• Year First Flown: 1901
• Designed By: Official Flag Commission
• Design: A blue flag with the New York coat of arms placed in the middle. The coat of arms includes: a shield featuring the illustration of two ships sailing on the Hudson River, two women standing on either side of the shield, a globe, an eagle, and a banner with the word "EXCELSIOR" written on it.
• Meaning: The two ships on the Hudson River represent the commerce of New York. The woman on the left side of the shield is Lady Liberty, who holds staff and Phrygian cap to represent the pursuit of freedom and has a fallen crown at her feet to represent the fall of British rule. The other woman is a blindfolded Lady Justice, who holds the scales of justice in one hand and an upturned sword in the other. She signifies New York's dedication to fighting for justice. The word "EXCELSIOR' is the state motto of New York, which means "Ever Upward". The globe is turned to highlight North America, and the Eagle is used as a national symbol of the USA.

New York was one of the original 13 U.S. colonies, and officially joined the union and gained its statehood on July 26th, 1788. Although the current flag was not officially adopted by the state of New York until 1901, the design was first used revolutionaries in the American Revolutionary War. Between the years of 1775 and 1783, a banner that resembled the modern state flag was carried by an American military unit. On April 8th, 1896, it was specified that the background color of the flag should be a light tan or "buff" color. This was the same color that was used in New York regiment uniforms during the Revolutionary War, and changing the flag to that color would help to honor that piece of history. George Washington himself had once stated that the flags of New York and New Jersey, and only those two states, should use the same colors of the uniforms of their regiments. Washington made this decision because both New York and New Jersey were originally settled by the Dutch, and dark blue and buff were the colors of the Holland insignia. However, in 1901 the original dark blue background of the flag was restored because many people did not find the "buff" color to be very aesthetically pleasing. This flag design has remained in place in 1901, and is currently the official state flag of New York.