The state variant of the flag has been updated to reflect concurrent modifications to the national coat of arms in 1906, 1964, and 1998.

Blue means the sky, opportunities at reach, intellectual thinking, perseverance to accomplish a goal, infinite, eternity, and ideals of the religious and spiritual desires.

[4] White means clear thinking, happiness, wisdom, power and beauty of the sky, the driving force of initiatives to search for new endeavors, and the peace of Costa Rica.

[2] During most of its colonial period, Costa Rica was the southernmost province of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, which was nominally part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain (i.e., Mexico), but which in practice operated as a largely autonomous entity within the Spanish Empire.

[2] On 29 September 1848, a distinctive new design was created at the suggestion of Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno, wife of President José María Castro Madriz.