Flag Status

Colorado Governor's Office Flag Policy and Regulations

By the authority vested in the Governor of the State of Colorado, under Article IV, Section 2 of the Colorado Constitution, Governor Jared Polis has adopted the following policy and protocol regarding the manner and display of the United States and Colorado flags at state facilities within the State of Colorado:

Flying the flag at half-staff

• The Governor of the State of Colorado may order the United States flag and the Colorado State flag lowered at federal and state facilities, pursuant to the enactment of H.R. 692 as of June 29, 2007, for any Colorado service member killed while serving on active duty. The policy of Governor Jared Polis is to order the United States and Colorado flags lowered on the day of the service member’s funeral, and for the flags to remain lowered for the duration of the day.
• The Governor may order the Colorado flag lowered following a Presidential order or request to lower the United States flag. This typically occurs following the death of a present or former official of the federal government, a principle figure, on marked occasions such as Memorial Day, or following a national tragedy.
• The Governor may order the United States flag and Colorado flag lowered to honor the death of any present or former official of state government, on the day of the official’s funeral.
• The Governor may order the Colorado flag lowered when deemed appropriate in response to a specific incident, such as a statewide or national tragedy or when a law enforcement officer or firefighter dies in the line of duty. The Governor also may delegate authority to local officials to lower flags within their jurisdiction. The policy of Governor Jared Polis is to order the United States and Colorado flags lowered on the day of the law enforcement officer or firefighter’s funeral, and for the flags to remain lowered for the duration of the day.

Obligatory holidays on which the flag is lowered to half-staff

• Memorial Day (until noon)
• September 11th
• Pearl Harbor Day (December 7th)

Regulations on displaying the flag

• The United States flag should always be displayed on the right (from the flag) to any state flag, or if in a procession, always first.
• No flag shall be raised above that of the United States flag, nor to its right (the flag’s right). The Colorado State flag must remain below the United States flag, and those of other nations must be displayed equally to the United States flag during peacetime. Foreign flags should be displayed to the left of both the United States flag and Colorado State flag.
• The United States flag should always be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a large number of flags of states or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.

Modification of rules and customs by Governor

• Any rule or custom pertaining to the display of the flag of the State of Colorado, set forth herein, may be altered, modified, or repealed, or additional rules with respect thereto may be prescribed, by the Governor of the State of Colorado, whenever he deems it to be appropriate or desirable; and any such alteration or additional rule shall be set forth in a proclamation.

Note: Many of these regulations and codifications are based upon the official United States Flag Code.