To hang a flag vertically the correct way, put the union — the blue field of stars — at the top and to the observer’s left. The U.S. Flag Code states it plainly: when displayed vertically against a wall, the union should be “uppermost and to the flag’s own right, that is, to the observer’s left.”1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 7 – Position and Manner of Display That single rule covers almost every vertical scenario: a wall, a window, a staff angling out from a building, or a flag suspended over a street. The details shift with the setting, but the stars always occupy the position of highest honor.
Against a Wall
Hanging the flag flat on a wall is the most common vertical display. Stand in front of the wall and picture the stars in the upper-left corner. From the flag’s own perspective, that puts the union on its right side.
Fasten the flag through the grommets, the metal rings along its edge, using tacks, nails, or hooks. Piercing the fabric itself isn’t necessary and should be avoided. The flag needs to lie flat and fully extended against the surface. Bunching it, draping it, or letting it hang in folds violates the Flag Code’s requirement that the flag always fall free.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 8 – Respect for Flag
In a Window
A window display follows the same orientation rule, but the reference point moves. The union should be to the left of someone looking at the flag from outside — the person standing on the sidewalk or street.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 7 – Position and Manner of Displaya> This catches people off guard, because from inside your home the stars will appear on your right. If it feels backwards from where you’re standing, you’ve probably done it correctly.
Behind a Speaker or on a Stage
When the flag hangs flat as a backdrop behind a speaker’s platform, it goes above and behind the speaker with the union in its standard upper-left position from the audience’s viewpoint.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 U.S. Code 7 – Position and Manner of Display This is the setup at political events, graduation ceremonies, and press conferences.
When the flag is on a staff rather than flat against the wall, the placement changes. The U.S. flag stands to the speaker’s right as they face the audience, which puts it on the audience’s left. Any other flags on the platform go to the speaker’s left.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 U.S. Code 7 – Position and Manner of Display The same positioning applies in a church, with the flag at the clergy member’s right.
From a Staff Projecting Off a Building
A flag on a staff that projects horizontally or at an angle from a windowsill, balcony, or building front follows a different rule than a wall display. Here, the union goes at the peak of the staff, meaning the blue field sits at the farthest point from the building.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 7 – Position and Manner of Display The flag should hang freely and not be pinned or tied against the building’s surface.
There is one exception. When the flag is lowered to half-staff on a projecting pole, the union no longer needs to sit at the peak.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 7 – Position and Manner of Display The lowered position itself communicates mourning.
If the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope running between a building and a pole at the curb, hoist it union-first from the building side.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 7 – Position and Manner of Display
Suspended Over a Street
A flag hung vertically over the middle of a street has its own compass-based orientation. On an east-west street, the union faces north. On a north-south street, the union faces east.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC Chapter 1 – The Flag North and east traditionally hold the highest honor in flag protocol, so the union points that way.
Displaying With Other Flags
The U.S. flag always takes the position of highest prominence when displayed with other flags. On a single pole or halyard, the U.S. flag goes at the top; state, local, and organizational flags line up below it in descending order of precedence.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC Chapter 1 – The Flag
When flags hang from adjacent staffs or side by side on a wall, the U.S. flag goes to the observer’s left, which is its own right. In a group of flags displayed together from staffs, the U.S. flag belongs at the center or at the highest point.
Crossed Staffs
When the U.S. flag is crossed with another flag against a wall, the U.S. flag’s staff goes in front, and the flag itself sits on its own right, meaning the observer’s left.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC Chapter 1 – The Flag A quick check: facing the display, the U.S. flag should be on your left, with its staff crossing over the top of the other flag’s staff.
International Flags
International protocol is stricter in one respect: no nation’s flag may fly above another nation’s flag during peacetime. When displaying the flags of two or more countries together, each gets a separate staff of equal height, and the flags should be roughly the same size. This custom comes from international practice rather than the U.S. Flag Code, but the Code’s provisions are consistent with it.
Never Upside Down (Except in Distress)
Flipping the union to the bottom is a recognized distress signal reserved for situations involving extreme danger to life or property.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 8 – Respect for Flag An upside-down flag outside a genuine emergency is one of the most common display mistakes, and it tends to draw sharp reactions from neighbors and passersby. Before you hang the flag, confirm which corner holds the union and orient the display accordingly.
The flag should also never touch the ground, floor, water, or anything beneath it.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 8 – Respect for Flag Give yourself enough clearance when you plan the display.
Are These Rules Legally Binding?
The civilian provisions of the U.S. Flag Code are essentially advisory. Title 4, Section 5 establishes the code “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.”5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC Chapter 1 – The Flag These rules are customs and guidelines, not criminal prohibitions for everyday citizens.
One narrow exception: 4 U.S.C. § 3 makes it a misdemeanor to use the flag for advertising or to mutilate it within the District of Columbia, with penalties of up to a $100 fine or 30 days in jail.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC Chapter 1 – The Flag State flag desecration laws exist outside D.C., but the Supreme Court’s 1989 decision in Texas v. Johnson held that flag burning and similar acts constitute symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.6United States Courts. Facts and Case Summary – Texas v. Johnson That ruling effectively blocks enforcement of most flag-misuse statutes against individuals.
If you live under a homeowners association, the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005 prohibits condominium associations, cooperatives, and residential management associations from banning the display of the U.S. flag on residential property, though they can impose reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of display. The guidelines above are a code of respect rather than an enforcement scheme, and following them correctly is why you’re reading this in the first place.