The state seal in gold and silver on a national blue field — the second-newest state flag among the original 50 (after usa-state/hawaii/" data-it-autolink="1">Hawaii).
The design
The Flag of Nebraska is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 3:5, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses navy blue, gold, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Navy blue | navy blue | A nationally significant colour for this flag — see the symbolism section below for the country-specific meaning. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
The seal depicts a settler's cabin, sheaves of wheat, a steamboat on the Missouri River, and a blacksmith — symbolising agriculture, transport, and trade. The state motto "Equality before the law" arches across.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Nebraska — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1925. Earlier banners flown by Flag of Nebraska reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of Nebraska should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Flag of Nebraska | — |
| Continent | North America | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1925 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 3:5 | height : length |
| Colours | navy blue, gold | — |
| Designer | — | |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
Nebraska was the last of the original 48 contiguous states to adopt an official flag — the legislature finally passed the design in 1925, decades after most other states.
