FAQs

In 1923, the American Legion and several other patriotic organizations established customs concerning the use and display of the American flag. Flag traditions had been used in the previous decades, but were not standardized and varied from region to region. The United States Flag Code was signed into federal law in 1942 to provide citizens nationwide with the best practices for displaying their American flags.

The United States Flag Code applies to everyone under the jurisdiction of US federal law. That being said, though the code is federal law, breaking it is not a prosecutable offense. The First Amendment protects this right.

The US Flag Code applies to the American flag only, not any derivatives or inspired designs. If your flag follows the same design and color scheme as the American flag, it falls under the Flag Code.

Flags that significantly alter the American flag’s design, such as changing the color palette to black and white, are no longer considered authentic versions of the national flag. These flags, plus patriotic bunting and decorative flags that only depict parts of the flag, are not subject to the Code.

The United States flag is an important symbol and should be handled respectfully. While it is no longer illegal to desecrate the flag, burning, mutilating, or defacing it damages the values and freedoms it is meant to represent. Following the US Flag Code recommendations is a great way to show your appreciation for your flag and share it with fellow citizens through unified traditions and customs.

No, they are not. All of the designs created for and sold at Golf and Freedom use a black-and-white version of the American flag as its base. Since this design does not use the official colors of the US flag, it is not considered a ‘real’ American flag. Since the black-and-white flag isn’t considered a genuine version of the American flag, the Flag Code does not cover it. It is regarded as a specialty flag that resembles the American Flag.

The Flag Code discourages burning, defacing, and mutilating the flag. Defacing the American flag is a common Flag Code violation, though it is often done unintentionally. Drawing, writing, or adding logos all count as defacement. However, whether something constitutes a Flag Code violation depends on the circumstances, as it is permissible to burn an old American flag once it is no longer usable.

Please visit the US Flag Code for all details regarding the treatment of the American Flag.