How to Design a Custom Anniversary Badge with VisualBadge

Milestone anniversaries deserve recognition—and a custom badge is one of the most visible ways for police, fire, and public safety departments to mark the occasion. With VisualBadge, Smith & Warren’s online badge builder, you can choose from thousands of template-style badges to create a professional, meaningful anniversary badge without starting from scratch. Whether you're celebrating 50 years of service or 150, VisualBadge gives you the ability to choose and customize a badge that’s right for your department.

As a proud manufacturer of USA-made badges trusted by public safety professionals nationwide, Smith & Warren is committed to helping you create a badge worthy of your milestone.

Looking to design an anniversary badge that feels authentic, honors your department’s history, and looks sharp? Here’s where to start.

When designing an anniversary badge using a templated design, the key is choosing a badge style that fits your department’s needs.

Look for a design with enough panels (the ribbons where you place text) to display essential details—such as your department name, anniversary year, or significant dates. A badge with limited space can restrict your message. Choosing a layout with the right number of panels gives your design room to breathe, keeps the badge balanced, and ensures every detail is easy to read.

Some departments—whether police, fire, or other public safety agencies—prefer to keep the same badge shape they wear every day, maintaining a sense of consistency. Others use an anniversary badge as an opportunity to bring back a historical badge shape—or introduce a bold new look that sets the milestone apart.

There’s no wrong choice. Whether you stay traditional or select something new, what matters most is designing a badge that feels meaningful to your department—and one you’ll be proud to wear.

Looking to add something extra? Consider a custom center seal.

A unique seal is a simple but powerful way for police and fire departments, and other public safety organizations, to personalize their badge by featuring their department logo, city emblem, or a commemorative anniversary design. Adding a custom seal keeps the process easy and efficient while making your badge unmistakably yours. Departments appreciate how a small upgrade like this brings more meaning and identity to a template badge.

VisualBadge makes it simple for police, fire, and public safety professionals to create an anniversary badge that looks sharp, honors their milestone, and reflects the high standards they expect.

Start designing today—or reach out to our team if you’d like help selecting the right template or adding a custom seal.