LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Nothing shows off American pride like a U.S. flag, hoisted high in the sky. There is a rich history behind our country's flag, as well as the State of Arkansas’s flag.
Along with the history comes instructions on how to properly display the flags. So is there a wrong time or way to do it, like during a thunderstorm for example?
We consulted the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office, longtime veterans group the American Legion, and Flag and Banner, a flag maker in Little Rock to find out.
You can see U.S. and Arkansas flags everywhere— flown on front porches, businesses, and public buildings. Flags represent patriotism, with the American flag dating back to 1777 when the Continental Congress passed an act, establishing an official flag for our new nation.
What they didn't establish was a law on exactly how to display the flag.
However, the American Legion does offer some guidance on how to display the flag, and when not to. In their online etiquette guide, it states that it's customary to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset.
It goes on to say that “the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated at night". When it comes to rain, the American Legion said your flag shouldn't fly in the rain, except when an all-weather flag is used.
Guidelines for the Arkansas state flag mirror those of the American Legion.
The Secretary of State even offers a handbook of proper flag protocol that states, "The Arkansas flag should not be displayed during inclement weather unless an all-weather flag is used. An all-weather flag is made from colorfast material."
Flag and Banner owner, Kerry McCoy, and her daughter Meghan know a thing or two about flags. According to Meghan, even flags made of higher-end, colorfast materials have a shelf-life.
“These are heavy-duty, high-quality nylon and polyester flags. But they still are not going to make it more than a year. As soon as the flag color starts to fade or starts to fray, you need a new flag," she explained.
The guidance on proper flag etiquette is meant to help people understand the importance and significance of our nation’s symbol and Arkansas’s flag. Still, at the end of the day, they are suggestions, and not mandatory.
So, we can verify that, no, it is not illegal to fly the flags in the rain, though it is considered improper to disregard the advice from those who hold our flags in the highest regard.
Arkansas does have a law on the books related to the desecration of a flag. The Secretary of State’s office states that anyone who intentionally causes damage to an Arkansas flag can be fined, up to $1,000 dollars or a year in prison, or, in some cases, both.