The military flag order of precedence is Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard, in that fixed sequence, and always after the U.S. national flag. This order is set by Department of Defense Directive 1005.8, which governs precedence among the armed services when their flags are displayed together.
The National Flag Comes First
No service flag ever outranks the Stars and Stripes. Federal law states that no other flag may be placed above the U.S. flag, or to its right when displayed at the same level. When flags are grouped on staffs, the U.S. flag sits at the center and the highest point. On a single halyard, it flies at the peak. On adjacent poles, it is hoisted first and lowered last.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 7 – Position and Manner of Display
The only recognized exception is a church service conducted by a naval chaplain at sea, where the church pennant may fly above the national flag for the duration of the service.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 7 – Position and Manner of Display
Once the national flag is in position, the six service flags follow in this order:
- United States Army
- United States Marine Corps
- United States Navy
- United States Air Force
- United States Space Force
- United States Coast Guard
The Space Force, established in 2019 within the Department of the Air Force, is placed after the Air Force and before the Coast Guard.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 U.S. Code 9081 – The United States Space Force The original 1977 directive predates the branch, but current practice places it in this slot based on its organizational relationship to the Air Force.
Why the Marine Corps Outranks the Navy
The order is not based on founding dates, and the Marine Corps is the proof. The Continental Navy was established on October 13, 1775, roughly a month before the Continental Marines were formed on November 10, 1775. Yet the Marines hold the senior position.
The reasons come from historical practice rather than any single rule. The Marine Corps has recognized November 10, 1775 as its birthday since 1921. The Navy, for decades, wavered between 1794 (the Naval Act) and 1798 (the creation of the Department of the Navy) before settling on October 13, 1775. By that point, the Marines had already occupied the senior spot in military formations for generations. When DoD Directive 1005.8 codified the order in 1977, it formalized a hierarchy that was already standard.
Where State, Territorial, and Organizational Flags Fit
After the six service flags, the sequence continues with state flags, then territorial flags, then organizational, county, and city flags. According to the Institute of Heraldry, state flags are normally displayed in the order each state was admitted to the Union, though they may also be arranged alphabetically.3The Institute of Heraldry. Display of State Flags Alphabetical is more common at large events, since it spares the audience from tracking admission dates.
Territorial flags follow the states. The territories typically displayed are the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.3The Institute of Heraldry. Display of State Flags Organizational and municipal flags come last.
The POW/MIA Flag
Federal law requires the POW/MIA flag to be displayed at major government and military locations on every day the U.S. flag is flown, including the Capitol, the White House, national cemeteries, major military installations, VA medical centers, and every U.S. Postal Service post office.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 36 USC 902 – National League of Families POW/MIA Flag The statute requires that the flag be displayed in a manner visible to the public.
When organizations include it in a broader display, the POW/MIA flag is commonly placed immediately after the national flag and before the service flags, or flown on the same pole directly beneath the U.S. flag.
Are These Rules Legally Binding
The display rules in 4 U.S.C. § 7 use the word “should” throughout, not “shall.” There are no fines or criminal penalties for displaying flags in the wrong order or otherwise deviating from the code. The Flag Code functions as a set of federal guidelines expressing how the government believes the flag ought to be treated. A separate federal law addresses flag desecration, but the Supreme Court has held that flag burning as political protest is protected speech, so even that provision has limited practical reach. The precedence rules covered here carry institutional and ceremonial weight rather than legal consequences, which is why military and government offices follow them closely even though no statute forces the issue.