Flag of Illinois

How to read it

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources describes the flag as an exact replica of the Illinois State Seal on a white field, with the word “Illinois” below the seal. It is the state’s second official flag. The first was adopted on 6 July 1915 after a campaign by Ella Park Lawrence, State Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution; of 35 designs, the one chosen was by Lucy Derwent of the Rockford chapter, and the bill became law without Governor Edward F. Dunne’s signature. An amendment adding the state’s name was approved by Governor Richard B. Ogilvie on 17 September 1969, and the design submitted by Mrs. Sanford Hutchison of Greenfield became the official flag on 1 July 1970, the Illinois State Museum says. The seal itself was authorized in 1867; around its edge are the words “Seal of the State of Illinois” and the date “Aug. 26, 1818”, when the first state constitution was signed. The motto is the same one on the state seal and in the state’s symbols.

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Why “Sovereignty” is upside down on the seal

It was a quarrel over the motto. Secretary of State Sharon Tyndale asked for a new seal in January 1867 and planned to reverse the words to “National Union, State Sovereignty” in light of the Civil War, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources says. The Senate refused and restored the original order when it passed the seal bill on 7 March 1867. Tyndale kept the words in order but twisted the banner so that “National Union” is much more prominent, and “Sovereignty” is upside down.

How the name got on the flag

The change began with Chief Petty Officer Bruce McDaniel of Waverly, serving in Vietnam. The Illinois flag hung among many state flags on the walls of his mess hall and no one could tell which it was, so he asked for the state’s name to be added, the Illinois State Museum says. Representative Jack Walker of Lansing sponsored the amendment to the 1915 flag act.

The 2025 vote on a new flag

In an advisory vote run by the Illinois State Flag Commission in 2025, about 43% of 385,000 votes went to keeping the current flag, ahead of 12 other choices, NPR Illinois reported on 6 March 2025. The vote was to advise the General Assembly, which has the final say on any change.