Are Hats Allowed in Court? (Facts to Know)

Can I wear a hat in court? Are hats allowed in court? Will I be asked to leave the courtroom because I wore a hat? These are questions that need urgent yet direct answers.

Hats are not allowed in court in order not to disrespect the integrity of the judicial system. If you wear a hat into the court, you will be asked to remove it except the reason for wearing the hat is religious or medical. 

What we wear as human being has what it speaks about us. It may speak good, it may as well speak badly. One of the ways the perception of humans works is by things they see. Someone who doesn’t know you or has never seen you before may use your dress code to define the kind of person you are.

Since what we wear directly affects the way others perceive us, we should always be mindful of the things to wear on our bodies. For example, despite how things have changed and the trend these days, the perception of people with tattoos is always negative.

In some places, they may perceive a woman who dresses to expose her body as a prostitute while a full-grown man who dresses in a woman’s outfit is perceived to be gay. So what you wear on your body has what it directly or indirectly says about you.

Hat in Court: An Overview

There are many reasons why one would decide to wear a hat to the court but the question you need to ask yourself is, is it permitted? There are sets of dressing rules made available for anyone who wishes to come to court for one reason or the other. The rule clearly states that on no account should one wear a cap in court at least to respect the integrity of the judicial system.

Do you know that removing a cap is a sign of respect? Even it’s not okay to wear hats to a job interview, will it now be okay to wear them to court?

Are Hats Allowed In Court?

Hats are not allowed inside the courtroom because the judicial system has to be respected. To wear a cap inside the court is a sign of disrespect to the integrity of the judicial system except for medical and hats with religious significance. Even with the exceptions, the court will be the one to permit you to wear the hat, having considered the reason behind it, else, you will be asked to remove it.

Moreover, not able to wear a hat inside the courtroom doesn’t mean you can’t wear a hat to court. You can wear a hat outside the court especially during winter when there is cold. But as soon as you are about entering into the courtroom, ensure that the hat is removed from your head to avoid being forced or reminded to do so inside the court.

Exceptions to Wearing Hats in Court

As reiterated earlier, hats are not allowed in court but with two major exceptions. These exceptions are for medical and religious significance.

Medical Significance

Someone with medical history may be allowed in court with a hat because of the medical condition. This time, the court may consider owing to the physical evidence that the wearing of a hat was not a willing thing, rather something that was caused by medical issues.

For example, a cancer patient may be allowed in court with a hat, especially if the nature of the sickness requires the person to always wear headwears.

In this case, you have to bring it to the knowledge of the court before the day you are expected to appear to the court for verifications and approval. Depending on your country and where the court is situated, the court will be the one to tell you whether to wear it or not.

This is to say that despite having medical reasons for wearing a cap in court, the court can still ask you to take it out if peradventure the court is not aware of your medical condition. Therefore, make it known, at least, to your lawyer or attorney, to ask for approval.

Moreover, if you were not summoned but are related to someone that is supposed to appear in court and because you are related, you wish to join the person in court, make your medical condition known to the officials in court before entering the court else you will be thrown out of the courtroom.

Religious Significance

Hats with religious significance may be allowed in court but you have to make it known to the court to permit it. The same rules that work with medical reason also apply to hats with religious significance. You have to make sure the court approves you wearing such a hat else, you will be kicked out of the courtroom if you refuse to remove the cap.

It is within the jurisdiction of the court to accept and give its permission to wear a hat to the court based on evidential valid reasons. If after looking into the reason why you wish to wear the hat in court and the reason is not valid, you will be asked to remove it and if you refuse, you may be forced to leave the court under the reason of neglect and disrespect to the judicial system.

Why are Hats not Allowed in Court?

1. To Respect the Integrity of the Judicial System

The major reason why hats are not allowed in court is to avoid people disrespecting the integrity of the judicial system. A courtroom is not a place you can wear anything you like to. There are dress codes and dress rules applicable to anyone who wishes to appear in court. The whole idea is to dress conservatively to respect the integrity of the court.

Nevertheless, the court is not just any place you can wear anything to neither is it a fashion house where one can showcase new fashion trends. No one cares about your fashion in the courtroom except if the case is about your fashion.

The point I’m trying to make is that the court does not consider your fashion, yet, how you dress to court may have a lot to say about you and the case that brought you to the court. You have to take your time to choose an appropriate dress to wear to court to avoid being kicked out of the courtroom because you refused to make an exception.

2. It is Disprectful to Wear Hats Indoors

The second reason why hats are not allowed in courts is that it is disrespectful to wear hats indoors. On a normal ground, you are expected to pull off your hat as soon as you’re indoors. While these rules may not be applicable to wearing hats in the church because Christianity allows women to cover their hair in church, it is applicable in court.

Moreover, most titled men in church wear hats (a titled hat). Once you enter inside the house, you pull off your hat as it might be a sign of disrespect to continue to wear the hat inside.

3. Weapon Hiding Issues

Since a hat is a head covering, there is a possibility that you may decide to hide a weapon inside it, and because of that, you may be asked to remove the hat in court.

4. Penalty for Wearing Hats in Court?

There is no penalty for wearing hats in court. The court will not penalize you. However, they will ask you to remove the hat to show respect to the court. But if you refused to remove the hat, then you may be forced to leave the courtroom. As long as you removed the cap when you were told, you will be fine. The only way you’ll be kicked out is if you were told to remove it and you refused to do so.

What will Make One Wear Hat in Court

• Medical reasons
• Religious reasons
• Other important reasons accepted by the court. Whatever the reason is, the court will have to approve it else you’ll be asked to remove the hat.

Final Thoughts

You are not expected to wear a hat in court therefore, do not wear a hat in court except when there are medical, religious, or any other reasons behind it of which you are expected to relate to your attorney so it will be discussed in the court. Because, despite what the reason may be, it is within the jurisdiction of the court to decide whether you should wear the hat or not.