Flag of Alabama
The current flag of Alabama (the second in Alabama state history) was adopted by Act 383 of the Alabama Legislature on February 16, 1895:
"The flag of the State of Alabama shall be a crimson cross of St. Andrew on a field of white. The bars forming the cross shall be not less than six inches broad, and must extend diagonally across the flag from side to side." – (Code 1896, §3751; Code 1907, §2058; Code 1923, §2995; Code 1940, T. 55, §5.)
| Use | Civil and state flag |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 (by convention) |
| Adopted | February 16, 1895 |
| Design | A crimson cross of St. Andrew on a white field. |
| Flag of the governor of Alabama | |
| Use | State flag |
| Design | The State Flag with the state military crest and coat of arms of Alabama in the lower and upper sections |
The cross of St. Andrew referred to in the law is a diagonal cross, known in vexillology as a saltire. Because the bars must be at least six inches (150 mm) wide, small representations of the Alabama flag do not meet the legal definition. In 2001, a survey conducted by the North American Vexillological Association ranked Alabama's state flag 29th in design quality of the 72 Canadian provincial, U.S. state and U.S. territorial flags. There are sources that believe the saltire was intended to memorialize the Confederacy, but no legislative records indicate the inspiration for the flag.