Not sure whether your flag can stay up overnight, or how to retire a worn one? American flag etiquette comes from the U.S. Flag Code: raise it sunrise to sunset, keep it off the ground, and retire worn flags with dignity.
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| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Stripes on the flag | 13 horizontal stripes, alternate red and white |
| Stars on the flag today | 50 stars |
| Customary display hours | Sunrise to sunset (24 hours a day if properly illuminated) |
| Memorial Day | Half-staff until noon, last Monday in May |
| Flag Day | June 14 |
| A worn-out flag | Destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning |
These figures come from the text of the U.S. Code in the 2024 edition of the rules on respect for the flag and a city of Willard, Ohio copy of the Flag Code. Laws get amended, so check the source before you rely on them.
What the flag looks like and what the code covers
The flag of the United States has 13 horizontal stripes, alternate red and white, according to the Flag Code text posted by Willard, Ohio. That page notes that today the flag has 50 stars representing the fifty states.
New stars follow a set schedule. When a new state is admitted, one star is added to the union of the flag, and the addition takes effect on the fourth day of July after the admission, per the same source.
The code is written as a codification of existing rules and customs for civilians, civilian groups and organizations that are not bound by federal department regulations. Most of its wording says what the flag “should” or “should never” do. This guide is independent and educational, so treat it as a plain-English reading of the text rather than official guidance.
If you are curious why the flag looks the way it does, read about the meaning of the american flag colors.
When to display the flag
The universal custom is to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open, per the Willard copy of the code. When a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may fly 24 hours a day if it is properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.
The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously. It should not be displayed in inclement weather, unless it is an all-weather flag.
The code says the flag should be displayed on all days, especially on a list of national occasions. A few examples from that list:
- Flag Day, June 14
- Independence Day, July 4
- Veterans Day, November 11
- Memorial Day, flown at half-staff until noon, on the last Monday in May
Some places are named outright. The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution, in or near every polling place on election days, and near every schoolhouse during school days.
What you should never do with the flag
The respect-for-the-flag rules, as they read in the U.S. Code’s 2024 edition, begin with a broad statement: no disrespect should be shown to the flag, and it should not be dipped to any person or thing. The code text itself then lists specifics.
- Never display it with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
- Never let it touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water or merchandise.
- Never use it as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery, and never use it as a covering for a ceiling.
- Never place any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture or drawing on it.
- Never use it as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying or delivering anything.
- Never use it for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever.
- Never fasten, display, use or store it in a way that lets it be easily torn, soiled or damaged.
One rule changed recently. The code says the flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free. A law signed on December 23, 2024 added an exception for limited circumstances that are necessary and done in a respectful manner as part of a military or patriotic observance, per the same govinfo.gov page.
Decorating with the colors is allowed, but with an order. Bunting of blue, white and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of a platform and for decoration in general. The flag itself should be allowed to fall free, not festooned or drawn back in folds.
Wearing the flag is handled narrowly. No part of it should be used as a costume or athletic uniform, though a flag patch may go on the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen and members of patriotic organizations. A lapel flag pin, being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
American flag etiquette for the Pledge and parades
The Pledge of Allegiance has its own posture in the code, as quoted on the Willard page. The code describes three situations:
- Standing at attention, facing the flag, with the right hand over the heart.
- When not in uniform, men removing any non-religious headdress with the right hand and holding it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.
- Persons in uniform remaining silent, facing the flag and rendering the military salute.
For a parade or procession, the flag carried with another flag or flags should be on the marching right, meaning the flag’s own right. If there is a line of other flags, it goes in front of the center of that line. The code also says the flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides or back of a vehicle, a railroad train or a boat.
For the story of the song that so often accompanies the flag, see the history of the star spangled banner.
How do you retire a worn flag?
The code says a flag that is no longer a fitting emblem for display should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. That wording appears in the same 2024 edition text.
The reasoning is stated in the code: the flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. That is why the rules also warn against storing or flying it in a way that lets it be easily torn, soiled or damaged.
The source does not set out a step-by-step ceremony. If you want to retire a flag, the safest course is to follow the code’s standard of dignity and to ask a local community group that handles flag retirement how it is done in your area.
Frequently asked questions
Can I leave my flag up at night?
Show answer
Yes, if it is properly illuminated. The code describes sunrise to sunset as the universal custom, but says the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day when a patriotic effect is desired and it is lit during the hours of darkness.
Should I fly the flag in the rain?
Show answer
The code says the flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag is displayed.
Is it ever correct to fly the flag upside down?
Show answer
Only as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property. The code says the flag should never be displayed with the union down otherwise.
Does the flag ever get dipped?
Show answer
Not to any person or thing. The code does say regimental colors, state flags, and organization or institutional flags are dipped as a mark of honor, as of the 2024 edition of the U.S. Code.
