1. Flag; stripes and stars on
The flag of the United States shall be thirteen horizontal
stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the
flag shall be forty-eight stars [Note that sec. 2 which
follows provides for additional stars. Today the flag
has fifty stars representing the fifty states —
Webmaster], white in a blue field
2. Same; additional stars
On the admission of a new State into the Union one
star shall be added to the union of the flag; and
such addition shall take effect on the fourth day
of July then next succeeding such admission
3. Use of flag for advertising purposes;
mutilation of flag
Any person who, within the District of Columbia, in
any manner, for exhibition or display, shall place
or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture,
design, drawing, or any advertisement of any nature
upon any flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the
United States of America; or shall expose or cause
to be exposed to public view any such flag, standard,
colors, or ensign upon which shall have been printed,
painted, or otherwise placed, or to which shall be
attached, appended, affixed, or annexed any word,
figure, mark, picture, design, or drawing, or any
advertisement of any nature; or who, within the District
of Columbia, shall manufacture, sell, expose for sale,
or to public view, or give away or have in possession
for sale, or to be given away or for use for any purpose,
any article or substance being an article of merchandise,
or a receptacle for merchandise or article or thing
for carrying or transporting merchandise, upon which
shall have been printed, painted, attached, or otherwise
placed a representation of any such flag, standard,
colors, or ensign, to advertise, call attention to,
decorate, mark, or distinguish the article or substance
on which so placed shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor
and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $100
or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days,
or both, in the discretion of the court. The words
"flag, standard, colors, or ensign", as
used herein, shall include any flag, standard, colors,
ensign, or any picture or representation of either,
or of any part or parts of either, made of any substance
or represented on any substance, of any size evidently
purporting to be either of said flag, standard, colors,
or ensign of the United States of America or a picture
or a representation of either, upon which shall be
shown the colors, the stars and the stripes, in any
number of either thereof, or of any part or parts
of either, by which the average person seeing the
same without deliberation may believe the same to
represent the flag, colors, standard, or ensign of
the United States of America.
4. Pledge of allegiance to the flag;
manner of delivery
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: "I pledge
allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for
all.", should be rendered by standing at attention
facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.
When not in uniform men should remove any non-religious
headdress with their right hand and hold it at the
left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons
in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and
render the military salute. [See Congressional Notes
re use of "under God."]
5. Display and use of flag by civilians;
codification of rules and 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 be, and it is hereby, 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
of the Government of the United States. The flag of
the United States for the purpose of this chapter
shall be defined according to title 4, United States
Code, Chapter 1, Section 1 and Section 2 and Executive
Order 10834 issued pursuant thereto.
6. Time and occasions for display
It is the universal custom to display the flag only
from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary
flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic
effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four
hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours
of darkness.
The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
The flag should not be displayed on days when the
weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag
is displayed.
The flag should be displayed on all days, especially
on
New Year's Day, January 1
Inauguration Day, January 20
Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, third Monday in
January
Lincoln's Birthday, February 12
Washington's Birthday, third Monday in February
Easter Sunday (variable)
Mother's Day, second Sunday in May
Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May
Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday
in May
Flag Day, June 14
Independence Day, July 4
Labor Day, first Monday in September
Constitution Day, September 17
Columbus Day, second Monday in October
Navy Day, October 27
Veterans Day, November 11
Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November
Christmas Day, December 25
and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President
of the United States
the birthdays of States (date of admission)
and on State holidays.
The flag should be displayed daily on or near the
main administration building of every public institution.
The flag should be displayed in or near every polling
place on election days.
The flag should be displayed during school days in
or near every schoolhouse.
7. Position and manner 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 center of that line.
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.
The flag should not be draped over the hood, top,
sides, or back of a vehicle or of a railroad train
or a boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar,
the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or
clamped to the right fender.
No other flag or pennant should be placed above or,
if on the same level, to the right of the flag of
the United States of America, except during church
services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when
the church pennant may be flown above the flag during
church services for the personnel of the Navy. No
person shall display the flag 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 any Territory
or possession thereof: Provided, That nothing in this
section shall make unlawful the continuance of the
practice heretofore followed of displaying the 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 that of the flag of
the United States at the headquarters of the United
Nations.
The flag of the United States of 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.
The flag of the United States of America should be
at the center and at the highest point of the group
when a number of flags of States or localities or
pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from
staffs.
When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants
of societies are flown on the same halyard with the
flag of the United States, the latter should always
be at the peak. When the 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 above the flag of the United States or to
the United States flag's right.
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 of approximately equal size. International
usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation
above that of another nation in time of peace.
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 to a pole at the edge of the
sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first,
from the building.
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.
When the flag is displayed over the middle of the
street, it should be suspended vertically with the
union to the north in an east and west street or to
the east in a north and south street.
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 of America
should hold the position of superior prominence, in
advance of the audience, and in the position of honor
at the clergyman's or speaker's right as he faces
the audience. Any other flag so displayed should be
placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker or
to the right of the audience.
The flag should form a distinctive feature of the
ceremony of unveiling a statue or monument, but it
should never be used as the covering for the statue
or monument.
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-staff
until 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 figures
of the United States Government and the Governor of
a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect
to their memory. In the event of the death of other
officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be
displayed at half-staff according to Presidential
instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized
customs or practices not inconsistent with law. In
the event of 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 flown at half-staff. The flag shall
be flown at half-staff 30 days from
the death of the President or a former President;
10 days from the day of death of
the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired
Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker
of the House of Representatives; from the day of death
until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department,
a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State,
territory, or possession; and on the day of death
and the following day for a Member of Congress. The
flag shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers
Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces
Day. As used in this subsection —
the term "half-staff" means the position
of the flag when it is one-half the distance between
the top and bottom of the staff; the term "executive
or military department" means any agency listed
under sections 101 and 102 of title 5, United States
Code; and the term "Member of Congress"
means a Senator, a Representative, a Delegate, or
the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should
be so placed that the union is at the head and over
the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered
into the grave or allowed to touch the ground.
When the flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby
in a building with only one main entrance, it should
be suspended vertically with the union of the flag
to the observer's left upon entering. If the building
has more than one main entrance, the flag should be
suspended vertically near the center of the corridor
or lobby with the union to the north, when entrances
are to the east and west or to the east when entrances
are to the north and south. If there are entrances
in more than two directions, the union should be to
the east.
8. 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 as a mark of honor.
The flag should never be displayed with the union
down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances
of extreme danger to life or property.
The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such
as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally,
but always aloft and free.
The flag should never be used as wearing apparel,
bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned,
drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to
fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always
arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle,
and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's
desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration
in general.
The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used,
or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily
torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
The flag should never be used as a covering for a
ceiling.
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.
The flag should never be used as a receptacle for
receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
The flag should never be used for advertising purposes
in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered
on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and
the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper
napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for
temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should
not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the
flag is flown.
No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume
or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be
affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen,
policemen, and members of patriotic organizations.
The flag represents a living country and is itself
considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag
pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel
near the heart.
The flag, when it is in such condition that it is
no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be
destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning
9. Conduct during hoisting, lowering
or passing of flag
During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag
or when the flag is passing in a parade or in review,
all persons present except those in uniform should
face the flag and stand at attention with the right
hand over 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. Aliens should stand at attention. The salute
to the flag in a moving column should be rendered
at the moment the flag passes
10. Modification of rules and customs
by President
Any rule or custom pertaining to the display of the
flag of the United States of America, set forth herein,
may be altered, modified, or repealed, or additional
rules with respect thereto may be prescribed, by the
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United
States, whenever he deems it to be appropriate or
desirable; and any such alteration or additional rule
shall be set forth in a proclamation
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