Visiting Washington, DC
FAQs

How do I get an American flag that has flown over the U.S. Capitol? 

(From our "What's the deal with...?" page that answers questions commonly asked by visitors to Washington, DC.)

All Americans can get a flag that has flown over the U.S. Capitol at a very reasonable price by placing an order directly with your elected members of Congress. 

Below, we explain how to order your flag and provide links to directories at the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.  We do not sell flags, and we can not order flags for you.

Nylon and cotton American flags in a variety of sizes are available directly from your Representative and Senators' offices as a constituent service. Please check with their offices for the latest flag prices. Many Representatives and Senators have order forms on their web sites (see links below) - flag order information is typically found under "Constituent Services."  

The cost of a flag when ordered directly from your Representative or Senator's office is very reasonable.  In addition to a reasonable charge for the flag and for postage, if you want the flag flown over the Capitol, there is an additional, mandatory fee of $4.05 to recover the costs of flying the flag over the Capitol and providing the certificate that comes with it (a result of cuts in the 1996 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act). 

You can have the flag flown "in honor of" or "in memory of," and you can request a specific date - for example, a birthday or anniversary - that the flag be flown.

If the flag is to be flown over the Capitol, place your request directly with your Representative or Senator's office no less than two weeks or more than two months in advance of the date you wish to have the flag flown. Payment must be made by check or money order; cash and credit cards are not accepted. You should allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.

Please note: to get a flag flown over the Capitol you should contact your Representative or Senators directly: flag order information is typically found under "Constituent Services" on their official web site. 

TheCapitol.Net does not sell or arrange for the sale of flags flown over the Capitol.

• Search for your Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives by state and zip code.
  
  
• To find out who your Congressman or Senator is, member directories on the web are here: House, Senate, and our print Congressional Directory is here.
  
  
• Tips on how to contact Congress.
  
  
• The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (1774 - Present) is here.  
  
  

For more information about the United States Flag

• usflag.org
• The American Legion FAQs about Our Flag
• Flag Rules and Regulations
• The Star Spangled Banner: The Flag That Inspired the National Anthem - from the Smithsonian
• Title 4, US Code, Chapter 1, The Flag - from Legal Information Institute
• National Flag Foundation
• Our Flag - from Joint Committee on Printing, United States Congress
• Displaying and Caring for the Flag of the United States of America - from the Detroit Area Council, Boy Scouts of America
• USA Flag Site
• Flag Timeline - from USHistory.org

 

For a list of the memorials in DC including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and the FDR Memorial, see our museums, memorial and monuments page.

 

If you'd rather not order a very reasonably priced U.S. flag that has flown over the Capitol from your Representative or Senators, then feel free to buy one from Amazon:
 

Also see our Visiting Washington, DC page

TheCapitol.Net is a non-partisan firm offering legislative, advocacy and media training, and the opinions of its faculty, clients, and of the owners and operators of its vendors are their own and do not represent those of TheCapitol.Net.

 

Press Release: February 11, 2004: How to Get an American Flag that has Flown Over the U.S. Capitol, a web page from TheCapitol.Net

Quick DC Links - Washington Essentials

URLs:   www.TheCapitol.Net/VisitingDC/usflag.htm
CapitolFlags.us
 

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