The rules of US flag etiquette come from the United States Flag Code at 4 U.S.C. §§ 5–10, which spells out how to display, handle, and retire the American flag. For civilians, these rules are a voluntary framework. The code’s own text describes its customs as “established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or more executive departments,” and a Congressional Research Service analysis confirms that most of the code “contains no explicit enforcement mechanisms” and is “declaratory and advisory only.”1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 5 – Display and Use of Flag by Civilians; Codification of Rules and Customs; Definition2Congress.gov. Frequently Asked Questions About Flag Law
A separate statute once made flag desecration a federal crime, but the Supreme Court struck it down in United States v. Eichman (1990), holding that flag burning is expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment.3Cornell Law School. United States v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310 (1990) So the etiquette rules below tell you what respectful practice looks like. They don’t put anyone at risk of prosecution for getting them wrong.
When To Fly the Flag
The traditional custom is to fly the flag from sunrise to sunset on buildings and stationary flagstaffs.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 6 – Time and Occasions for Display Around-the-clock display is permitted if the flag is lit during darkness. A porch light or spotlight aimed at the flag satisfies this.
Don’t fly the flag in rain, snow, or high wind unless it’s an all-weather flag, typically nylon or another synthetic. Most residential flags sold today are all-weather. A cotton ceremonial flag will deteriorate quickly if left out in storms.
The code encourages display on federal holidays and other observances, including New Year’s Day, Inauguration Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Constitution Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, along with state holidays and days proclaimed by the President. The flag should also fly daily near every public institution’s main building, at every polling place on election days, and at or near every school during school days.
How you raise and lower matters. Hoist briskly. Lower ceremoniously.
How To Position the Flag
The blue field of stars, called the union, is the position of honor. When you hang the flag flat against a wall or in a window, the union goes at the top and to the observer’s left, whether the flag hangs horizontally or vertically. The statute puts it this way: “the flag’s own right, that is, to the observer’s left.”5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 U.S. Code 7 – Position and Manner of Display
When flown among state, local, or organizational banners, the U.S. flag takes the center and highest position and should be the first raised and last lowered. If several flags share a halyard, the U.S. flag stays at the peak. On crossed staffs with another flag, the U.S. flag goes on its own right with its staff in front.
With Flags of Other Nations
International custom forbids flying one nation’s flag above another’s in peacetime. All national flags fly from separate staffs of the same height and be roughly the same size. The U.S. flag takes its own right, which puts it to the audience’s left. Organizers at international events often get this wrong because they instinctively want the host country’s flag higher.
In a Parade or on a Vehicle
When carried in a procession alongside other flags, the U.S. flag belongs on the marching right, or in front of the center of a line of flags. On a parade float, fly it from a staff rather than draping it flat.
On a car, the staff should be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender. The flag should never be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back of any vehicle, railroad train, or boat. The flat flags people stretch across tailgates fall outside what the code envisions.
Half-Staff Rules
Half-staff signals mourning, and the procedure has a step people often skip. Raise the flag briskly to the peak first, then lower it slowly to the midpoint. When taking it down for the day, raise it back to the peak before lowering it fully.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 U.S. Code 7 – Position and Manner of Display Running the flag halfway up and leaving it is one of the most common etiquette mistakes.
Only the President can order a nationwide half-staff display. Governors can issue the order within their own state, typically for the death of a state official, a service member from that state who dies on active duty, or a first responder killed in the line of duty. You don’t need official authority to lower your own flag at home, but the custom is to follow official proclamations rather than deciding independently.
Memorial Day has its own rule. The flag flies at half-staff only until noon, then rises to the peak for the rest of the day. The morning honors the dead. The afternoon recognizes the resolve of the living.
How To Behave When the Flag Passes
When the flag is being raised, lowered, or passing by in a parade, civilians should face it, stand at attention, and place the right hand over the heart. If wearing a hat, remove it with your right hand and hold it at your left shoulder so your hand stays over your heart.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 9 – Conduct During Hoisting, Lowering, or Passing of Flag
People in military uniform render the military salute. Veterans not in uniform may also render the military salute, a provision Congress added in 2008 that many veterans appreciate but not all know about. Citizens of other countries should simply stand at attention. When the flag passes in a moving column, render these gestures the moment the flag reaches your position.
What Not To Do With the Flag
The flag should never touch anything beneath it, whether ground, floor, water, or merchandise.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 8 – Respect for Flag Contrary to a persistent myth, a flag that touches the ground doesn’t need to be destroyed. It just shouldn’t be left dragging, and if it gets dirty, you clean it.
The flag should never be used as clothing, bedding, or drapery, and should always fall free rather than being gathered up in folds or festooned like bunting. No part of the flag should serve as a costume or athletic uniform. The code refers to an actual flag, the kind you’d fly on a pole. A T-shirt or bandana printed with a flag pattern is a different matter, and no law prohibits it.
The flag should never be used for advertising in any way. Don’t print it on napkins, boxes, or anything designed for temporary use and discard. Don’t attach advertising signs to a staff or halyard that flies the flag. And no mark, letter, drawing, or design should be placed on the flag itself. This prohibition gets routinely ignored on political campaigns and commercial promotions, but the code is clear about it.
Patches and Lapel Pins
The code carves out an exception for flag patches on uniforms of military personnel, firefighters, police officers, and members of patriotic organizations. It also notes that a lapel flag pin, being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
Casket Display
When a flag drapes a casket, the union goes at the head of the casket and over the left shoulder of the deceased. The flag is never lowered into the grave and should not touch the ground during the service. After the casket is positioned, the flag is removed, folded into the traditional triangle showing only the blue field and stars, and presented to the next of kin.
Displaying the Flag at Your Home
Homeowners associations and condo boards sometimes try to restrict flag displays, but federal law limits them. The Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005 prohibits any condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association from enforcing a policy that prevents a member from displaying the U.S. flag on residential property where that member has an ownership interest or exclusive right to use the space.8Congress.gov. Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005
The law has limits. It does not override Flag Code etiquette rules, and it permits “reasonable restrictions pertaining to the time, place, or manner of displaying the flag” when needed to protect a substantial interest of the association. An HOA can still regulate the size and placement of a flagpole. It just cannot ban the flag outright.
Folding and Retiring the Flag
The customary fold begins with two people holding the flag waist-high, taut, and parallel to the ground. The lower striped section folds lengthwise over the blue field, then again lengthwise, so the union is visible along the full outer edge. Starting from the striped end, a series of triangular folds brings the flag into a tight, compact triangle. When done correctly, only the blue field with stars is visible.9McChord Air Force Base. Flag Folding Instructions This is the form used for presentation at military funerals and the form a flag should take when stored.
When a flag becomes faded, torn, or otherwise no longer fit for display, the code says it “should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 8 – Respect for Flag If you do this yourself, fold the flag first, build a fire large enough to consume it completely, and place the flag on the fire. No formal words are required, but treat the moment with respect rather than tossing it in casually.
If a private ceremony feels impractical, most American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts maintain collection boxes for worn flags and hold periodic retirement ceremonies. Many Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops also participate in flag retirement as a service project. These organizations handle the process according to the code and offer a reliable option for anyone uncomfortable burning a flag on their own.