The Flag Consideration Panel has whittled more than 10,000 flag design submissions down to 40.
Panel chair, professor John Burrows, said every member of the panel viewed every one of the 10,292 designs before creating its long-list.
He's thanked everyone for their design suggestions and says they've been impressed by the high standard.
The top 40 appear to predominantly feature the colours - black, red, white, blue and green - many feature a koru, the silver fern or the Southern Cross star formation.
In mid-September the Panel will announce the 4 alternatives which will be ranked in the first binding referendum.
