Flag lighting: flying a flag at night

A floodlit flag over a town hall or company headquarters is visible by night as well as by day. In the UK, no law decides when a private flag has to come down. According to the Flag Institute, flags are normally flown from sunrise to sunset but may also be flown at night, when they should be illuminated. Those who light a flag touch on other rules: statutory nuisance, and electrical safety for fixed floodlights.

What flag protocol says

For flags left flying through the night, the Flag Institute points to the pennant as an alternative: it is designed to fly day and night and wears less than a full-size flag.

Light and neighbours

Under section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, artificial light emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance is a statutory nuisance. Local councils investigate complaints about statutory nuisances, as the government’s guidance on how councils deal with complaints explains. Whether a floodlight on a flagpole reaches that level depends on the circumstances: how bright it is, where it points, whether it shines into bedroom windows and how long it is on. Floodlights aimed closely at the flag, rather than past it into the sky, reduce stray light.

Electrical work

• Fixed floodlights: in England, electrical installation work in homes falls under Part P of the Building Regulations. Approved Document P explains when work has to be notified to building control.
• Solar lights: they work without a mains connection and are not part of the fixed installation. Their output is often lower, which can be enough in a garden but not always for a clearly lit flag.
• LED floodlights: they use little electricity and can run on a timer or dusk-to-dawn sensor.

Businesses and public buildings

For businesses, a floodlit flag is part of how a building looks after dark. In England, flags are treated as advertisements under the planning regime, and the government’s plain English guide requires all flags to be kept in a safe condition and not to obscure or hinder the interpretation of road, rail, waterway or aircraft signs. More in the guides to flagpoles for businesses, flagpole accessories and flag flying rules.