The state coat of arms on a buff (light yellow-brown) field — a colour chosen by George usa-state/washington/" data-it-autolink="1">Washington for the New Jersey Continental regiments.
The design
The Flag of New Jersey is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses buff, blue, gold, white, brown, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Buff | buff | A nationally significant colour for this flag — see the symbolism section below for the country-specific meaning. |
| Blue | blue | Frequently symbolises sky, sea, freedom, vigilance or perseverance. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Brown | brown | Suggests soil, indigenous heritage or the working land. |
Symbolism & heraldry
The shield shows three ploughs representing agriculture. Liberty (right) and Ceres (left, goddess of grain) flank the shield. The horse's head crest is the state animal. The buff and blue are Washington's personal Continental Army uniform colours.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of New Jersey — 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 1896. Earlier banners flown by Flag of New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey | — |
| Continent | North America | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1896 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | buff, blue, gold, white, brown | — |
| Designer | — | |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
In 1779 George Washington ordered New Jersey troops to adopt buff-and-blue uniforms — making New Jersey one of the few US state flags whose distinctive colour comes from a direct order by Washington himself.
