Choices for New MN State Flag Narrowed Down to 3; Modifications to Seal Approved

The choices for a new Minnesota state flag have been narrowed down to these three designs.

A decision on a new design for Minnesota’s state flag could come as early as Friday.

The State Emblems Redesign Commission has revealed three finalists that it is considering, submissions F944, F1953, and F2100. A press release from the Minnesota Historical Society says the three designs will move forward with modifications and that graphic designers will make mockups of the designs based on these modifications.

The commission must select a new flag and state seal by Jan. 1. Its next meeting is Friday afternoon.

The commission has also approved modifications to the state seal finalist it approved last week, which featured a loon on a Minnesota lake. The modifications include:

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  Image of new Minnesota state seal before approved modifications

  Making the loon’s eye red

• Not including the year (1858)
• Not including the motto (L’etoile du Nord)
• Including Mni Sóta Makoc̣e (“Land where the waters reflect the sky” in Dakota)

State legislators established the State Emblems Redesign Commission in the 2023 legislative session to develop and adopt new designs. Lawmakers in favor of a redesign say the current flag and seal are indistinct compared with other U.S. states and feature imagery that is offensive to Native Americans.