrar of Names, Uniforms, Badges and Heraldic Representations (1971– ), forming part of the Patents Office – registers official, municipal, corporate, and personal arms.
Bunyoro-Kitara, Uganda
Heraldry Society of Africa (2016– ), forming a repository of historic and current heraldry within the sub-monarchy of Bunyoro-Kitara, and all of the continent of Africa, and as warranted abroad.
Asia
Azerbaijan
Heraldic Council (2006– ), forming part of the Presidency.
Canadian Heraldic Authority (1988– ), headed by the Chief Herald of Canada, and forming part of the Governor General's Household – grants personal, official, military, municipal, and official arms.
United States
Carolina Herald was an English herald responsible for heraldry in Carolina in early and mid 18th Century colonial times.
The Institute of Heraldry, U.S. Army, is the organization responsible for furnishing heraldic services to the President of the United States and all federal government agencies.
^Čl. 10. Grb mora biti heraldički ispravan i opisan po pravilima heraldike. Grb se sastoji isključivo od štita i sadržaja unutar njega. Jedinica lokalne i jedinica područne (regionalne) samouprave u pravilu preuzima svoj povijesni grb i zastavu. Zakon o lokalnoj i područnoj (regionalnoj) samupravi (pročišćeni tekst) [Law on Local and Regional Self-Government (consolidated text)] (in Croatian). 18 February 2013.