US · guidance
BOP Program Statement 1020.04 § 5
DISPOSAL OF WORN AMERICAN FLAGS
Special attention shall be given to the condition of the flags that are flown, so that no flag shall
be displayed in a condition to which it appears dirty, faded, or torn/tattered. Flags in this
condition should be replaced.
Title 4 U.S.C. § 8(k) provides that “[t]he flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a
fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” Local
community organizations can be contacted to assist with this ceremony.
1020.04 3/19/2026 PROPERTY OF US GOVERNMENT 4
REFERENCES
Program Statements
Procedures in the Event of a Staff Member’s Death
Federal Statutes
4 U.S.C. §§ 4–10
5 U.S.C. §§ 101–102
Federal Regulations
19 Fed. Reg. 1235
34 Fed. Reg. 19699
Presidential Proclamations
Proclamation No. 3044, Mar. 1, 1954
Proclamation No. 3948, Dec. 12, 1969
ACA Standards
None
Records Retention Requirements
Requirements and retention guidance for records and information applicable to this program are
available in the Records and Information Disposition Schedule (RIDS) on the Bureau’s intranet
site.
1020.04 3/19/2026 PROPERTY OF US GOVERNMENT 5
History
PS 1020.04 dated 2026-03-19
Provenance
- Source
- bop.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-20
- Edition
- bop-ps-2026-09-20
- Content hash
3a135e79a4530e70dfeb3dccffdd72e507b1e0cc1d2a6264d3cb08a9736f8924
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