§8 — Title 4 Flag and Seal; Seat of Government; States | U.S. Code

Summary

Treat the U.S. flag with respect and avoid uses that show disrespect. Do not dip the U.S. flag to any person or thing; regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags may be dipped to show honor. Only display the union (the blue field with stars) upside down as a signal of dire distress when life or property is in extreme danger. Do not let the flag touch the ground, floor, water, or merchandise. Do not carry it flat or horizontally except when needed in a respectful military or patriotic use. Keep the flag from being torn, soiled, or damaged. Do not use it as clothing, bedding, drapery, a ceiling covering, a container, or for advertising or disposable items. Do not put marks, pictures, words, or attachments on it. A flag patch is allowed on military, firefighter, police, and patriotic group uniforms. Wear a lapel flag pin on the left lapel near the heart. When a flag is no longer fit to display, destroy it in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

Title 4, §8

Flag and Seal; Seat of Government; States — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor. (a)

(b)The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

(c)The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free, except as may be necessary in limited circumstances and done in a respectful manner as part of a military or patriotic observance.

(d)The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. 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 the platform, and for decoration in general.

(e)The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

(f)The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(g)The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h)The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

(i)The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j)No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

(k)The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 836:176.June 22, 1942, ch. 435, § 4, 56 Stat. 379; Dec. 22, 1942, ch. 806, § 4, 56 Stat. 1076; July 7, 1976, Pub. L. 94–344, (12)–(16), 90 Stat. 812.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2024—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 118–159 inserted “, except as may be necessary in limited circumstances and done in a respectful manner as part of a military or patriotic observance” after “aloft and free”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Modification of Department of Defense Policy Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title XVII, § 1703(b), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 2208, provided that: “The Secretary of Defense shall— “(1) rescind the February 10, 2023, Department of Defense memorandum entitled, ‘Clarification of Department of Defense Community Engagement Policy on Showing Proper Respect to the United States Flag’; and “(2) support military recruitment through public outreach events during patriotic and military observances, including the display of the United States flag regardless of size and position, including horizontally, provided that, in accordance with section 8(b) of title 4, United States Code, the flag never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.”

§8 Respect for flag