Are national symbols used strategically in regions characterized by low support for the state? National symbols can serve as important instruments for cultivating a sense of national identity and cohesion, particularly in contexts where such unity is threatened. This paper investigates the determinants of non-compliance with the display of national flags in Catalonia, a Spanish region where pro-secession sentiment has grown over time. We use original data from photographs of approximately one thousand Catalan town hall facades from 2021 to 2024, where the Spanish flag should be visibly displayed as required by law but is absent in many municipalities. We exploit this variation to examine how factors such as ethnic outbidding, the state’s capacity to enforce laws, social pressure, and local politicians’ career incentives affect the display of the Spanish flag in town halls. Employing a combination of regression discontinuity designs, difference-in-differences models, and cross-sectional analysis, we estimate the impact of these factors on the likelihood of flag display. Our findings reveal that while the presence of central elites plays a key role in promoting national symbols, other factors—including competition among pro-secession parties, local social pressures, and politicians’ career incentives—also significantly influence the extent of non-compliance. This study sheds light on the various factors influencing states’ capacity to use national symbols to foster nation-building in peripheral regions experiencing secessionist challenges.