Title
4, Chapter 1: The Flag
Title 4, Chapter 1: The Flag As Adopted by the National Flag
Conference, Washington, D.C.,
June 14-15, 1923, and later revised
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
- 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.
Sec. 7. - Position and manner of display
- 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
Sec. 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
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