The current flag for Oakland County.
Photo courtesy of Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Photo courtesy of Oakland County Board of Commissioners
On June 11, 2025, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners approved resolution #2024-4146, which established the Flag Leadership and Advisory Group (F.L.A.G.) to guide the redesign of the official Oakland County flag. After several months of thoughtful consideration, research and planning, the Board and F.L.A.G. members are set to accept design ideas for a new county flag from the public, including anyone who has a passion for flag design and interest in Oakland County.
“Nearly six decades have passed since the current flag was adopted,” Commissioner Brendan Johnson (D-Rochester Hills) and chair of the F.L.A.G. said. “The county has experienced tremendous growth since 1970 when the current flag debuted, and this presents an opportunity for us to look toward our next century under a new, more representative emblem. More than that too, very few of our residents even know Oakland County has a flag. As we have seen across the country from cities like Topeka, Kansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma; to counties like St. Louis in Missouri and Cook in Illinois; to even states like Utah and Minnesota, a community-driven flag modernization like this can be a great way for our all of us to engage with our many stories to create something we can be proud of.”
The county’s current flag, featuring a maize-colored tree on a green background with the number “1820,” a nod to the year the county was founded, only meets three of the five-point criteria for good flag design. It was adopted in May of 1970 and does not comply with modern guidelines around simplicity, meaningful symbolism, limited color palette, not utilizing text or seals, and distinctiveness. The F.L.A.G. members are looking for original design ideas, free of artificial intelligence (AI) or stock images.
“Flags are powerful symbols and our current flag needs updating to meet proper principles of effective design,” Commissioner Robert Smiley (R-Wixom), who sits on the Flag Leadership and Advisory Group said. “I’ve been a design professional my whole life and I’m pleased to lend my experience to help redesign our flag for future residents to enjoy.”
All validly submitted designs will be reviewed by advisory group members. They may select a single submission or choose elements from several submissions. The final stage of the development process will be supported with the help of pro bono design experts. No monetary awards will be made and artists relinquish intellectual property rights to any design. There are no residency or age restrictions — anyone is welcome to submit a design.
The submission form is available at oaklandcountymi.gov/flag, along with a comprehensive library of inspirational resources, including maps, historical narratives and information about local communities, curated by Oakland County Historian Carol Bacak-Egbo. The form is open until 5 p.m. on January 4, 2027.
For additional information about the Board of Commissioners, visit OaklandCountyMI.gov/BOC.
“Nearly six decades have passed since the current flag was adopted,” Commissioner Brendan Johnson (D-Rochester Hills) and chair of the F.L.A.G. said. “The county has experienced tremendous growth since 1970 when the current flag debuted, and this presents an opportunity for us to look toward our next century under a new, more representative emblem. More than that too, very few of our residents even know Oakland County has a flag. As we have seen across the country from cities like Topeka, Kansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma; to counties like St. Louis in Missouri and Cook in Illinois; to even states like Utah and Minnesota, a community-driven flag modernization like this can be a great way for our all of us to engage with our many stories to create something we can be proud of.”
The county’s current flag, featuring a maize-colored tree on a green background with the number “1820,” a nod to the year the county was founded, only meets three of the five-point criteria for good flag design. It was adopted in May of 1970 and does not comply with modern guidelines around simplicity, meaningful symbolism, limited color palette, not utilizing text or seals, and distinctiveness. The F.L.A.G. members are looking for original design ideas, free of artificial intelligence (AI) or stock images.
“Flags are powerful symbols and our current flag needs updating to meet proper principles of effective design,” Commissioner Robert Smiley (R-Wixom), who sits on the Flag Leadership and Advisory Group said. “I’ve been a design professional my whole life and I’m pleased to lend my experience to help redesign our flag for future residents to enjoy.”
All validly submitted designs will be reviewed by advisory group members. They may select a single submission or choose elements from several submissions. The final stage of the development process will be supported with the help of pro bono design experts. No monetary awards will be made and artists relinquish intellectual property rights to any design. There are no residency or age restrictions — anyone is welcome to submit a design.
The submission form is available at oaklandcountymi.gov/flag, along with a comprehensive library of inspirational resources, including maps, historical narratives and information about local communities, curated by Oakland County Historian Carol Bacak-Egbo. The form is open until 5 p.m. on January 4, 2027.
For additional information about the Board of Commissioners, visit OaklandCountyMI.gov/BOC.
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