4 U.S.C. § 1 (FLAG AND SEAL, SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE STATES)
§ 1. Flag; stripes and stars on
The flag of the United States shall be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the flag shall be forty-eight stars, white in a blue field.
(July 30, 1947, ch. 389, 61 Stat. 642.)
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Short Title of 2018 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 115–123, div. A, § 10101, Feb. 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 64, provided that: “This division [amending section 7 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 7 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Honoring Hometown Heroes Act’.”
heading: Short Title of 2017 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 115–15, § 1, Mar. 28, 2017, 131 Stat. 79, provided that: “This Act [amending section 6 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017’.”
heading: Short Title of 2009 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 111–41, § 1, July 27, 2009, 123 Stat. 1962, provided that: “This Act [amending section 6 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Korean War Veterans Recognition Act’.”
heading: Short Title of 2007 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 110–41, § 1, June 29, 2007, 121 Stat. 233, provided that: “This Act [amending section 7 of this title and provisions set out as a note under section 7 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Army Specialist Joseph P. Micks Federal Flag Code Amendment Act of 2007’.”
heading: Short Title of 2000 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 106–252, § 1, July 28, 2000, 114 Stat. 626, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections 116 to 126 of this title and provisions set out as a note under section 116 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act’.”
heading: Executive Documents
heading: Executive Order No. 10798
text: Ex. Ord. No. 10798, Jan. 3, 1959, 24 F.R. 79, which prescribed proportions and sizes of flags until July 4, 1960, was revoked by section 33 of Ex. Ord. No. 10834, set out as a note under this section.
heading: Ex. Ord. No. 10834. Proportions and Sizes of Flags and Position of Stars
text: Ex. Ord. No. 10834, Aug. 21, 1959, 24 F.R. 6865, provided:
WHEREAS the State of Hawaii has this day been admitted into the Union; and
WHEREAS section 2 of title 4 of the United States Code provides as follows: “On the admission of a new State into the Union one star shall be added to the union of the flag; and such addition shall take effect on the fourth day of July then next succeeding such admission.”; and
WHEREAS the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (63 Stat. 377), as amended [see chapters 1 to 11 of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and division C (except sections 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of Title 41, Public Contracts] authorizes the President to prescribe policies and directives governing the procurement and utilization of property by executive agencies; and
WHEREAS the interests of the Government require that orderly and reasonable provision be made for various matters pertaining to the flag and that appropriate regulations governing the procurement and utilization of national flags and union jacks by executive agencies be prescribed:
NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States and as Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the United States, and the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended [see Short Title of 1949 Act note under section 101 of Title 41, Public Contracts], it is hereby ordered as follows:
heading: Part I—Design of the Flag
text: Section 1. The flag of the United States shall have thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white, and a union consisting of white stars on a field of blue.
Sec. 2. The positions of the stars in the union of the flag and in the union jack shall be as indicated on the attachment to this order, which is hereby made a part of this order.
Sec. 3. The dimensions of the constituent parts of the flag shall conform to the proportions set forth in the attachment referred to in section 2 of this order.
heading: Part II—Regulations Governing Executive Agencies
text: Sec. 21. The following sizes of flags are authorized for executive agencies:
Size
Dimensions of Flag
Hoist (width)
Fly (length)
Feet
Feet
(1)
20.00
38.00
(2)
10.00
19.00
(3)
8.95
17.00
(4)
7.00
11.00
(5)
5.00
9.50
(6)
4.33
5.50
(7)
3.50
6.65
(8)
3.00
4.00
(9)
3.00
5.70
(10)
2.37
4.50
(11)
1.32
2.50
Sec. 22. Flags manufactured or purchased for the use of executive agencies:
(a) Shall conform to the provisions of Part I of this order, except as may be otherwise authorized pursuant to the provisions of section 24, or except as otherwise authorized by the provisions of section 21, of this order.
(b) Shall conform to the provisions of section 21 of this order, except as may be otherwise authorized pursuant to the provisions of section 24 of this order.
Sec. 23. The exterior dimensions of each union jack manufactured or purchased for executive agencies shall equal the respective exterior dimensions of the union of a flag of a size authorized by or pursuant to this order. The size of the union jack flown with the national flag shall be the same as the size of the union of that national flag.
Sec. 24. (a) The Secretary of Defense in respect of procurement for the Department of Defense (including military colors) and the Administrator of General Services in respect of procurement for executive agencies other than the Department of Defense may, for cause which the Secretary or the Administrator, as the case may be, deems sufficient, make necessary minor adjustments in one or more of the dimensions or proportionate dimensions prescribed by this order, or authorize proportions or sizes other than those prescribed by section 3 or section 21 of this order.
(b) So far as practicable, (1) the actions of the Secretary of Defense under the provisions of section 24(a) of this order, as they relate to the various organizational elements of the Department of Defense, shall be coordinated, and (2) the Secretary and the Administrator shall mutually coordinate their actions under that section.
Sec. 25. Subject to such limited exceptions as the Secretary of Defense in respect of the Department of Defense, and the Administrator of General Services in respect of executive agencies other than the Department of Defense, may approve, all national flags and union jacks now in the possession of executive agencies, or hereafter acquired by executive agencies under contracts awarded prior to the date of this order, including those so possessed or so acquired by the General Services Administration, for distribution to other agencies, shall be utilized until unserviceable.
heading: Part III—General Provisions
text: Sec. 31. The flag prescribed by Executive Order No. 10798 of January 3, 1959, shall be the official flag of the United States until July 4, 1960, and on that date the flag prescribed by Part I of this order shall become the official flag of the United States; but this section shall neither derogate from section 24 or section 25 of this order nor preclude the procurement, for executive agencies, of flags provided for by or pursuant to this order at any time after the date of this order.
Sec. 32. As used in this order, the term “executive agencies” means the executive departments and independent establishments in the executive branch of the Government, including wholly-owned Government corporations.
Sec. 33. Executive Order No. 10798 of January 3, 1959, is hereby revoked.
Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Standard proportions
Hoist (width) of flag 1.0
Fly (length) of flag 1.9
Hoist (width) of Union 0.5385
(7⁄13)
Fly (length) of Union 0.76
0.054
0.054
0.063
0.063
Diameter of star 0.0616
Width of stripe 0.0769
(1⁄13)
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
K
L