The Flag of the United States of America

American Flag Links

U.S. Archives Executive Order 10834 (and below)

Search for Executive Order 10834 on firstgov

U.S. Code Title 4 Chapter 1 Sec. 5. - Display and use of flag by civilians; codification of rules and customs; definition (and below)

U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry

If you want to sell flags to the U.S. Government, you’ll need to meet the 34-page Federal Specification excerpted below. (I’ve lost the link to the original, and it may have been updated or amended.)

The Color Association of the United States - You can order the separate 5x8 inch silk swatches for the colors of the flag at $50 each, or a complete book for a lot more.

Source: The provisions of Executive Order 10834 of Aug. 21, 1959, appear at 24 FR 6865, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 367, unless otherwise noted.

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, 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, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Part I—Design of the Flag

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.

Part II—Regulations Governing Executive Agencies

Sec. 21. The following sizes of flags are authorized for executive agencies:

	Dimensions of flag
Size	Hoist (width) Fly (length) Feet Feet 20.00 10.00 8.95 7.00 5.00 4.33 3.50 3.00 3.00 2.37 1.32 38.00 19.00 17.00 11.00 9.50 5.50 6.65 4.00 5.70 4.50 2.50
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11)

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.

Part III—General Provisions

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, or 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.

Sec. 5. - Display and use of flag by civilians; codification of rules and customs; definition

The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America is established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or more executive departments of the Government of the United States. The flag of the United States for the purpose of this chapter shall be defined according to sections 1 and 2 of this title and Executive Order 10834 issued pursuant thereto.

(Added Pub. L. 105-225, Sec. 2(a), Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1494.)

Historical and Revision Notes

This specification was approved by the Commissioner, Federal Supply Service, General Services Administration, for the use of all Federal Agencies.

1. Scope and Classification

1.1 Scope. This specification covers requirements for United States of America National Flag and Union Jack.

...

2. Applicable Documents

...

(Activities outside the Federal Government may obtain copies of Federal specifications, standards and Commercial Item Descriptions as outlined under General Information in the Index of Federal specifications, standards and Commercial Item Descriptions. The Index, which includes cumulative bimonthly supplements as issued is for sale on a subscription basis by the Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.

(Single copies of this specification, other Federal specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions required by activities outside the Federal Government for bidding purposes are available without charge from the General Services Administration Business Service Centers in Boston; New York; Philadelphia; Washington, DC; Atlanta; Chicago; Kansas City, MO; Fort Worth; Houston; Denver; San Francisco; Los Angeles; and Seattle, WA.

(Federal Government activities may obtain copies of Federal specifications, standards and Commercial Item Descriptions and the Index of Federal specifications and Commercial Item Descriptions from established distribution points in their agencies.)

...

2.2 Other Publications. The following documents form a part of this specification to the extent specified herein. Unless a specific issue is identified, the issues in effect on date of invitation for bids or request for proposal shall apply.

...

The Color Associtaion of The United States, Inc:

Standard Color Card of America, 9th Edition

(Application for copies of this color card should be addressed to The Color Association of the United States, Inc., 24 East 38th Street, New York, NY 10016.)

...

[p. 25 drawing of flag dimensions]

This is a miniature copy of The Institute of Heraldry Drawing No. 5-1-17 revision dated 9 Dec ’75. This copy is for information only. The dwg referenced in para 2.1 governs.

...

4	Cable numbers of colors
	As cited in the Ninth Edition Standard Color Card of America
		Red 70180 White 70001 Blue 70075 Yellow 65001 For fringe when applicable

...

Figure 1

Department of Defense
Department of the Army
The Institute of Heraldry

Flag, National
United States of America
50 Star Union Jack

25 April 1967