The Lionesses won 2-1 over Italy on Wednesday night to qualify for the Euro 2025 final.
England flags during the Women’s international friendly match between England and Jamaica. (Image: GETTY)
The regulations surrounding displaying an England flag on your property or vehicle have been clarified, following the Lionesses’ stunning 2-1 victory over Italy to reach the Euro 2025 final. The match saw Italy take an early lead within 33 minutes, before England struck back with two crucial goals in the dying moments of the second half.
While the Lionesses celebrate their remarkable achievement, many supporters have been questioning the legal requirements for proudly displaying the Union Jack or England flag. This follows the controversial case of 12-year-old Courtney Wright, who was placed in isolation after attending her school’s culture day wearing a Spice Girls-inspired Union Jack dress. Courtney’s situation has dominated news coverage, with the Prime Minister even entering the discussion. Regarding attaching flags to vehicles, there are specific regulations that Britons must understand to prevent complications. Drivers should note that whilst displaying flags is permitted, they must not be positioned in a manner that could impair the motorist’s road visibility.
It remains crucial that any flag erected does not block the driver’s view through windows or rear-view mirrors, as this presents a significant safety risk. Currently, the penalty for mounting flags on your vehicle that obstruct vision could result in a £1,000 fine or potentially three penalty points on your driving licence. A Government spokesperson confirmed: “There is no specific law against flying a flag from your vehicle. We would simply encourage motorists to use their common sense to ensure their vision of the road isn’t impaired, and that it doesn’t jeopardise the safety of other road users. We shouldn’t hide our national flags which are a source of pride and identity.”
Many fans will wish to fly England flags ahead of the final. (Image: GETTY)
Standard requirments to display a flag:
The Government website also contains comprehensive guidance regarding the legal requirements for displaying any flag at a location or even on your own property.
It clarifies that certain “standard” requirements apply to flag display, alongside some more particular regulations.
The website declares: “All flags must be:
“Subject to compliance with the standard conditions, there are 3 categories of flag:”.
“(a) flags which can be flown without consent of the local planning authority”.
“(b) flags which do not need consent provided they comply with further restrictions (referred to as “deemed consent” in the Regulations)”.
(“c) flags which require consent (“express consent”).”
An England supporter with their face painted to depict the flag of England looks on during the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Semi-Final match between England and Italy. (Image: GETTY)
Regulation around flagpoles:
The positive news is that displaying your England flag (or Union Jack) from your residence should not require authorisation under the Government guidance.
It continues: “The above flags or their flagpoles must not display any advertisement or subject matter additional to the design of the flag, but the Regulations now highlight that you can attach a black mourning ribbon to either the flag or flagpole where the flag cannot be flown at half mast, for example, when flying a flag on a flagpole projecting at an angle from the side of a building.
“The use of the word ‘country’ in (1) and (7) of the list above includes any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and any British Overseas Territory. The flags of St George and St Andrew are recognised as the national flags of England and Scotland, but the flags of St David and St Patrick are listed separately as they do not necessarily fall into the category of a country’s national flag.
“Two flags can also be flown from the same flagpole without the need for consent if:
- both flags are within the list above; or
- one flag is within the list above and the other is within the categories of flag set out under (b) below.
“In either case, if one of the flags is the Union Flag, it must be flown in the superior position.
“Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, the flag of the European Union is no longer included in the list of flags that do not require consent.”
Additional regulations must be observed when displaying a flag on a “vertical pole” from a “roof of a building,” alongside flying a flag from other locations.
The guidance explains: “Two flags on the same vertical flagpole on the roof of a building are permitted provided one of the flags is from category (a) (flags which do not need consent such as a national flag) and that flag is flown in the superior position.
“Otherwise, only one flag on a vertical flagpole on the roof of a building is permitted.
How large can my flag be?
“There are no restrictions on the size of the flag.
“No restrictions on the size of any character or symbol displayed on the flag, except where a flag is flown within an area of outstanding natural beauty, area of special control, the Broads, conservation area or a National Park (referred to elsewhere as “controlled areas”) where the characters may be no more than 0.75 metre in height (0.3 metre in height in an area of special control).
“It is permitted to fly one flag (or two if one is from category (a) (flags which do not need consent) on a vertical flagpole on the roof of a building and one flag (or two if one is from category (a) (flags which do not need consent) on a flagpole within the grounds of the building without consent (subject to restrictions below). However, it is not permitted to fly a flag on a projecting flagpole and on a vertical rooftop flagpole without consent.”
For those wishing to display their flag on a flagpole from another location on a building, the government states: “Two flags on the same flagpole projecting from any part of a building are permitted provided one of the flags is from category (a) (flags which do not need consent) such as a national flag and that flag is flown in the superior position.
“Otherwise, only one flag on a projecting flagpole on a building is permitted.
“The flag may not exceed 2 square metres in size.
“No restrictions on the size of characters.
“Consent is required if the flagpole is in a controlled area.
“It is permitted to fly one flag (or two if one is from category (a) (flags which do not need consent) on a vertical flagpole on the roof of a building and one flag (or two if one is from category (a) (flags which do not need consent) on a flagpole within the grounds of the building without consent (subject to restrictions below). However, it is not permitted to fly a flag on a vertical flagpole on the roof and a projecting flagpole without consent.”
Displaying a flag within the grounds of a property also comes with separate regulations, with the Government stating: “You can fly two flags on the same flagpole within the grounds of a building (the regulations refer to ‘curtilage’) provided one of the flags is from category (a) (flags which do not need consent) and that flag is flown in the superior position.
“You can fly flags on two separate flagpoles within the grounds (the regulations refer to “curtilage”) of a building at the same time, subject to the conditions listed below:
“There are no restrictions on the size of the flag, but any flagpole may not exceed 4.6 metres above ground level. Consent is required if the flag is to be flown in a controlled area.
“Only one flag (or two if one is from category (a) (flags which do not need consent) can be flown on a flagpole within the grounds of a building if one flag (or two if one is from category (a) (flags which do not need consent) is either being flown from the roof, or is projecting from the building.”
