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FLAG
ETIQUETTE Short
Version Things
To
Do
Things
NOT
To
Do
More
Detailed
Version The
following flag laws and regulations are contained in the Public Law as amended
July 7, 1976 by the 94th Congress of the United States. They set forth the
existing rules, customs and etiquette pertaining to the display and use of the
flag of the United States of America. Section 1 The
following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining to the display
and use of the flag of the United States of America shall be and 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 purposes 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. Section 2 (a)
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. (b)
The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered cautiously. (c)
The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except
when an all weather flag is displayed. (d)
The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New Year's Day,
January 1; Inauguration Day, January 20; 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. (e)
The flag should be displayed daily, on or near the main administration
building of every public institution. (f)
The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days. (g)
The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse. Section 3 That
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. (a)
The flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except from a staff'
or as provided in subsection (i). (b)
The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides or back of a vehicle
or of a railroad train or boat. When the flag is displayed on a motor car, the
staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender. (c)
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. (d)
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. (e)
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. (f)
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. (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 of 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 a windowsill, 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 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 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. (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 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. (l)
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. (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-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 the 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 thirty days from the death of the President or a former
President; ten days from the death of a 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. As
used in this subsection-
(n)
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 in
the grave or allowed to touch the ground. (o)
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. Section 4 That
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. (a)
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. (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 always aloft and
free. (d)
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. (e)
The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used or stored in such manner as
to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way. (f)
The flag should never be used as 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 l mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture or drawing
of any nature. (h)
The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying
or delivering anything. (i)
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. (j)
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. (k) 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. More Information (This
information was taken from Title 36 of the United States Code Chapter 10 as
provided by the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University School of
Law. The
text is a US government document and is public domain; it may be freely copied
and retransmitted.) The
following flag laws and regulations are contained in the Public Law as amended
July 7, 1976 by the 94th Congress of the United States. They
set forth the existing rules, customs and etiquette pertaining to the display
and use of the flag of the United States of America.
The
Pledge of
Allegiance 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. Francis
Bellamy (1856-1931) The
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag (1892) From
the book "Our Flag" published in 1989 by the House of
Representatives. On
July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution authorizing a
committee to devise a seal for the United States of America.
This did not become a reality until June 20, 1782; each element to have
specific meaning. White
signifies purity and innocence, Red,
hardiness & valor, and Blue,
signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice. The Star
is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from
time immemorial; the Stripe is symbolic of the rays of light
emanating from the sun. The
gold Fringe is used on indoor flags only. It is considered and
'honorable enrichment only', and its official use by the US Army dates from
1895. The gold trim is generally used on ceremonial indoor flags. It has
no specific significance. 
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