Reference & AI

DAFI 90-1201

Air Force

PROTOCOL

Reviewed by Guilherme Correia, active-duty U.S. Air Force

DAFI 90-1201, "PROTOCOL", is a Department of the Air Force publication, dated October 8, 2024.

Published

October 8, 2024

OPR

SAF/AA

Headquarters, Department of the Air Force

Official document

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DAFI 90-1201 — index record

NumberDAFI 90-1201
TitlePROTOCOL
PublishedOctober 8, 2024
Certified currentOctober 8, 2024
Office of primary responsibilitySAF/AA
Issued byHeadquarters, Department of the Air Force
Status on the indexCurrent
Last index actionUpdateContact, May 14, 2026
Source indexAir Force e-Publishing
Index last readOctober 20, 2026

Copied from Air Force e-Publishing (index). The publication itself is the authority; this page does not summarize or interpret it. Verify the current edition on the index before acting.

From the publication itself

Text below is lifted mechanically from the official PDF (102 pages, read October 20, 2026) with no editing or interpretation. Quote the document, not this page.

Purpose, in the publication’s words

This chapter prescribes guidance and procedures for the display, use, procurement and disposition of flags, guidons, streamers, and automobile and aircraft plates. Only authorized flags, guidons, streamers, automobile, and aircraft plates described in this chapter are for use in the DAF and on USAF and USSF installations.

Summary of changes, as printed

This publication has been substantially revised and should be reviewed in its entirety. This document includes comprehensive changes that feature the inclusion of customs and courtesies for the USSF, program roles and responsibilities, the protocol office’s core responsibilities; expanded flag guidance, including expanded Prisoner of War (POW) Missing in Action (MIA) flag guidance; senior enlisted leader change or assumption of responsibility ceremony guidance; clarified appropriated and nonappropriated funds usage; gifts, mementos, and authorized coin purchases and recipients; forms of address, precedence, national anthems; new guidance on invitation lists, attendee lists, seating charts, place cards, chair tags, “you-are-seated-at” cards, itineraries, event briefs, and after action reports.

Contents

  1. Chapter 1—DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE PROTOCOL PROGRAMp. 9
  2. Chapter 2—FLAGS AND PLATESp. 11
  3. Section 2A—Outdoor Flagsp. 12
  4. Section 2B—Indoor Flagsp. 18
  5. Section 2C—Vehicle Platesp. 48
  6. Section 2D—Procurement and Dispositionp. 50
  7. Chapter 3—FUNDINGp. 52
  8. Chapter 4—GIFTS AND MEMENTOS FOR INDIVIDUALSp. 55
  9. Chapter 5—TRANSPORTATIONp. 59
  10. Chapter 6—TITLES, FORMS OF ADDRESS, AND MILITARY ABBREVIATIONSp. 62
  11. Chapter 7—PRECEDENCEp. 65
  12. Chapter 8—CUSTOMS AND COURTESIESp. 70
  13. Chapter 9—ATTIREp. 75
  14. Chapter 10—ADMINISTRATIONp. 77
  15. Chapter 11—DISTINGUISHED VISITORSp. 80
  16. Chapter 12—CONFERENCESp. 82
  17. Chapter 13—OFFICIAL CEREMONIESp. 84
  18. Chapter 14—OFFICIAL SOCIAL FUNCTIONSp. 90
  19. Chapter 15—DINING-IN AND DINING-OUTp. 92
  20. Attachment 1—GLOSSARY OF REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING INFORMATIONp. 93
  21. Attachment 2—HONORSp. 100
  22. Attachment 3—DISPLAY OF THE UNITED STATES FLAG AT HALF-STAFFp. 104
  23. Attachment 4—CORRECT METHOD OF FOLDING THE UNITED STATES FLAGp. 107
  24. Attachment 5—NATIONAL STOCK NUMBERS–BATTLE CAMPAIGN STREAMERSp. 108
  25. Attachment 12—ORDER OF PRECEDENCE OF FLAGSp. 122
All 120 contents entries
  1. Chapter 1—DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE PROTOCOL PROGRAMp. 9
  2. 1.1. Scopep. 9
  3. 1.2. Roles and Responsibilitiesp. 9
  4. Chapter 2—FLAGS AND PLATESp. 11
  5. 2.1. Purposep. 11
  6. 2.2. The Flag of the United States of Americap. 11
  7. Section 2A—Outdoor Flagsp. 12
  8. 2.3. Outdoor Flag Display, Sizes, and Occasionsp. 12
  9. 2.4. Raising and Lowering the United States Flagp. 14
  10. 2.5. Display of the United States Flag with Additional Flag on the Same Halyardp. 14
  11. 2.6. National League of Families POW/MIA Flag Outdoor Displayp. 15
  12. 2.7. Time and Occasions for Outdoor Display of the United States Flagp. 15
  13. 2.8. Display of the United States Flag at Half-Staffp. 17
  14. Section 2B—Indoor Flagsp. 18
  15. 2.9. Indoor Flags, Accessories, and Occasionsp. 18
  16. 2.10. Indoor Flagstaffs, Bases, and Accessoriesp. 19
  17. 2.11. Indoor Flag Displaysp. 20
  18. 2.12. Flags Carried in Processionp. 23
  19. 2.13. Flag Placement on a Closed Casketp. 24
  20. 2.14. International Flagsp. 25
  21. 2.15. State and Territorial Flagsp. 25
  22. 2.16. Military Service Flagsp. 26
  23. 2.17. Department of the Air Force Organizational Flagsp. 28
  24. 2.18. Department of the Air Force Guidonsp. 29
  25. 2.19. Streamersp. 31
  26. 2.20. Miscellaneous Flagsp. 33
  27. 2.21. Positional, Personal Flags, and Vehicle Platesp. 36
  28. 2.22. Positional Flags or Personal/Individual Colorsp. 45
  29. Section 2C—Vehicle Platesp. 48
  30. 2.23. National League of Families POW/MIA Indoor Displayp. 48
  31. 2.24. Automobile Plates Authorized for Positional and Individual Flagsp. 48
  32. 2.25. Automobile Flags and Plates for Other than DAF Membersp. 49
  33. 2.26. Aircraft Platesp. 49
  34. Section 2D—Procurement and Dispositionp. 50
  35. 2.27. Procurement of Flags and Accoutrementsp. 50
  36. 2.28. Disposition of Flags and Related Itemsp. 51
  37. Chapter 3—FUNDINGp. 52
  38. 3.1. Introductionp. 52
  39. 3.2. Appropriated Funds (APFs)p. 52
  40. 3.3. Nonappropriated Funds (NAFs)p. 52
  41. 3.4. Private Organizations (PO)p. 52
  42. 3.5. Personal Fundsp. 53
  43. Chapter 4—GIFTS AND MEMENTOS FOR INDIVIDUALSp. 55
  44. 4.1. Introductionp. 55
  45. 4.2. Referencesp. 55
  46. 4.3. Giving Giftsp. 56
  47. 4.4. Accepting Giftsp. 56
  48. 4.5. Disposition of Giftsp. 57
  49. 4.6. Honorariap. 57
  50. 4.7. Coinsp. 57
  51. Chapter 5—TRANSPORTATIONp. 59
  52. 5.1. Referencesp. 59
  53. 5.2. Official Activitiesp. 59
  54. 5.3. Distinguished Visitor (DV) Travelp. 59
  55. 5.4. Official Spouse Travelp. 60
  56. Chapter 6—TITLES, FORMS OF ADDRESS, AND MILITARY ABBREVIATIONSp. 62
  57. 6.1. Forms of Addressp. 62
  58. 6.2. Joint Forms of Addressp. 62
  59. 6.3. The Honorablep. 62
  60. 6.4. Military Rank Abbreviationsp. 63
  61. 6.5. Foreign Militaryp. 63
  62. Chapter 7—PRECEDENCEp. 65
  63. 7.1. Introductionp. 65
  64. 7.2. Determining Precedencep. 65
  65. 7.3. Precedence Listsp. 65
  66. 7.4. Military Precedencep. 66
  67. 7.5. Positional Precedencep. 66
  68. 7.6. Department of Defense Civilians Order of Precedencep. 67
  69. 7.7. Civilian Presidential Appointeesp. 68
  70. 7.8. Order of Precedence Among Elected Officialsp. 68
  71. 7.9. Diplomatic Precedencep. 68
  72. 7.10. Civic Leader Program Membersp. 68
  73. 7.11. Leaders or Chief Executives of Native American Tribesp. 68
  74. 7.12. Other Rules to Considerp. 69
  75. Chapter 8—CUSTOMS AND COURTESIESp. 70
  76. 8.1. Saluting Individualsp. 70
  77. 8.2. Saluting the United States Flagp. 71
  78. 8.3. Other Marks of Respectp. 74
  79. 8.4. Making a Proper Introductionp. 74
  80. 8.5. Office and Courtesy Callsp. 74
  81. 8.6. Courtesies to the Air Force Songp. 74
  82. 8.7. Courtesies to the Space Force Songp. 74
  83. Chapter 9—ATTIREp. 75
  84. 9.1. Attire and Professionalism Guidelinesp. 75
  85. 9.2. Invitationsp. 75
  86. 9.3. Dress for Military and Civiliansp. 75
  87. 9.4. When No Uniform is Specified for Official Occasionsp. 76
  88. Chapter 10—ADMINISTRATIONp. 77
  89. 10.1. General Management of Protocol Eventsp. 77
  90. 10.2. Invitationsp. 77
  91. 10.3. Seatingp. 77
  92. 10.4. Itineraryp. 78
  93. 10.5. Scriptsp. 79
  94. 10.6. Programsp. 79
  95. 10.7. Name Tagsp. 79
  96. 10.8. Financial Accountabilityp. 79
  97. 10.9. Event Briefsp. 79
  98. 10.10. After-Action Reportsp. 79
  99. 10.11. Customer Surveysp. 79
  100. Chapter 11—DISTINGUISHED VISITORSp. 80
  101. 11.1. Definitionp. 80
  102. 11.2. Honors Accorded to DVsp. 80
  103. 11.3. Minimizing Frequency of Ceremonial Honorsp. 80
  104. 11.4. Visitors without DV Statusp. 81
  105. Chapter 12—CONFERENCESp. 82
  106. 12.1. Overviewp. 82
  107. 12.2. Referencesp. 82
  108. 12.3. Conference Expensesp. 82
  109. 12.4. Co-Sponsored Conferencesp. 83
  110. Chapter 13—OFFICIAL CEREMONIESp. 84
  111. 13.1. Referencep. 84
  112. 13.2. Officiating Principalp. 84
  113. Chapter 14—OFFICIAL SOCIAL FUNCTIONSp. 90
  114. Chapter 15—DINING-IN AND DINING-OUTp. 92
  115. Attachment 1—GLOSSARY OF REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING INFORMATIONp. 93
  116. Attachment 2—HONORSp. 100
  117. Attachment 3—DISPLAY OF THE UNITED STATES FLAG AT HALF-STAFFp. 104
  118. Attachment 4—CORRECT METHOD OF FOLDING THE UNITED STATES FLAGp. 107
  119. Attachment 5—NATIONAL STOCK NUMBERS–BATTLE CAMPAIGN STREAMERSp. 108
  120. Attachment 12—ORDER OF PRECEDENCE OF FLAGSp. 122

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Air Force index

REF: DAFI 90-1201, effective October 8, 2024

Air Force e-Publishing — DAFI 90-1201

This is an index record, not the publication. The official PDF is the authority; verify the current edition before acting.

Reviewed by Guilherme Correia · Military Toolkit editorial

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