Editing Flag of the United States (section)

===Decoration===
Traditionally, the flag may be decorated with golden [[fringe (trim)|fringe]] surrounding the perimeter of the flag as long as it does not deface the flag proper. Ceremonial displays of the flag, such as those in [[parade]]s or on indoor posts, often use fringe to enhance the flag's appearance. Traditionally, the Army and Air Force use a fringed flag for parades, [[Colour guard|color guard]] and indoor display, while the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard use a fringeless flag for all occasions.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

The first recorded use of fringe on a flag dates from 1835, and the [[United States Army|Army]] used it officially in 1895. No specific law governs the legality of fringe. Still, a 1925 opinion of the [[United States Attorney General]] addresses the use of fringe (and the number of stars) "is at the discretion of the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy" as quoted from a footnote in previous volumes of [[Title 4 of the United States Code]] law books. This opinion is a source for claims that a flag with fringe is a military ensign rather than a civilian. However, according to the Army [[Institute of Heraldry]], which has official custody of U.S. flag designs and makes any change ordered, there are no implications of symbolism in using fringe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tioh.army.mil/FAQs/Faqs.aspx?SectionID=101|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111020133/https://tioh.army.mil/FAQs/Faqs.aspx?SectionID=101|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 11, 2021| title=FAQs - U.S. Flag Etiquette| access-date = November 7, 2024 | website=The Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army|quote=There is no record of an Act of Congress or Executive Order which either prescribes or prohibits the addition of fringe, nor is there any indication that any symbolism was ever associated with it.}}</ref>

Individuals associated with the [[sovereign citizen movement]] and [[tax protester conspiracy arguments]] have claimed, based on the military usage, that the presence of a fringed flag in a civilian courtroom changes the nature or jurisdiction of the court.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/30/sovereign-citizens-are-a-sometimes-violent-fringe-group-rejecting-all-government|title=Sovereign Citizens Are a Sometimes Violent Fringe Group Rejecting All Government|last=Ross|first=Winston|date=December 30, 2012|access-date=July 8, 2019|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">[http://evans-legal.com/dan/tpfaq.html#flagfringes Rebuttal of "martial law flag" claims by tax protesters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502182441/http://evans-legal.com/dan/tpfaq.html#flagfringes |date=May 2, 2016 }}. Evans-legal.com. Retrieved May 27, 2011.</ref> Federal and state courts have rejected this contention.<ref name=":0"/><ref>See ''McCann v. Greenway'', 952 [[Federal Supplement|F. Supp.]] 647 ([[United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri|W.D. Mo.]] 1997), which discusses various court opinions denying any significance related to trim used on a flag.</ref><ref name="state">{{cite web|url=http://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/Court_of_Appeals/opinion/2010/08CA2664.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513011723/http://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/Court_of_Appeals/opinion/2010/08CA2664.pdf |archive-date=May 13, 2014 |url-status=live |title=state.co.us: "Colorado Court of Appeals – Order Order Affirmed: Colorado v Drew" (Munsinger) 13 May 2010 |publisher=courts.state.co.us|access-date=April 19, 2015}}</ref>