Flag Institute - UK Flag Registry

UK Flag Registry

Under the supervision of their Chief Vexillologist Graham Bartram, the Institute keeps an unofficial registry of flags for the countries, regions and counties of the UK. Flag designs with which its officers have been involved include those for the badge and ensign of the UK Border Agency and the flag of the UK Supreme Court.

The criteria for inclusion in the UK Flag Registry are:

• The design must be unique within the UK, i.e. no other UK area or organisation is using the design
• The design must be in the public domain, i.e. not subject to copyright
• In the case of county flags, the flag must normally apply to a historical county rather than a modern administrative area
• The flag must be one of the following: registered with the College of Arms; registered with the Office of the Lord Lyon; the traditional flag; selected by a public vote; or selected by an appropriate county or city organisation
• It is possible for an existing flag of a county, city or town council to be included in the Registry, but only where the council concerned has granted permission for its residents to use the flag and recorded this in its minutes
• Flags bearing a full achievement of a coat of arms would not ordinarily be recorded in the Registry, as in these cases, we would follow heraldic protocol and advise the use of a rectangular version of the shield on the arms
• Ordinarily, flags should follow the Flag Institute's Civic Flag Design Guidelines
• Inclusion in the Flag Registry is completely free of charge
• A flag's inclusion in the Flag Institute's registry does not imply that it can be lawfully flown

All Scottish flags must, by law, be authorized by Lord Lyon and recorded in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland. The Earl Marshal and the College of Arms are legally responsible for the flying of flags on land in the rest of the UK. The College of Arms and the Court of the Lord Lyon maintain official registers of flags.