St George’s Day is celebrated on April 23, but households could face fines up to £2,500 if they fly an England flag in contravention of local council planning laws and Town and Country Planning Regulations
12:57, 16 Apr 2026Updated 12:57, 16 Apr 2026
The flag of St George could land you a £2,500 fine(Image: Getty)
St George’s Day is mere days away but households risk being slapped with a fine if they display an England flag in breach of planning regulations despite the national celebration. Typically marked on April 23, St George’s Day pays tribute to the patron saint on the anniversary of his death way back in 303 AD.
While it arguably doesn’t receive the same level of recognition as St Patrick’s Day over in Ireland, St David’s Day in Wales or St Andrew’s Day in Scotland, church services are held annually for St George’s Day, with events usually taking place in Trafalgar Square.
However, if you’re considering hoisting an England flag for the occasion, you ought to be mindful of local council planning regulations which could technically result in you being hit with a £2,500 penalty if you breach them.
The Government states that in recent years it has loosened restrictions on flag flying, not merely the Union Jack, but also the flags of England, Wales, Ireland and indeed any national flag whatsoever as it wishes to see more flags displayed generally, reports the Express.
The regulations for displaying a flag on a roof are quite liberal. The government states that certain flags may be flown from rooftops of any dimension, provided they satisfy particular criteria.
England flags – along with Scottish flags, Commonwealth country flags, NHS and LGBT flags are all allowed to be displayed from your property. These may be any dimension if they are flown from the roof, and will not incur any penalties as a consequence. However, if you’re hoisting the flag on a flagpole ‘projecting from any part of the building other than the roof’, the flag can’t exceed two metres squared in size.
Permission is needed if you reside in a regulated area, such as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Those who fail to adhere to the regulations could be reported and, ultimately, fined up to £2,500 for refusing to comply with requests from your local council to take down an oversized flag.
One workaround is to fly the flagpole from the roof instead. According to the law, flags on a vertical flagpole flown from the roof have no maximum size, unless you’re in an AONB.
The government stipulates: “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.”
The government’s rules on flags state that all flags must be:
- maintained in a condition that does not impair the overall visual appearance of the site
- 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
The complete list of flags that don’t require permission are:
- Any country’s national flag, civil ensign or civil air ensign
However, if you’re flying the flag from a pole jutting out from any part of a building other than the roof, there are stricter guidelines. The Town and Country Planning Regulations 2007 specify that there are rules for a maximum size for flags flying on your house if it’s on a pole, not on the roof.
The government adds: “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.”
Those who fail to follow these regulations could face reports and, eventually, penalties of up to £2,500 for refusing to comply with local council demands to take down an oversized flag.
The legislation states: “A person displaying an advertisement in contravention of these regulations shall be liable, on summary conviction of an offence under section 224(3) of the Act, to a fine of an amount not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale and, in the case of a continuing offence, one tenth of level 4 on the standard scale [£2,500] for each day during which the offence continues after conviction.”
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