What you need to know about flying England flags on vehicles and homes ahead of Euro 2025 final

Following the Lionesses' thrilling 2-1 victory over Italy, securing their spot in the Euro 2025 final,the regulations regarding the display of the England flag on homes and cars have been highlighted.

The match was a tense affair, with Italy taking the lead in the first 33 minutes, only for England to come back with two late goals in the second half to clinch the win.

As the footballers revel in their achievement, questions have arisen about the legality of flying the Union Jack or England flag with pride.

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These queries have surfaced particularly after the incident involving 12 year old Courtney Wright, who reportedly faced isolation at school for wearing a Union Jack dress reminiscent of the Spice Girls to a cultural event.

Courtney's case has captured public attention, even drawing comments from the Prime Minister.

With this in mind, motorists looking to adorn their vehicles with flags should be cognisant of certain guidelines to avoid legal issues. It is permissible to fly flags on cars, but they must not impede the driver's view of the road.

Ensuring that any displayed flag does not block visibility through windows or mirrors is crucial for safety reasons.

Currently, the penalty for having vision-obstructing flags on your vehicle could result in a fine of £1,000 or potentially three points on your driving licence.

A Government spokesperson clarified: "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."

The government's official website provides comprehensive guidelines on the legalities of flying any flag at a location or even on personal property.

It outlines some "standard" conditions for flag flying, along with more specific regulations.

The website stipulates: "All flags must be:

• be maintained in a condition that does not impair the overall visual appearance of the site
• be kept in a safe condition
• have the permission of the owner of the site on which they are displayed (this includes the Highway Authority if the sign is to be placed on highway land)
• not obscure, or hinder the interpretation of official road, rail, waterway or aircraft signs, or otherwise make hazardous the use of these types of transport
• be removed carefully where so required by the planning authority

"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")."

Fortunately, under these government guidelines, you should not need permission to fly your England flag (or Union Jack) from home.

It further clarifies: "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."

Additionally, there are specific regulations to consider when displaying a flag on a "vertical pole" positioned on a "roof of a building," as well as guidelines for flag display in other locations.

The official 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. There are no restrictions on the size of 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 roof top flagpole without consent."

For those looking to fly their flag on a flagpole from elsewhere on a building, the government adds: "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."

The government has set out specific guidelines for flying flags on buildings, stating: "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."

When it comes to displaying flags within the curtilage of a building, the rules vary slightly. The government clarifies: "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."

Further details are provided regarding multiple flagpoles: "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."