GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 244
Short Title: Depoliticize Government Property Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Echevarria, N. Jackson, B. Jones, and Biggs (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Judiciary 1, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules,
Calendar, and Operations of the House
March 3, 2025
*H244 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROVIDE TH AT ONLY CERTAIN GOVE RNMENTAL FLAGS MAY B E 2
FLOWN OR DISPLAYED O N PROPERTY OWNED OR LEASED BY THE STATE OR 3
A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. Chapter 144 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 6
section to read: 7
"§ 144-7.1. Display of official governmental flags on State and local government property. 8
(a) Only the following governmental flags may be flown or displayed on property owned 9
or leased by the State or a political subdivision of the State: 10
(1) The flag of the United States of America. 11
(2) The flag of the State of North Carolina. 12
(3) The flag of a county, city, or other governmental agency, school, or other 13
educational facility. 14
(4) The flag of any military branch of the United States of America. 15
(5) The Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) flag. 16
(6) The Honor and Remember flag. 17
(7) The flag of nations recognized by the United States of America during a visit 18
by the nation's head of state or national delegation. 19
(b) A governmental flag shall be flown or displayed according to the patriotic customs 20
set forth in 4 U.S.C. §§ 5-10, as amended. For purposes of this section, the term "displayed" 21
means the governmental flag or an image of the governmental flag is placed anywhere on the 22
premises of the property owned or leased by the State or political subdivision of the State, 23
including the walls of a facility, employee breakroom, and sidewalks. 24
(c) Any person violating the provisions of this section, including a second or subsequent 25
violation, shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor." 26
SECTION 2. G.S. 144-7 reads as rewritten: 27
"§ 144-7. Display of official governmental flags; public restrictions.flags on private 28
property. 29
(a) A county, city, consolidated city-county, or unified government shall not prohibit an 30
official governmental flag from being flown or displayed if the official governmental flag is 31
flown or displayed: 32
(1) In accordance with the patriotic customs set forth in 4 U.S.C. §§ 5-10, as 33
amended; and 34 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 244-First Edition
(2) Upon private or public property with the consent of either the owner of the 1
property or of any person having lawful control of the property. 2
…." 3
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law. 4