U.S. Flag Code

United States Flag Code
As Set Forth In Title 36 United States Code, Section 10

The Rules of Respect and Display of The American Flag

§ 170. National Anthem; Star Spangled Banner

The composition consisting of the words and music known as The Star-Spangled Banner is designated the national anthem of the United States of America.

§ 171. Conduct during playing

During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder,the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should render the military salute at the first note of the anthem and retain this position until the last note. When the flag is not displayed, those present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there.

§ 173. Display and use of flag by civilians; codificationof rulesand customs; definition

The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America is established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as may notbe required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or more executive departments of the Government of the United States. The flag of the United States for the purpose of this chapter shall be defined according to sections 1 and 2 of Title 4 and issued pursuant thereto.

§ 174. Time and Occasions for display; hoistingand lowering

(a) Display on buildings and stationary flagstaffs in open; nightdisplay: It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, whena patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hoursa day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.
(b) Manner of hoisting: The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
(c) Inclement weather: The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all weather flag is displayed.
(d) Particular days of display: The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New Year'sDay, January 1; Inauguration Day, January 20; Lincoln's Birthday, February12; President's Day, third Monday in February; Easter Sunday(variable);Mother's Day, second Sunday in May; Armed Forces Day, third Saturdayin May; Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May; Flag Day, June 14; IndependenceDay, July 4; Labor Day, first Monday in September; Patriot's Day, September 11 (half-staff as ordered by the President); Constitution Day, September17; Columbus Day, second Monday in October; Navy Day, October 27; VeteransDay, November 11; Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November; ChristmasDay, December 25; and such other days as may be proclaimed by the Presidentof the United States; the birthdays of States (date of admission); and onState holidays.
(e) Display on or near administration building ofpublic institutions: The flag should be displayed daily on or nearthe main administration building of every public institution.
(f) Display in or near polling places: The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.
(g) Display in or near schoolhouses: The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

§ 175. Position andmanner of display

The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag's own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the centerof that line.

(a) The flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except from a staff, or as provided in subsection (i)of this section.
(b) The flag should not be drapedover the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle or of a railroad train ora boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixedfirmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.
(c) No other flag or pennant shouldbe placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of theUnited States of America, except during church services conducted by navalchaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag duringchurch services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall display theflag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal,above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of,the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or anyTerritory or possession thereof: Provided, That nothing in this section shallmake unlawful the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displayingthe flag of the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or honor,and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or honor, with thatof the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the United Nations.
(d) The flag of the United Statesof America, when it is displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the right, the flag's own right, and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.
(e) The flag of the United Statesof America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of Statesor localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from the staffs.
(f) When flags of States, cities,or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard withthe flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. Whenthe flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed abovethe flag of the United States or to the United States flag's right.
(g) When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.
(h) When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half staff. When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house toa pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.
(i) When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's left. When displayed in a window, the flag should be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street.
(j) When the flag is displayed overthe middle of the street, it should be suspended vertically with the unionto the north in an east and west street or to the east in a north and southstreet.
(k) When used on a speaker's platform, the flag, if displayed flat, should be displayed above and behind the speaker. When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United States ofAmerica should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman's or speaker'sright as he faces the audience. Any other flag so displayed should be placedon the left of the clergyman or speaker or to the right of the audience.
(l) The flag should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of unveiling a statue or monument, but it should neverbe used as the covering for the statue or monument.
(m) The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staffuntil noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. By order of the President,the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figuresof the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, orpossession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the deathof other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed athalf-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordancewith recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. In the eventof the death of a present or former official of the government of any State,territory, or possession of the United States, the Governor of that State,territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flownat half-staff. The flag shall be flown at half-staff thirty days from thedeath of the President or a former President; ten days from the day of deathof the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of theUnited States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the dayof death until interment, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State,territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day fora Member of Congress. As used in this subsection -
- (1) the term "half-staff" meansthe position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the topand bottom of the staff;
- (2) the term "executive or military department" means any agency listed under sections 101 and 102 of title 5; and
- (3) the term "Member of Congress" means a Senator, a Representative,a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
(n) When the flag is used to covera casket, it should be so placedthat the union is at the head and over theleft shoulder. The flag shouldnot be lowered into the grave or allowed totouch the ground.
(o) When the flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby in a buildingwith only one main entrance, it should be suspended vertically with theunion of the flag to the observer's left upon entering. If the buildinghas more than one main entrance, the flag should be suspended verticallynear the center of the corridor or lobby with theunion to the north, whenentrances are to the east and west or to the eastwhen entrances are tothe north and south. If there are entrances in morethan two directions,the union should be to the east.

§ 176 Respect for flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America;the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors,State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped asa mark of honor.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, exceptas a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life orproperty.
(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground,the floor, water, or merchandise.
(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but alwaysaloft and free.
(d) The flag should never be usedas wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery.It should never be festooned, drawnback, nor up, in folds, but alwaysallowed to fall free. Bunting of blue,white and red, always arranged withthe blue above, the white in the middle,and the red below, should be usedfor covering a speaker's desk, draping thefront of the platform, and fordecoration in general.
(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored insuch a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged inany way.
(f) The flag should never be usedas a covering for a ceiling.
(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it,nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture,or drawing of any nature.
(h) The flag should never be usedas a receptacle for receiving, holding,carrying, or delivering anything.
(i) The flag should never be usedfor advertising purposes in any mannerwhatsoever. It should should not beembroidered on such articles as cushionsor handkerchiefs and the like, printedor otherwise impressed on papernapkins or boxes or anything that is designedfor temporary use and discard.Advertising signs should not be fastened toa staff of halyard from whichthe flag is flown.
(j) No part of the flag should everbe used as a costume or athleticuniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of militarypersonnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations.The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a livingthing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn onthe left lapel near the heart.
(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fittingemblem for display, should be destroyed ina dignified way, preferablyby burning.

§ 177. Conduct duringhoisting, lowering or passing of flag

During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the flagis passing in a parade of in review, all persons present except for those in uniform should face the flag and stand at attention with the right handover the heart. Those present in uniform should render the military salute.When not in uniform, men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Aliensshould stand at attention. The salute to the flag in a moving column shouldbe rendered at the moment the flag passes.

§ 178. Modificationof rules and customs by President

Any rule or custom pertaining to the display of the flag of the UnitedStates of America, set forth in section 171-178of this title, may be altered,modified, or repealed, or additional ruleswith respect thereto may beprescribed, by the Commander in Chief of the ArmedForces of the United States, whenever he deems it to be appropriate or desirable; and any suchalteration or additional rule shall be set forth in a proclamation.