Parade Flag Etiquette: Carrying, Marching and Saluting

Around the middle of May the emails change tone. Somebody has just been handed a flag and told they are marching in the town parade, and they would like very much not to get it wrong in front of the whole town. Scout leaders write to us. So do veterans' posts, and the occasional band director who just inherited a color guard. This guide covers parade flag etiquette straight from the U.S. Flag Code, Title 4 of the U.S. Code, for the people holding the staff and for everyone on the curb in a folding chair.

TL;DR: In a procession with other flags, the U.S. flag goes on the marching right or in front of the center of the line. It is carried aloft and never dipped, though other flags may dip to honor it. On a float it flies from a staff, and it never gets draped over a vehicle. When it passes, people in uniform give the military salute and veterans may do the same. Everyone else stands at attention with the right hand over the heart.

Where the Flag Goes in a Procession

The Flag Code gives exactly one rule for position, and I quote it because people paraphrase it badly. Under >4 U.S.C. § 7, the flag "when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag's own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line."

Picture yourself in the group, walking forward. The U.S. flag is on your right hand. Someone on the curb watching you approach sees it on their left, and I think that flip causes most of the arguments. If your group carries a whole line of flags, the U.S. flag can instead march alone, out ahead of the middle of that line.

The same section says no other flag should be placed above the U.S. flag or, at the same level, to its right. So in any color guard we set up, the state flag and organization flags go to its left.

Military color guards follow their own service regulations, which go further than we will here.

How to Carry the Flag in a Parade

Most of the questions we get end up here. Angle comes first. Section 8(c) says the flag "should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free." A 2024 amendment added an exception for limited circumstances done respectfully as part of a military or patriotic observance, and that exception is what covers the huge field flags unrolled across a stadium before kickoff. On Main Street, aloft and free is the rule. Carry it on a staff, upright or tipped slightly forward, so the cloth can move. Keep it off the pavement, since section 8(b) says the flag should never touch anything beneath it, the ground included. In a stiff wind a second person can walk alongside, but nobody should be holding the fly end out flat like a banner. We tell first-time bearers to walk the route once with the actual flag. A 5x8 on a staff feels very different at mile two than it did in the parking lot.

Then there is dipping. The opening line of >4 U.S.C. § 8 says the flag "should not be dipped to any person or thing." State flags, regimental colors and organization flags, on the other hand, "are to be dipped as a mark of honor." So when a color guard passes the reviewing stand, the other flags may dip.

The U.S. flag stays up.

Floats and Vehicles

In my experience, floats are where good intentions go sideways most often. Section 7(a) says the flag "should not be displayed on a float in a parade except from a staff," or hung flat against a wall surface as described in section 7(i).

We get asked about cars more than anything else on this list. Section 7(b) says the flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides or back of a vehicle, a railroad train or a boat. On a car, the staff should be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender. A flag bungee-corded across a pickup grille manages to break both rules at once.

I'd skip it.

Parade Flag Etiquette for Spectators

Parade flag etiquette applies on the curb too, and I think that is where most people could use a refresher. >Section 9 covers anyone present "when the flag is passing in a parade or in review." People in uniform give the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans out of uniform may give it as well, a right Congress added in 2008. Everyone else faces the flag and stands at attention with the right hand over the heart. Wearing a hat? Take it off with your right hand and hold it at your left shoulder, hand over your heart. Citizens of other countries stand at attention.

Timing counts. Section 9 says this conduct toward a flag in a moving column "should be rendered at the moment the flag passes." Nobody expects you to stand for the whole parade. What I tell kids is simple: watch for the flag at the front, stand up when it reaches you, sit back down once it has gone by. Then go back to waiting for the fire trucks.

Choosing a Flag for Parade Day

A parade flag gets handled far more than one on a house bracket, so I'd pick sewn construction. Every flag we sell is made in the USA. The Durable Patriot is 100% nylon with embroidered stars and sewn stripes, light enough to carry for a long route and quick to dry if a shower rolls through. For windy routes, the Everlast American Pride is 100% spun polyester and heavier. Marching for the Lone Star State? Our Texas state flag is nylon with an appliqued star. The rest is in our American flags collection, and our Veterans Day flag etiquette guide covers flying the flag at home.

Parade Flag Etiquette: Questions

Which side does the American flag go on in a parade?

In a procession with other flags, the U.S. flag goes on the marching right, which is the flag's own right as the group moves forward. Spectators watching the group approach see it on their left. If there is a line of other flags, the U.S. flag may instead march alone in front of the center of that line, under 4 U.S.C. § 7.

How do you hold a flag while marching?

Carry it on a staff, held upright or tilted slightly forward, so the cloth hangs and moves freely. The Flag Code says the flag should be carried aloft and free and never flat or horizontally. Keep the fly end off the ground and away from feet. A harness or carrying belt helps if the route is long or the wind is strong.

Do you have to stand when the flag passes in a parade?

The Flag Code says all persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with the right hand over the heart as it passes. It is guidance and carries no penalty, but it is the custom. You only need to stand at the moment the flag reaches you, then you can sit again once it has moved on down the route.

Can veterans salute the flag in a parade without a uniform?

Yes. Since 2008, 4 U.S.C. § 9 has said that members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute when the flag passes in a parade. People in uniform should give the military salute. Everyone else places the right hand over the heart and removes any hat with the right hand.

Is it OK to drape an American flag on a parade float or car?

No. The Flag Code says the flag should be displayed on a float only from a staff, or hung flat against a wall surface as section 7(i) describes. It should never be draped over the hood, top, sides or back of a vehicle. On a car, fix the staff firmly to the chassis or clamp it to the right fender instead.

Should the American flag be dipped when passing a reviewing stand?

No. The Flag Code says the U.S. flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. State flags, regimental colors and organization flags are the ones dipped as a mark of honor when a color guard passes a reviewing stand or dignitary. The U.S. flag stays upright on its staff for the whole route.

Keep reading: American Flag Clothing: Do's and Don'ts From the Flag Code and Veterans Day flag etiquette.