U.S. Flag Etiquette for Your Vehicle

In celebration of our great nation's birth, or just as a general act of patriotism, many American motorists choose to display the Stars and Stripes as a decal or an actual flag on their car, truck, or motorcycle. Some automakers have released special editions of their vehicles that already have the flag displayed in the appropriate way, like this Dodge Challenger, but for those who'd like to add their own flags, it's good to know the proper etiquette.

These specific rules and best practices for flying the American flag should be considered before you place your decals, stickers, or fabric flags, so we've put together some simple guidelines for you with thanks to the American Legion and several flag dealers that publish rules of flag etiquette.

A single flag should fly from the right (passenger) side of the vehicle. If two flags are displayed, it's okay to put one on each side, but they should be mounted at the same height and be hung in the same way.

The flag should be displayed with the stars in the upper left-hand corner, with an important exception. A flag displayed on the passenger side of a vehicle should show the stars at the upper right-hand corner. Isn't that backward? It is, but the reason is that the field of stars (sometimes called the "union") should always be in the highest position of honor. On a vehicle that moves, that would be closest to the front, as shown in the photo above.

On motorcycles, the flag must be mounted at the center on the rear of the bike or to the right from the rider's perspective when driving forward, which is referred to as the "marching right."

When flown adjacent to a state flag or another type of flag, the American flag should take the marching right position. When flown or displayed along with other flags, no other flag should be larger, and the American flag should take the center position and be the highest flag flown.