Is It Time to Retire Your American Flag? What You Need To Know

Is it time to retire your American Flag? Flags tend to tatter on the flying edge first and it's up to your discretion to determine whether your flag is fit to fly.

According to the United States Flag Code found on the Flag USA site:

The United States Flag Code, Title 4, Section 8k states-“The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”

If a flag can't be repaired and it needs to be retired the proper disposal is to burn or bury it with a dignified ceremony according to a variety of sources.

You can contact our VFW who have posted about flag etiquette, our American Legion who have worked with retiring flags with special ceremonies for flag retirement, and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts for more information on proper flag disposal.

With our most patriotic holiday on the way make sure your flag is looking beautiful and ready to fly high for Fourth of July!