United States Flag Laws

FLAG RESOLUTION OF 1777

Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white: that the union be 13 stars, white, in a blue field, representing a new constellation.

Passed June 14, 1777

FLAG ACT OF 1794

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the first day of May anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, the flag of the United States, be fifteen stripes alternate red and white. That the Union be fifteen stars, white in a blue field.

Approved, January 13, 1794.

FLAG ACT OF 1818

Sect. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the fourth day of July next, the flag of the United States be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; that the union have twenty stars, white in a blue field.

Sect. 2. And be it further enacted, That on the admission of every State into the Union, one star be added to the union of the flag; and that such addition shall take effect on the fourth day of July next succeeding such admission.

Approved, April 4, 1818.

1905 Trademark Act
AN ACT To authorize the registration of trade----marks used in commerce with foreign nations or among the several States or with Indian tribes, and to protect the same…

SEC. 5. U.S.C, title 15, sec. 85. That no mark by which the goods of the owner of the mark may be distinguished from other goods of the same class shall be refused registration as a trade--mark on account of the nature of such mark unless such mark--

(a) Consists of or comprises immoral or scandalous matter.

(b) Consists of or comprises the ﬂag or coast of arms or other insignia of the United States or any simulation thereof, or of any State or municipality or of any foreign nation, or of any design or picture that has been or may hereafter be adopted by any fraternal society as its emblem, or of any name, distinguishing mark, character, emblem, colors, ﬂag, or banner adopted by any institution, organization, club, or society which was incorporated in any State in the United States prior to the date of the adoption and use by the applicant…

Executive Order 1556 Signed by President William H. Taft on June 24th, 1912

It is hereby ordered that all National Flags and Union Jacks for the Department of the Government, with the exception noted under (a), shall conform to the following proportions:

Hoist (width) of Flag -------------- 1
Fly (length) of Flag ---------------- 1.9
Hoist (width) of Union ------------ 7⁄13
Fly (length) of Union --------------- .76
Width of each stripe --------------- 1⁄13

When in the manufacture of any flag under these specifications the resulting dimensions appear as fractions of an inch, such fractions shall be taken as the nearer inch. In the event of a fraction of one half inch, the whole inch greater shall be adopted.

Union Jacks: The size of the Jack shall be the size of the Union of the National Flag with which it is flown.

Number of Stars: All National Flags having hoist less than five (5) feet, except colors to be carried by troops, and the corresponding Jacks, shall have only thirteen (13) stars in the Union, in order that the identity of the stars may be plainly distinguishable.

Position and size of Stars: The position and size of each star for Unions of forty-eight (48) and thirteen (13) stars, respectively, shall be as indicated on blueprint of a plan which will be furnished to the Departments by the Navy Department. From this plan can be determined the location and size of stars for flags of any dimensions. Extra blueprints of this plan will be furnished upon application to the Navy Department.

Order effective: All National Flags and Union Jacks now on hand or for which contracts have been awarded shall be continued in use until unserviceable, but all those manufactured or purchased for Government use after July 4, 1912 shall conform strictly to the dimensions and proportions herein prescribed.

The color of the field of the President's Flag shall be blue.

WM. H. TAFT

THE WHITE HOUSE,
June 24, 1912