Flagpoles for businesses in Poland

Flagpoles with flags stand in front of many company premises, hotels, car showrooms and shopping centres. The Polish flag marks holidays and ceremonies, the company flag builds recognition, and advertising flags attract customers. For businesses, besides the Building Law, the rules of protocol, the rules on advertising and the municipality's provisions matter. This guide describes the main ones. The order of flags is set out in the guide to flag protocol.

The Polish flag at a business

Under article 7(3) of the Act on the emblem, colours and anthem, raising or displaying the state flag on or in front of buildings in which business is conducted is recommended on state holidays and anniversaries and other occasions of national or local importance. Many businesses fly the flag permanently or on the holidays listed in the guide to flag days.

Under article 16, the symbols of the Republic of Poland may not be placed on goods intended for trade, except in stylised or artistically transformed form. According to the guidance of the National Security Bureau, the state symbols are not used for commercial purposes, and no inscriptions or graphics are placed on the state flag. A flag with a company logo on a white and red background therefore raises doubts.

The order of flags

According to the Bureau, the Polish flag takes precedence over any other in Poland and occupies the place of honour. In front of a business with three flagpoles, the Polish flag usually flies in the middle, and with two flagpoles on the left as seen from the front. In the Bureau's order:

1. the Polish flag;
2. the voivodeship, district and municipal flags;
3. the flags of Polish services;
4. the flags of Polish organisations and institutions, including the company flag;
5. the flags of other states, for example the company's home country;
6. the flag of the European Union;
7. the flags of international organisations;
8. occasional flags.

The flags of other states are described in the guide to foreign flags in Poland.

Advertising flags

Flags with a logo, vertical flags on flagpoles with a crossarm and beach flags are a common form of advertising. The Act on spatial planning defines:

The landscape resolution and advertising fee

Under article 37a of that act, the municipal council can, in a landscape resolution, set rules and conditions for the siting of advertising boards and devices, their dimensions, quality standards and materials, and also prohibit them, except for signs. For signs, the resolution sets among other things their number on a given property.

Under article 17a of the Act on local taxes and fees, the municipal council can introduce an advertising fee on advertising boards and devices, but only in areas covered by a landscape resolution. The municipality can clarify whether a resolution and fee apply in a given place.

The road lane and public space

A flagpole or advertising flag is not set up in the road lane without a permit, for example on a pavement or a verge by the street. Under article 40 of the Act on public roads, placing third-party equipment and advertisements in the road lane requires a permit from the road authority, and a fee is charged for occupying the road lane. Under article 63a of the Code of Petty Offences, anyone who displays a notice or inscription publicly in a public place not intended for it, or without the consent of the manager of that place, is liable to a penalty.

The Building Law and leases

A free-standing flagpole up to 7 m needs neither a building permit nor a notification (article 29(2)(37) of the Building Law). For taller flagpoles, at historic monuments and near airports, the rules described in the guide to flagpole installation apply. Businesses that rent premises agree the installation of a flagpole or a bracket on the façade with the landlord or the building manager.

Choosing flagpoles

In front of company premises there are usually flagpoles 6–10 m high, often with an internal halyard that locks and with lighting. Flagpoles with a crossarm display vertical flags even in light wind. According to the Bureau, flags of states flying together are the same size and fly at the same height, so flagpoles are usually set in one row and at the same height. The types of flagpole are described in the guide to types of flagpoles, and the factors that affect the price in the guide to buying a flagpole.