According to Section III of the Directive concerning the German flags of 13 November 1996, the “flags described in Annexes 2 and 3 may by displayed by official motor vehicles during official travel when the officeholder or, in the cases specified in No. 2 of Annex 2, his or her deputy is in the vehicle. The flag shall be affixed to the right fender.”

Right to display flags on official vehicles

Annex 2 of the Directive includes the following provisions concerning the right to display flags on official vehicles: The standard is displayed on official vehicles of the Federal President in accordance with Section I no. 2 of the Directive concerning the German flags. The highest representatives of the other federal constitutional bodies (president of the German Bundestag, Federal Chancellor, president of the Bundesrat and president of the Federal Constitutional Court) display the federal institutions flag on their official vehicles as a standard in the format 30 x 30 cm. The vice-presidents of the German Bundestag, the federal ministers, the vice-presidents of the Bundesrat and the vice-president of the Federal Constitutional Court display the federal institutions flag on their official vehicles as a standard in the format 25 x 25 cm.

Bundesdienst-Stander am ehemaligen Dienstwagen von Bundeskanzler Adenauer im Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Larger version opens in new window) Source: Protokoll Inland Stander am Adenauer-Mercedes

The use of flags on official vehicles of German missions in covered in Section 54 of the Rules of procedure for diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Federal Republic of Germany abroad: Heads of diplomatic missions are authorized to display the federal institutions flag in the format 18 x 25 cm on the right front of their official vehicle (on the left front in countries where driving is on the left) when on official business. The same applies to deputy heads of mission when acting as head. No flag is displayed when the head or deputy head is not in the vehicle. If the federal institutions flag is displayed when on official business, no other flag is to be displayed. Heads of consular posts display the federal institutions flag in burgee format 15 x 25 cm in size.

Car flags for heads of foreign governments and ministers in Germany

Source: BReg Präsidenten- und Bundesdienststander

Analogous to the German provisions and if these do not conflict with provisions of the guest country, for official journeys of heads of foreign governments in Germany, the relevant national or institutions flag is displayed on the right front fender of the official vehicle as a standard in the format 30 x 30 cm; for foreign ministers, standards in the format 25 x 25 cm are used.

Königliche Standarte und Stander mit Bundesflagge am Wagen von Königin Elisabeth II. vor dem Hamburger Rathaus 1965 (Larger version opens in new window) Source: BReg/Gerhard Heisler Stander beim Staatsbesuch

If the head of a foreign government is riding with the Federal Chancellor in the same vehicle on an official journey, the federal institutions flag is displayed on the left front fender, while the same-size national or institutions flag of the guest’s home country is displayed on the right front fender.