US Flag Etiquette: Rules for Displaying, Flying, and Retiring
The US Flag Code (Title 4 of the US Code) lays out the rules for displaying, handling, and retiring the American flag. Most of it is common sense once you know it, but a few guidelines surprise people. Here's a quick rundown:
When to fly the flag
The US flag should be displayed from sunrise to sunset. You can fly it at night as long as it's properly illuminated. All-weather flags can stay up in rain and wind, but a standard flag should come down in severe weather.
There's no rule requiring you to fly the flag only on holidays. Many people fly it year-round, which is perfectly appropriate. The Flag Code actually encourages displaying the flag on all days when weather permits.
Raising and lowering
Raise the flag briskly. Lower it slowly and ceremoniously. That's the full rule, and it applies every time. On half-staff days, raise it to the top of the pole first, then lower it to the halfway position. At the end of the day, raise it to the top again before bringing it down for the night.
Half-staff: when and how
Half-staff is ordered by the President or a Governor following the death of a government official, military member, or after a national tragedy. Beyond those proclamations, several dates call for half-staff every year by law:
- Memorial Day (last Monday in May): half-staff until noon, then raised to full staff
- Patriot Day (September 11): all day
- Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (December 7): all day
- Korean War Veterans Armistice Day (July 27): all day
The same raise-first rule applies: always hoist to the peak before lowering to half-staff position.
Indoor and wall display
When hung flat against a wall or displayed in a window, the union (the blue field with stars) should be in the upper left as seen by the observer facing it. That includes when it is hanging vertically. Always have the canton in the upper left.
In an auditorium, or public hall, the flag belongs to the right of the speaker as they face the audience. That puts it to the left from the audience's perspective. Other flags go to the speaker's left.
With other flags
When the US flag is displayed alongside other flags on separate staffs, it should be at the center and at the highest point, or to its own right (the observer's left) if all poles are the same height. No other flag should be placed to the right of the US flag or flown higher than it.
Foreign national flags are an exception in one context: when flags of two or more nations are displayed together, they should be on separate staffs of equal height, and the US flag should be to its own right. International protocol treats national flags as equal in that setting.
What the flag should never do
- Touch the ground, floor, or water...but if it does, that doesn't mean it needs to be burned. That is a flag myth.
- Be carried flat or horizontally (it should always be aloft and free). So every time you see it stretched across a football field, they're breaking the Flag Code.
- Be used as clothing, bedding, or drapery (this one gets broken QUITE a bit)
- Be used for advertising purposes or printed on anything meant to be discarded (even though EVERY car dealership does it)
- Have anything placed on it, pinned to it, or drawn on it (you know...like...a president's face...)
- Be displayed upside down, except as a signal of dire distress
A note on flag patches and pins: the Flag Code does provide an exception for flag patches worn on uniforms, and small flag pins on lapels are widely accepted as a patriotic practice rather than a violation.
Folding and storage
The traditional method is the triangular fold, where two people fold the flag in half lengthwise twice, then fold the striped end into triangles toward the union until only the blue field shows. Store it clean and dry. A flag stored damp will mildew.
Retiring a worn flag
When a flag is too worn, faded, or torn to serve as a fitting emblem, it should be retired with dignity. The traditional method is burning, which is entirely respectful and the official guidance under the Flag Code.
For synthetic flags (nylon or polyester): burning releases chemical fumes, so it's not the right method. Instead, contact your local American Legion or VFW post. Most hold scheduled flag retirement ceremonies and will accept worn synthetic flags for proper disposal. Some Boy Scout troops and fire stations also collect them.
Flag display holidays
The Flag Code lists these days as occasions when the flag should definitely be displayed:
New Year's Day · Inauguration Day · Martin Luther King Jr. Day · Presidents' Day · Easter Sunday · Mother's Day · Armed Forces Day · Memorial Day · Flag Day (June 14) · Father's Day · Independence Day · Labor Day · Patriot Day · Constitution Day · Columbus Day · Veterans Day · Thanksgiving Day · Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day · Christmas Day
State holidays and birthdays are also appropriate occasions. And as noted above, every day the weather permits is a reasonable choice.
Source: United States Flag Code, Title 4, US Code. Proclamations and additional half-staff orders are issued by the President and may occur at any time.
