Sec. 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, white in a blue field
Sec. 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
Sec. 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 lag, 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.
Sec. 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 their 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
Sec. 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.
Sec. 6. — Time and occasions for display
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
ceremoniously.
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
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.
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.
Sec. 7. — Position and manner of display
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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 -
1. 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;
2. the term "executive or military department"
means any agency listed under sections 101 and 102 of title
5, United States Code; 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 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.
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
Sec. 8. — Respect for flag
a. 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.
b. 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.
c. The flag should never touch anything beneath
it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
d. The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally,
but always aloft and free.
e. 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.
f. 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.
g. The flag should never be used as a covering for
a ceiling.
h. 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.
i. The flag should never be used as a receptacle
for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
j. 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.
k. 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.
l. 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
Sec. 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
Sec. 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
