United States and Maryland State Flag Protocol

Would you like to know more about flag protocol?
Do you need to know when it’s appropriate to either lower or raise
the United States Flag or the Maryland Flag?
Do you have a request for a flag to be flown over the Maryland State House Dome?
The Maryland Secretary of State’s Office provides a full length guide
that explains both United States and Flag Protocol.  Learn more here.
Abridged content, specific to military and veterans, can be found below.

Armed Forces
• The United States Flag and Maryland State Flag are lowered from sunrise to sunset on the day of interment
• Public law 110.41 authorizes the Governor to order that the United States flag be flown at half-staff in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces from that State who dies while serving on active duty 4 U.S.C §7(m) (2016).

POW-MIA and the Honor and Remember flags:
POW/MIA flag, honors those that are/were Prisoners of War and Missing in Action
Honor and Remember flag, designed to honor all members of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty

With the exception of the State House, a State building that is an historic building, or a State building that has a flagpole attached to the building and is determined to be structurally unable to withstand additional flags being flown from the flagpole; the Secretary of General Services and the Secretary of Transportation shall cause the POW/MIA flag to be flown on the grounds of all State buildings under their control whenever the flag of the United States is flown (Annotated Code of Maryland, State Finance and Procurement Article, 4-210).

POW-MIA flag is flow below the United States flag on state buildings. The POW-MIA flag is flown at half-staff when the United States flag is flown at half-staff. When only the Maryland flag is flown at half-staff, the POW-MIA flag is still flown at full-staff.

Blue Star Flag:
Formally known as the Blue Star Mother’s of America, Inc. The Service flag is an official banner authorized by the Department of Defense for display by families who have members serving in the Armed Forces during any period of war or hostilities the United States may be engaged in for the duration of such hostilities. The Service flag may also be displayed by an organization to honor the members of that organization serving during a period of war or hostilities.

Important Dates: (BOTH the United States Flag and Maryland Flag are lowered at sunrise and raised at sunset)

Memorial Day (half-staff until 12:00pm)
Patriot Day (September 11)
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (December 7)

More information on flag protocol and etiquette can be found here:
The American Legion United States Flag Code
Procedure For Folding the United States Flag (video)

Do you have a request for a flag to be flown over the Maryland State House Dome?  To learn more about the application process and to make a request visit:

Maryland Capitol Police Flag Request Form