Hoffman Measure Expands Ability of Courthouses to Display American Flag

BELLEVILLE, Ill. – County courthouses will have greater flexibility to properly display the United States flag under a new law originally introduced by state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea.

“It’s important to properly fly our nation’s flag at our courthouses, and this is a sensible update that will ensure it is always clearly and respectfully displayed,” Hoffman said. “While many courthouses will continue to proudly fly the flag at the top of their building, the reality is we have a lot of historic buildings where it is increasingly difficult to properly display the flag without dealing with weather damage and safety issues accessing it.”

House Bill 1615 updates state law by allowing a county courthouse to fly the United States flag prominently on the grounds of the courthouse instead of exclusively on the top of the courthouse. County courthouses can continue to fly the flag at the top, but the new flexibility will be helpful for structures where access is an issue.

Compared to many older courthouse buildings that featured a dome and flag on top, many recent courthouses built in recent decades do not include a flagpole on top their roof. The new law ensures these buildings are now in compliance, and reiterates the importance of a proper flag display.

House Bill 1615 passed with bipartisan support and was recently signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The new law takes full effect Jan. 1.

For more information, please contact RepJayHoffman@gmail.com.