Flagpoles and flag flying in France

In France the tricolour flies on town halls, schools, prefectures and war memorials, and many households, associations and businesses fly it too, especially on 14 July and during major sporting events. Contrary to a common belief, few rules are written down: flags on public buildings rest mainly on republican custom and on the instructions the Government sends to the prefects each year. The flagpole itself falls under the Planning Code. This page brings together the rules and customs for flags and flagpoles in France, based on French texts and the relevant authorities.

At a glance

• Flag days: the Government asks for flags on public buildings on the national days, from 19 March to 5 December, with the European flag beside the tricolour on 9 May. All dates for 2026 and 2027 are in the guide to flag days.
• Custom and obligation: according to the Ministry of the Interior, flying the flag permanently on public buildings is a custom, not an obligation, except for schools and secondary schools. More on this is in the guide to flag rules.
• Half-mast: the flag is lowered to half the height of the pole, or a black ribbon is tied to the top of the pole. More on this is in the guide to half-mast.
• Order: the national flag takes the place of honour, and the European flag appears on its left when looking at the building. More on this is in the guide to flag protocol.
• Sizes: no text sets the size of the flag. The flag size calculator shows the table of a French flag maker.
• Price: what affects the price of a flagpole and a flag is covered in the guides on the price of a flagpole and the price of a flag.
• Planning: up to 12 metres, a flagpole is usually exempt from any formality, except in protected areas. More on this is in the guide to flagpole installation.

Laws and authorities

Article 2 of the Constitution of 4 October 1958 states that “the national emblem is the blue, white and red tricolour flag”. The Constitution specifies neither the width of the bands nor the shade. According to a ministerial answer published in the Senate’s Official Journal in 2002, the earlier provisions, which set three equal vertical bands, remain the reference.

No general law governs flag flying. Decree no. 89-655 of 13 September 1989 on public ceremonies, precedence and civil and military honours provides that public ceremonies are organised on the Government’s orders or on the initiative of a public authority. On this basis, the Prime Minister issues instructions for flying flags and for half-mast, which the prefects pass on to the mayors. The Ministry of the Interior has published a protocol guide for mayors that sums up the customs.

The texts that do exist are targeted: article L. 111-1-1 of the Education Code requires the motto of the Republic, the tricolour and the European flag on the façade of state schools and state-contracted private schools. The Criminal Code punishes insulting the tricolour (article 433-5-1 and article R. 645-15). The flagpole falls under the Planning Code and the municipality’s local land-use plan (plan local d’urbanisme, PLU).

The flagpole in France

On town halls and schools the flag is often fixed to a façade staff, sometimes in a cluster with the European flag. Free-standing poles stand in front of prefectures, war memorials, businesses, campsites, harbours and in private gardens. More on this is in the guides on types of flagpoles and flagpole heights.

French makers mainly offer aluminium and fibreglass poles of 6 to 12 metres, and shorter steel poles for events. The guide on flagpole materials compares these materials.

About the guides

The guides are grouped by topic. Each guide covers one defined subject, ends with frequently asked questions, lists its sources and shows the date of its latest update. This English translation follows the French guides. The rules described apply to metropolitan France and, unless stated otherwise, to the overseas departments and regions; overseas collectivities with a special status, such as French Polynesia and New Caledonia, partly have their own identity symbols.