U.S. state · LA
Flag of Louisiana
The Louisiana flag shows a pelican tearing at her breast to feed her young, on a field of blue, above a white ribbon reading UNION JUSTICE CONFIDENCE. The image has long been a symbol of the Pelican State.
What the Louisiana state flag looks like
The Louisiana state flag has a solid blue field. In the center is a pelican perched on a nest, bending down to her young. The mother pelican is shown pecking at her own breast, with three drops of blood falling toward her chicks. Beneath the nest, a white ribbon carries the state motto in blue capitals: UNION JUSTICE CONFIDENCE. The state motto is written "Union, Justice and Confidence".
The design has no stars, stripes or border. Its simple layout of a bird, a ribbon and a blue background makes it distinct from most other state flags, which tend to use a seal.
Louisiana flag meaning and symbolism
The image is known in heraldry as the pelican in her piety. It comes from an old legend that a mother pelican would wound her own breast and feed her young with her blood if there was no other food. For centuries the legend made the pelican a symbol of self-sacrifice and devotion, and it came to symbolize the Passion of Jesus and the Eucharist. On the flag it can be read as the state's care for its people, and the motto beneath it, Union, Justice and Confidence, sums up the values the state claims for itself.
The pelican was a common state symbol well before 1912: William C. C. Claiborne, the first governor of the Orleans Territory, chose it for the territory's first seal. It is also behind Louisiana's nickname, the Pelican State.
History of the Louisiana flag
The brown pelican appeared on the Louisiana state seal, militia colors and uniform buttons as early as 1812, including a flag with a blue field and the words "Union, Justice and Confidence". In 1861 the state adopted a different flag with a star in a red canton and thirteen stripes, used until the end of the Civil War. After Reconstruction, in 1878, the blue pelican flag came back into common use, and the legislature made it official on July 1, 1912. The 1912 law did not fix the details of the pelican, so its look varied over the years.
A law enacted in 2006 required the flag to show "an appropriate display of three drops of blood" on the pelican's breast, and in 2010 a standardized design by the artist Curtis Vann Jr. was introduced.
Louisiana's rich cultural mix has produced several unofficial flags, such as the Acadiana flag used by Cajun communities and flags associated with Louisiana Creole heritage. These are cultural symbols, not state flags. To compare Louisiana with other states, visit our U.S. state flags page or the flag of the United States.
Louisiana flag colors
#01447BRGB
1, 68, 123CMYK
99, 45, 0, 52#FEFEFERGB
254, 254, 254CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0#BCBBBDRGB
188, 187, 189CMYK
1, 1, 0, 26Louisiana flag facts
| Adopted | November 22, 2010 |
|---|---|
| Proportions | 11:17 |
| Symbols | Pelican in her piety |
| State capital | Baton Rouge |
| State motto | Union, Justice, Confidence |
| Population | 4,657,757 |
Louisiana state flag FAQ
Why is there blood on the Louisiana flag?
The three drops show the mother pelican wounding her breast to feed her young, based on an old legend. The image stands for self-sacrifice and devotion.
When did Louisiana change its flag?
Louisiana adopted its current flag in 1912. A 2006 law required three drops of blood on the pelican's breast, and a standardized design followed in 2010.
What does the Louisiana state flag say?
The ribbon under the pelican reads "Union Justice Confidence," from the state motto "Union, Justice and Confidence."
Do Cajuns have a flag?
Yes. The Acadiana flag is used by Cajun communities and Acadian heritage groups, but it is not an official state flag.
What is the Louisiana state bird?
The brown pelican is the state bird. It is behind Louisiana's nickname, the Pelican State, and it is the symbol on the state flag.
What was the original flag of Louisiana?
The pelican on a blue field appeared on militia colors as early as 1812. The first flag the state adopted, on February 11, 1861, was different: a pale yellow star in a red canton and thirteen red, white and blue stripes. It was used until the end of the Civil War, and the pelican flag became official in 1912.
What is special about the Louisiana state flag?
It is often called the Pelican flag because it shows a mother pelican feeding her young, rather than a state seal. Louisiana law also requires an appropriate display of three drops of blood on her breast, a detail added in 2006. A standardized design followed in 2010.
What is the Louisiana flag called?
Louisiana's state flag is often called the Pelican flag. It has a solid blue field with a white pelican feeding its young and a ribbon reading Union, Justice and Confidence. The legislature made this design official on July 1, 1912, though the pelican had been used on flags since 1812.
