The bald eagle emblem is the eagle-centered design on the front of the Great Seal of the United States, adopted by the Continental Congress on June 20, 1782, and used ever since to authenticate acts of the federal government.1National Archives. Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States For more than two centuries the eagle’s role as a national symbol rested on the seal alone. In December 2024, Congress formally designated the bald eagle as the national bird by amending Title 36 of the United States Code.2Congress.gov. A Bill to Amend Title 36, United States Code, to Designate the Bald Eagle as the National Bird The bird was chosen in the first place because it is found only in North America, which set the young country’s heraldry apart from European powers that favored the golden eagle.
What Each Part of the Emblem Means
Every element of the design was chosen deliberately. The eagle holds an olive branch in its right talon and a bundle of thirteen arrows in its left, representing a preference for peace paired with readiness for war.3U.S. Department of State. The Great Seal The bird’s gaze is fixed toward the olive branch. A scroll in its beak reads E Pluribus Unum, Latin for “Out of Many, One,” a reference to the union of the original states.
On the eagle’s breast sits a shield with thirteen red and white vertical stripes topped by a solid blue bar. Charles Thomson, the secretary of Congress who finalized the design, explained that the stripes represent the states “all joined in one solid compact entire,” while the blue bar represents Congress uniting them. The shield rests unsupported on the eagle to show that the United States “ought to rely on their own Virtue” rather than foreign support.3U.S. Department of State. The Great Seal Above the eagle’s head, a constellation of thirteen stars breaks through a cloud, which Thomson described as “a new State taking its place and rank among other sovereign powers.”
The number thirteen runs through the design on purpose: thirteen stars, thirteen stripes on the shield, thirteen arrows, thirteen leaves on the olive branch, and thirteen letters in the motto.
Where the Emblem Officially Appears
The eagle design appears on United States passports and the one-dollar bill.4GovInfo. The Great Seal of the United States Military personnel wear it on uniform buttons, and bronze plaques bearing the design mark the entrances of American embassies and consulates abroad.1National Archives. Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States Federal buildings and courthouses also display it above their main entrances.
Its most consequential use is on paper. The State Department stamps the physical seal die onto treaties, presidential proclamations, and commissions for ambassadors and other high-ranking officials to authenticate those documents as genuine acts of the executive branch.4GovInfo. The Great Seal of the United States Without that mark, the documents lack the formal authority foreign governments and domestic institutions expect.
Rules on Reproducing the Emblem
Federal law draws a clear line between displaying the eagle emblem and misusing it. Under 18 U.S.C. § 713, anyone who knowingly displays a likeness of the Great Seal, the Presidential Seal, or the seals of the Senate, House, or Congress in a way that creates a false impression of government sponsorship or approval faces a fine, up to six months in prison, or both.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 713 – Use of Likenesses of the Great Seal of the United States The prohibition covers advertisements, publications, films, broadcasts, and building displays. A separate subsection makes it illegal to manufacture or sell likenesses of the Presidential or Vice Presidential seals without authorization, whether or not the seller intends to mislead anyone.
The key phrase is “false impression of sponsorship.” The law does not ban every reproduction of the eagle. A history textbook or news broadcast showing the seal is not creating a false impression of government endorsement. A private company putting the Great Seal on its product packaging to suggest that the government approves the product would violate the statute. The Department of Justice decides whether a particular use crosses that line.6U.S. Department of State. Copyright Information
A related statute, 18 U.S.C. § 701, targets a different kind of misuse: manufacturing, selling, or possessing imitation government badges, identification cards, or insignia. The penalty is the same, a fine, up to six months in prison, or both.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 701 – Official Badges, Identification Cards, Other Insignia It is aimed at people creating fake credentials rather than the eagle emblem specifically, but it works alongside § 713 to protect official government symbols from unauthorized imitation.
How the Presidential Seal Differs
The Presidential Seal uses the same eagle, olive branch, arrows, and shield, but adds a ring of white stars around the entire design, one for each state. In its current form the seal has fifty stars. The eagle faces toward the olive branch in its right talon, emphasizing the president’s role in pursuing peace.
That orientation is more recent than most people assume. Before 1945, the eagle on the Presidential Seal faced toward the arrows in its left talon, symbolizing military readiness. President Harry Truman changed that with Executive Order 9646, which turned the eagle’s head to face the olive branch permanently.8The American Presidency Project. Executive Order 9646 – Coat of Arms, Seal, and Flag of the President of the United States A press release at the time explained that the eagle now looked “toward the olive branches of peace” even while remaining prepared for conflict. The popular idea that the eagle’s head swivels toward the arrows during wartime is a myth. The design has been fixed since 1945.
Truman’s order was issued when the country had 48 states. After Hawaii’s admission in 1959, President Eisenhower updated the seal through Executive Order 10860 in 1960, bringing the star count to fifty and tying the number of stars to whatever appears on the flag at any given time.9The American Presidency Project. Executive Order 10860 – Coat of Arms, Seal, and Flag of the President of the United States
The Living Bird Is Protected Separately
The rules above cover the emblem. The actual bird is protected under a different law entirely. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, codified at 16 U.S.C. § 668, makes it a federal crime to take, possess, sell, or transport a bald or golden eagle, alive or dead, including any part, nest, or egg, without a federal permit.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 668 – Bald and Golden Eagles The definition of “take” is broad, covering everything from shooting or trapping an eagle to disturbing one near its nest enough that it abandons breeding behavior.11U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act A first criminal offense carries a fine of up to $100,000 for individuals ($200,000 for organizations) and up to one year in prison; a second conviction is a felony with higher penalties. Civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation can also be assessed, and each act of taking counts as its own violation. The one significant exception authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue permits to enrolled members of federally recognized tribes for religious use of eagle feathers and parts, distributed through the National Eagle Repository in Commerce City, Colorado.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 668a – Taking and Using of the Bald and Golden Eagle for Scientific, Exhibition, and Religious Purposes