Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in both the SA and the SS. First created as a title in 1925, in 1928 the rank became one of the first commissioned Nazi ranks and was bestowed upon those SA and SS officers who commanded units known as Standarten which were regiment sized formations of between 300-500 men.

In 1929 the rank of Standartenführer was divided into two separate ranks known as Standartenführer (I) and Standartenführer (II). This concept was abandoned in 1930 when both the SA and SS expanded their rank systems to allow for more officer positions and thus the need for only a single Standartenführer rank.

In 1933, when Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany the rank of Standartenführer had been established as the highest field officer rank, below that of Oberführer which was considered the first General's rank of the SS and SA. By the start of the Second World War, Standartenführer was widespread as both an SS rank and a rank of the SA. In the Waffen-SS, the rank was considered the equivalent of an Oberst.

The insignia for Standartenführer consisted of a single oak leaf displayed on both collars. Standartenführer was the first of the SS and SA ranks to display rank insignia on both collars, without the display of unit insignia. Waffen-SS Standartenführers also wore the shoulder boards of a German Oberst in addition to the oak leaf collar patches.