Flying the American flag is one of the simplest ways to show pride in your home and country—but many homeowners aren’t quite sure they’re displaying it the right way. These time-honored guidelines take the guesswork out of proper flag display, helping you show respect for what it represents while keeping your home looking its best.
Time and Occasions for Display
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It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.
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The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
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The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag is displayed.
Manner of Display
- No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America.
- When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last.
- When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from a window sill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff. When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.
- When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's left. When displayed in a window, the flag should be displayed in the same way.
- The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day.
Respect for the Flag
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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.
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The flag should never be displayed with union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
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The flag should never touch anything beneath it.
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The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
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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.
When It’s Time to Retire Your Flag
Even with proper care, every flag reaches a point where it’s no longer suitable for display. Fading, fraying, or worn edges are all signs it’s time to replace it. When that time comes, the American flag should be retired in a respectful and dignified way—traditionally through a proper flag retirement ceremony.
If you’re unsure how to handle this, we offer a simple way to ensure your flag is properly retired with the respect it deserves. It’s one less thing to worry about—and a meaningful way to honor what the flag stands for.
