The Flag Institute maintains and manages the UK Flag Registry, the nation’s only definitive record of its flags β national, supranational, local and community.
- View the flags: National | Supranational | County or Region| City, Town, Village etc.
In keeping with our charitable status and democratic principles, we provide this service free of charge.
Please note that the UK Flag Registry only includes flags that are free for all to own and use; it does not include the flags of current administrative entities, e.g. local authorities, or flags subject to copyright restrictions.
Two types of local and community flag might qualify for inclusion:
- flags of the UK’s historic counties or regions, e.g. Riding, island, province
- flags of modern communities, e.g. city, town, village, borough, district, parish
All flags must comply with basic graphical standards and may be a traditional pattern or a new design.
Traditional designs
- an existing flag, e.g. the St Piran’s Cross of Cornwall
- the banner of a local authority, e.g. the banner of the former Cheshire County Council
- an historical emblem that is used as a flag, e.g. the flag of Buckinghamshire
Where a traditional design belongs to a local authority, it may only qualify for inclusion:
- by formal written agreement of that authority, granting consent to release the flag for free use by all
Where a traditional design does not belong to a local authority, it may qualify for inclusion:
- by formal written application from a representative local group (including a local authority), confirming the relevance of the group or authority to the area in question and the provenance of the design
New designs
- this designation refers to a flag that is original in design, although it may still include elements of traditional icons and symbols
A new design may qualify for inclusion via:
- public competition and vote OR
- formal written application from a local authority, confirming the relevance of the authority to the area in question, its intended use of the flag, and the symbolism of the design
Where a new design has been in (unregistered) use over a long period, it may qualify for inclusion:
- by written application from any organisation or individual, accompanied by compelling evidence of provenance and local use
Help and advice
We offer free help and advice to any local community wishing to run a Flag Institute-approved design competition and/or enter a flag in the UK Flag Registry.
For further details, or to report any unlisted flag in common use, please contact:
- , Communities Vexillologist OR
- , Chief Vexillologist
Buying a registered flag
To buy any registered flag, please contact a Flag Institute Registered British Flagmaker OR Trade Member.
