Flags of the United States: national, state and official flags

Most flagpoles in the United States carry the national flag, but it is far from the only flag with an official status. Federal law designates several flags with a meaning of their own, every state has a state flag, and the armed forces, cities, counties and organizations have theirs. The Flag Code describes how they are flown together with the national flag.

The flag of the United States

The national flag is described in 4 U.S.C. § 1: thirteen horizontal stripes, alternately red and white, and a union of white stars in a blue field. Under § 2, one star is added for each new state on the Fourth of July after its admission. The current flag, with 50 stars, has been the official flag since July 4, 1960, under Executive Order 10834, which also sets its proportions. Its common names are the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory and the Star-Spangled Banner. The design, colors and history are in the guide to the American flag.

The union jack

The union jack is the union of the national flag, the blue field with the white stars, flown as a flag on its own. Under section 23 of Executive Order 10834, the dimensions of a union jack made for federal agencies equal those of the union of a flag of an authorized size, and the union jack flown with the national flag is the same size as that flag’s union.

Flags designated by Congress

The POW/MIA flag is the symbol of the nation’s commitment to account for Americans still prisoner, missing or unaccounted for. Until 2019 it was displayed on a set of named days; the National POW/MIA Flag Act of 2019 changed that to all days on which the US flag is displayed at the listed locations. A 2002 law states that the display does not require federal agencies to acquire or erect a new or additional flagpole. On a single flagpole with the US flag, the national flag is at the peak (4 U.S.C. § 7(f)).

State flags

Each of the 50 states has its own flag, set by state law. Some have changed recently: Minnesota’s new flag, with a white eight-pointed star on a dark blue field shaped like the state, became official on May 11, 2024, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State. Some states have flag codes of their own; Texas, for example, sets out how the Texas flag is displayed in Chapter 3100 of its Government Code.

Under the Flag Code, the US flag is at the peak when a state flag is flown on the same halyard, and at the center and the highest point when flags of states or localities are grouped on separate staffs (4 U.S.C. § 7(e) and (f)). More in the guide to flag etiquette.

Armed forces and other flags

The flags of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard are common at homes and veterans’ organizations, and state laws on homeowners’ associations often protect them. Arizona’s law, for example, also names first responder flags, blue star and gold star service flags, the Gadsden flag and historic versions of the US flag, such as the Betsy Ross flag. More in the guide to flags in HOA communities.

Outdoor flags and all-weather flags

The Flag Code states that the flag is not displayed on days of inclement weather “except when an all weather flag is displayed” (4 U.S.C. § 6(c)). According to the Congressional Research Service, the provision reflects the popular use of flags made of synthetic fabrics that withstand bad weather. Indoor flags often have a fringe; according to the Congressional Research Service, the fringe is optional, is used on indoor flags only and is not an unauthorized addition to the flag. Sizes are covered in the guide to flag sizes.