4.01 - When the Maryland flag is displayed within the State of Maryland, it should occupy the position of honor (to the flag's own right, or the observer's left) after the U.S. flag and the flag of any other nation, and before the flags of other states, Maryland counties and Baltimore City, municipalities, and public or private organizations. The positions of honor in a display of flags are (see Figs. 4a and 4b):

• U.S. flag in the position of highest honor (the observer's extreme left or the highest point in a grouping of flags)

 

• The flag or flags of other nations ranked in alphabetical order
  • The Maryland flag
  • The flags of other states, ranked in an order determined by the respective state's date of ratification of the U.S. Constitution or date of admission to the Union. In national events or ceremonies honoring the nation or the U.S. flag, the Maryland flag may occupy the seventh position among the flags of the states in recognition of its rank as the seventh state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
  • The flags of Maryland counties (with Baltimore City being ranked as a county for the purposes of this protocol), with the host county in the position of honor to the left (the observer's right) of the Maryland flag, followed by the other county flags ranked in an order determined by the a county's date of creation.
  • The flags of Maryland municipalities, and the flags or pennants of public and private agencies, institutions, and societies ranked in an order determined at the discretion of the organizers or sponsors of the particular event.

4.02 - The U.S. flag and the Maryland flag shall be flown from the State House at Annapolis continuously during sessions of the General Assembly. When the General Assembly is not in session, the U.S. flag and the Maryland flag shall be flown continuously from the State House on each day that the governor designates as a public occasion, and on any other day, weather permitting, between sunrise and sunset (General Provisions Article, §13-204).

Figure 5

4.03 - When the U.S. flag and Maryland flag are flown from a single flagstaff, the U. S. flag should be displayed from the peak position with the Maryland flag immediately below it. The Maryland flag should be approximately the same size as, but never larger than, the U.S. flag. (Fig. 5).

4.04 - When the Maryland flag and the U.S. flag are displayed on separate flagpoles, the flagpoles should be of equal height and the Maryland flag should be approximately the same size as, but never larger than, the U.S. flag. The U.S. flag should be flown from the position of honor on the flag's own right, or from the flagpole on the left as normally viewed by the observer. The Maryland flag should be flown from the second position of honor, or from the flagpole on the right as normally viewed by the observer. (Fig. 6)

Figure 6

4.05 - When a Maryland facility is located in another state, the flag of the host state may be flown on an adjacent staff of equal height. The Maryland flag and the flag of the host state should be of approximately the same size, and the Maryland flag should be flown in the position of honor (to the flag's own right, or to the observer's left) after the U.S. flag. When the Maryland flag is flown with the U.S. flag and the flag of another state at such a facility, the proper order from the observer's left is the U.S. flag, the Maryland flag, and the flag of the host state.

4.06 - The U. S. flag displayed from a staff either on a speaker's platform or at floor level in a public auditorium should occupy the position of honor to the speaker's right as the speaker faces the audience. The Maryland flag displayed from a staff either on a speaker's platform or on the main floor of a public auditorium should be placed in the second position of honor to the left (the observer's right) of the U.S. flag. Both the U.S. and the Maryland flags may be to the speaker's right (the observer's left), or the Maryland flag (but not the U.S. flag) may be to the speaker's left (observer's right). (Fig. 7)

4.07 - When the Maryland flag and U.S. flag are displayed from separate staffs grouped around a central point, the U.S. flag should be at the highest point of the group. The Maryland flag takes the next place of honor (on the observer's extreme left). (Fig. 8)

4.08 - When displayed with the Maryland flag from crossed staffs, the U.S. flag should be on the flag's own right (the observer's left) and its staff should be in front of the staff of the Maryland flag. (Fig. 9)

4.09 - When carried in a procession with the Maryland flag and other flags, the U.S. flag should be on the marching right (the observer's left) with the Maryland flag taking the next position of honor (to the observer's right). The U.S. flag can also be carried in front of and at the center of a line of flags in a procession, in which case the Maryland flag should take the next position of honor on the marching right (the observer's left) of the line. (Fig. 10)

4.10 - When the U.S. and Maryland flags are flown from a cross staff, the U.S. flag flies from the peak and the Maryland flag occupies the position on the right end of the cross staff (the observer's left). (Fig. 11)

4.11 - When the U.S. and Maryland flags are flown from a cross staff with a gaff, the U.S. flag flies at the gaff and the Maryland flag occupies the position on the right end of the cross staff (the observer's left). If county, city, or private flags are also flown, the next position of honor is the left end of the cross staff (the observer's right) followed by the peak of the staff.