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Liechtenstein flag laws

Last modified: 2024-08-10 by martin karner
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Law of 1937

In 1937, the head of government Joseph Hoop presented officially the new flag and gave a symbolic interpretation of its colours: «Blue is the colour of a radiant sky, red the colour of the embers in the fireplace during evening gatherings; gold of the crown shows that our people, our country and our princely House are united in heart and spirit.»
Ivan Sache, 1 March 2001, translating and adapting Roger Baert in [bat00]

Law of 1957

The “royal standard” was a flag officially prescribed by the 1957 law.
Ivan Sache, 1 March 2001, translating and adapting Roger Baert in [bat00]

Law of 1982

The law of 30 June 1982 was published in Landesgesetzblatt (State Journal of Laws) on 18 September 1982. The German text of the law prescribes a service flag to be used by the government and the assembly, regulates the prince’s standard and prescribes four kinds of flag: Flagge, Fahne, Banner, and Wimpel.
Ivan Sache, 1 March 2001, translating and adapting Roger Baert in [bat00]

Law text at the official website.
Mark Sensen, 2 April 2004

Law of 1984

At the official website one can find the Liechtenstein’s regulation concerning the use of flags on public buildings, including a list of official flag days, and drawings of the state flag, the princely flag, and the government flag.
Stefan Schwoon, 2 April 2004

Law Gazette of Liechtenstein
Volume of 1986, Nr. 26
issued on 24th July, 1984

Decree of 8th May, 1984
about Flying the Flag

Based on articles 19 and 25 of the Law of 30th June, 1982 about Coats-of-Arms, Colours, Seals, and Emblems of the Principality of Liechtenstein, published in the Law Gazette of 1982, Nr. 58, the government decrees the following:

I. Flag flying on public buildings

Art.1 Scope

  1. This decree applies to the flying of flags on buildings of the national and municipal agencies and the offices of the national administration, the post and customs buildings, the buildings of institutes and foundations governed by public law, and the buildings of the diplomatic and consular representations of the Principality of Liechtenstein abroad. The special regulation of flying flags on the residence of the prince are left unchanged.
  2. All buildings named in paragraph 1 are to fly flags without regard of ownership and the extent of their public use.
  3. Flying flags on buildings or parts of buildings according to paragraph 2 can be omitted provided that they are annexes or parts of buildings not suitable for the purpose.

Art.2 General flag flying days

  1. The buildings named in Art.1.1) are to fly flags on the following days (general flag flying days):
    1. national holiday (August 15th);
    2. day of the promulgation of the constitution (October 5th);
    3. day of accession to power of the prince;
    4. birthday and saint’s day of the prince;
    5. Corpus Christi.
  2. Private buildings should also fly flags on general flag flying days.
  3. For the buildings of the diplomatic and consular representations of the Principality of Liechtenstein abroad the general flag flying days are the ones named in paragraph 1 letters a through d.

Art.3 Flying flags at special occasions

  1. Whether flags should be flown, and in which manner and to which extent, on special occasions such as state visits, visits of foreign government members, international conferences and conventions in the Principality of Liechtenstein, and during events of national importance or mourning, is to be decided by the government. [über Antrag des Protokolls?]
  2. The building in which the Diet convenes is to fly flags for the duration of the session.
  3. The flying of flags on diplomatic and consular representations of the Principality of Liechtenstein abroad at special occasions is governed by local customs.
  4. The flying of flags on municipal buildings at special occasions is governed by the instructions of the municipalities.

Art.4 Which flags to fly

  1. On the general flag flying days according to article 2 and on special occasions according to article 3 the national colours are to the flown.
  2. On general flag flying days according to article 2, paragraph 1, letters a through d, and on occasions particularly related to the princely house the colours of the princely house should be flown, too.
  3. The municipalities may fly municipal flags in addition to the flags named in paragraphs 1 and 2.
  4. Other flags than those named in paragraphs 1 through 3 may only be flown with the assent of the government. Whether foreign flags or flags of international organisations should be flown on special occasions will be decided by the government. [über Antrag des Protokolls?]

Art.5 Ranks of flags

  1. The flag in the national colours, if flown together with other flags, takes the preferential position. If only one other domestic flag is flown, then, seen from inside the building, the flag in the national colours should be flown on the right, the other on the left.
  2. If multiple domestic flags are flown, then the following order applies:
    • flag in the national colours,
    • flag in the colours of the princely house,
    • municipal flags in the order according to article 1 of the constitution,
    • other flags.
  3. If only one foreign flag or a flag of an international institution is flown, it should take the preferential position.
  4. If multiple foreign flags or flags of international institutions are flown, then the order from right to left according to the french alphabet applies. The domestic flags follow on the left in the order of paragraph 2.
  5. The size of the flags must be in appropriate relation to the size and height of the building they are flown from. If multiple flags are flown from a building, they should be of equal size.
  6. On mourning occasions flags are flown at half-staff. If flags cannot be flown at half-staff they are to be equipped with black ribbons.

II. Flags on official cars

Art.6 Standards and service flags

  1. The prince, the president of the diet, and the head of government use their standard on the right wing of their official cars on official occasions (pictures No 1 and 2 in the appendix).
  2. When persuing an official mission abroad, the other members of the diet and the government, the presidents of the national courts of justice [Staatsgerichtshof, Oberster Gerichtshof], diplomatic and consular representatives of the principality of Liechtenstein, and special envoys of the government use the service flag on the right wing of their official car.
  3. The service flag is a flag in the national colours (picture No 3 in the appendix).

III. Entry into force

Art.7

This decree comes into force on the day of its promulgation.

The princely government:
Hans Brunhart (by order)
Head of the princely government

translated by Stefan Schwoon, 23 September 2005