Capt. Geoffrey T. Spaulding wrote:
It says the Hat of Disguise is created at CL 3rd. Does this mean its effects only last 30 minutes or are they permanent until the wearer "turns it off" and "back on" again?
Captain,
The Hat of Disguise is not a single use magic item and can be activated/deactivated with a command word as a standard action. Here is the reference document entry on it for further information:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/h-l/hat-o f-disguise