Here is how to fold the American flag into the triangle you see at military funerals and ceremonies, with only the blue field and stars showing. The seven steps below match the Correct Method of Folding the United States Flag published by the Department of Veterans Affairs. They work for any size flag, from a 3′ x 5′ on a porch to a casket flag.
Before you start
- Two people is easiest. One holds each end, and the folds stay square. One person can do it alone on a clean, dry table.
- The flag never touches the ground. That is the one rule from the Flag Code that applies here. Keep it off the floor at every step.
- Fold it dry. A flag folded damp will mildew, and mildew stains do not come out. This matters most for cotton.
- Hold it taut. Every fold is easier and cleaner when the fabric is pulled flat before you crease it.
How to fold the American flag in seven steps
Step 1: Fold in half lengthwise
Hold the flag flat and waist high. Fold the striped bottom half up over the field of stars, so the fold runs the long way. The blue field is now on the outside of one half.
Step 2: Fold lengthwise again
Fold the flag in half lengthwise a second time. Keep the blue field on the outside. You now have a long strip, one quarter the original height, with the stars showing along part of its length.
Step 3: Start the triangle at the striped end
At the striped end, take the folded corner and bring it up to meet the open top edge. This makes a right triangle at the end of the strip.
Step 4: Fold the point in
Fold the outer point of that triangle inward, toward the stars, so the striped end of the strip is vertical again. The triangle is now one layer thicker and the strip is a little shorter.
Step 5: Keep folding triangles
Repeat steps 3 and 4 down the length of the flag. Each pair of folds consumes one more section of stripes and wraps it around the growing triangle. Keep the edges tight so the triangle does not loosen.
Step 6: Stop at the last square of blue
When only a square of blue field is left, stop making triangles. Fold the top corner of that square down along the diagonal, so it matches the triangle in your hands.
Step 7: Tuck the last corner in
Take the loose corner and tuck it into the pocket formed by the earlier folds. The flag is now a compact triangle with only the blue field and stars showing, and it will hold its shape without a tie.
What the folds mean, and what they do not
You have probably heard a ceremony where each fold is given a meaning. Here is where that stands.
Nothing in the Flag Code covers folding. Title 4 of the U.S. Code sets rules for display and respect and says nothing about how to fold. The procedure above comes from the VA’s published instructions and the House of Representatives’ publication Our Flag, both of which describe the mechanics and assign no meaning to any fold. Neither specifies a fold count. The common figure of thirteen comes from the recitation tradition, not from the instructions, though a standard size flag usually does work out to about that many triangles.
The recitations are a tradition, not doctrine. The American Legion states plainly that the origin of the fold-meaning script is unknown. In 2007 the VA clarified that honor guards at national cemeteries may recite a script if the family asks, reflecting any faith or none. The Air Force adopted its own secular script in 2005 and, after a 2016 dispute over a retiring airman’s religious version, backed away from requiring it.
The National Flag Foundation’s version. The foundation publishes a ceremony that assigns a virtue to each fold: liberty, unity, justice, perseverance, hardiness, valor, purity, innocence, sacrifice, honor, independence, and truth. It draws on Charles Thomson’s 1782 report to Congress on the Great Seal, which said white signifies purity and innocence, red hardiness and valor, and blue vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Thomson was describing the seal, not the flag, and not a folding ceremony. The foundation’s own site also carries a thirteen-fold version, so the count varies even within one organization.
If a recitation means something to your family, your post, or your unit, use it. Just do not present it as official.
After it is folded
A folded flag stores best in a dry, dark place, and best of all in a display case, which keeps it out of light and dust and holds the triangle.
A burial flag issued by the VA is cotton and is not built for outdoor weather. It is not retired by having covered a casket, and it may be displayed afterward. A case is the usual home for one.
If the flag you are folding is worn, decide whether it can be repaired or should be retired before you put it away.
Common questions about folding the American flag
Does the US Flag Code say how to fold the flag?
No. Title 4 of the U.S. Code covers display, respect, and disposal, and says nothing about folding. The only Flag Code rule that bears on it is that the flag should never touch the ground or the floor beneath it.
How many folds are in a folded American flag?
Neither the VA instructions nor the House publication Our Flag gives a number. The familiar figure of thirteen comes from the recitation tradition, not from the folding instructions. A standard 3′ x 5′ flag usually works out to about that many triangles, but the count follows the flag’s proportions, not a rule.
Is there an official meaning for each fold?
No. The American Legion says the origin of the fold-meaning script is unknown. The VA lets honor guards at national cemeteries read a recitation when a family asks for one, and the Air Force wrote a secular script of its own. None of them is set by law. Use a recitation if it means something to your family or your post. Do not present it as official.
What should show when the flag is folded correctly?
Only the blue field and the stars. If a red or white stripe is showing when you finish, one of the two lengthwise folds was off before you started the triangles.
Can you fold a flag by yourself?
Yes. Lay it flat on a clean, dry table. Make both lengthwise folds first and smooth each one, then work the triangles from the striped end toward the stars. It takes longer than folding with a second person and the result is the same.
Can a burial flag be displayed after the funeral?
Yes. A flag is not retired by having covered a casket. A burial flag issued by the VA is cotton and is not built for outdoor weather, so it is usually kept folded in a display case.
Related reading
Need a cotton flag for a ceremony, a case for a folded flag, or a replacement for the pole? See cotton US flags, display cases, and memorial products, or contact us.
Sources
- Correct Method of Folding the United States Flag · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs · va.gov
- Our Flag, House Document 100-247, Folding the Flag · U.S. House of Representatives · npshistory.com
- VA Clarifies Policy on Flag-Folding Recitations, October 30, 2007 · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs · news.va.gov
- Flag-Folding Procedures · The American Legion · legion.org
- Air Force Backtracks on Official Flag-Folding Script Regulation, June 23, 2016 · Military.com · military.com
- Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States, 1782 · National Archives · archives.gov
- The Meaning Behind the 13 Folds of the United States Flag · National Flag Foundation · nationalflagfoundation.org
- 4 U.S.C. Chapter 1, The Flag · Office of the Law Revision Counsel · uscode.house.gov
- Burial Flags · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs · va.gov
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