The first, and preferred, way to retire or dispose of a U.S. Flag is to hold a flag burning ceremony. Before conducting a flag burning ceremony, note the material of your flag and the local fire ordinances. Some flag materials like nylon and polyester emit toxins and heavy smoke that are hazardous to your health and the environment.

Do not burn your flag on your property if you live in La Quinta, regardless of its material! Per La Quinta Municipal Code 11.72.030 Para. O, open fires for cooking and comfort are allowed if contained in a fireproof container (fire pit) and do not exceed four (4) feet in diameter. Per the La Quinta Fire Department, you may only burn clean wood in these open fires. Feel free to call the Fire Department for more information at (760) 564-4351/2122 or (760) 345-7663.

Leave the flag burning ceremonies to patriotic organizations to conduct in approved settings such as the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), American Legion, or Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

Here are the steps for conducting a flag burning ceremony:

• Fold the flag into its customary triangle shape (visit our page on proper flag folding if unsure how to fold). Depending on certain flag materials, it may be better to leave the flag unfolded to ensure it burns quickly.

• Start a fire large and hot enough to completely burn the flag. Make sure to have a large bucket of water or other extinguishing agent nearby. Larger ceremonies may have fire department personnel on site.

• Respectfully place the flag into the fire, making sure not to let any part touch the ground.

• As the flag begins to burn, salute the flag, recite the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the National Anthem, and pause for a moment of silence.

• The flag should be thoroughly burned so that nothing is left besides ashes. Bury the ashes if possible.

• Finally, make sure to fully extinguish the fire.

Although the U.S. Code says that burning is the preferred method to dispose of a flag, you can also conduct a burial ceremony on your property.

Before you dig anywhere on your property, call 8-1-1 first to submit a dig location request! You can also submit this request online at https://www.california811.org/. There may be utility lines or pipes under your property that can be damaged or cut by digging and you will be held responsible for their repair.

SoCalGas, IID, and other utility owners will be contacted through the 8-1-1 dig location request. They may call or email you back to verify the area is clear, or send someone out to mark the areas with utility lines underneath.

After you confirm it is safe to do so, here are the steps to bury your flag:

• Fold the flag into a triangle shape (visit our page on proper flag folding if unsure how to fold).

• The flag must not touch the ground or be exposed to dirt so use a dignified wooden box of sturdy construction.

• Place the folded flag into the wooden box.

• Dig a hole a few feet in the ground. Make sure the hole is wide and deep enough to fully contain the flag box.

• Lower the flag box into the ground. You may choose to say a few words about the meaning of the flag, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, or even sing the National Anthem.

• Pause for a moment of silence after you finish burying the flag box.

• You may choose to mark the burial location with a small, patriotic marker.

Another option for disposing of a U.S. Flag is to recycle it. Some commercial flag companies will accept old flags and reuse the material to make new flags. Find the company name on your flag's label or search for flag companies online. Contact the company to verify if they accept worn flags. They may even cover the shipping cost with a pre-paid label.

The Stars For Our Troops program also accepts certain U.S. Flags (visit their website for more details before mailing them your flag). Volunteers receive the worn flags and cut out each individual embroidered star. The stars are then sent with a note to U.S. Service Members, Veterans, and First Responders as a symbol of thanks and support for their service. You can also order stars from the program to hand out to deserving individuals on your own.

Finally, if you cannot or don't want to dispose of your U.S. Flag yourself, you can drop it off in a flag disposal box for others to collect and retire properly. In many communities, local government offices, police stations, and fire stations have flag disposal boxes or will accept them by hand.

Throughout the year, organizations like the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts collect the disposed flags and hold ceremonies to retire them. Flag Day on June 14th is one of the most common days to hold flag retirement ceremonies.