Before I lower a flag, I check who issued the order, which properties it covers, and when it ends. Half-staff participation is generally voluntary for homes and businesses; government facilities must follow the rules that apply to them.
Here’s my checklist for a mourning display:
- Confirm the schedule. Presidential mourning lasts 30 days; Memorial Day’s half-staff display ends at noon. Other periods depend on the official, observance, or order.
- Follow the flag procedure. Move the flag to the peak before lowering it to half-staff, and again before taking it down.
- Check the whole display. Follow placement rules for other flags, light overnight displays, and inspect the pole, hardware, and weather conditions.
- Check site-specific rules. Schools, cemeteries, memorials, and flags that cannot be lowered may need different handling.
My starting point is <u>the official proclamation and 4 U.S.C. § 7</u> - not an assumed schedule. The order’s scope and timing come first.
Mourning Periods and Annual Observances
After confirming who issued the order, check the schedule below to determine when and where to fly the flag at half-staff.
Mourning Periods for Public Officials
Once an order takes effect, count fixed mourning periods from the day of death. Under 4 U.S.C. § 7(m), some periods run for a set number of days. Others last until interment.
Match the official and location to the mourning period below.
| Official | Half-staff period | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| President or former President | 30 days from the day of death | Federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels |
| Vice President | 10 days from the day of death | Federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels |
| Chief Justice or retired Chief Justice | 10 days from the day of death | Federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels |
| Speaker of the House | 10 days from the day of death | Federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels |
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court | Day of death until interment | Federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels |
| Secretary of an executive or military department | Day of death until interment | Federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels |
| Former Vice President | Day of death until interment | Federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels |
| Governor | Day of death until interment | Within the respective state, territory, or possession |
| Member of Congress | Day of death and the following day | Public buildings and grounds in Washington, D.C.; additional local coverage may continue through interment in the member’s home state or district |
Source: 4 U.S.C. § 7(m).
Memorial Day and Peace Officers Memorial Day
Memorial Day has a noon changeover: fly the flag at half-staff until noon, then move it to full-staff for the rest of the day.
On Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15, fly the flag at half-staff from sunrise to sunset - unless the date falls on Armed Forces Day.
Temporary Mourning Orders and Annual Proclamations
Temporary mourning orders specify their own dates and times. Patriot Day and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day are designated by law, but display timing usually follows that year’s presidential proclamation.
| Occasion | Authority | Duration | Covered locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Day | Standing provision in the Flag Code | Half-staff until noon; full-staff afterward | National; all federal buildings |
| Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15 | Standing provision in the Flag Code | Sunrise to sunset, unless it coincides with Armed Forces Day | National; all federal buildings |
| National tragedy or temporary mourning | Presidential proclamation | Exact dates and times stated in the order | As named in the order |
| State or local mourning | Gubernatorial proclamation | As specified in the order | Statewide or specified jurisdictions and properties |
| Patriot Day, September 11 | Statutory / annual proclamation | Sunrise to sunset | National; all federal buildings |
| National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7 | Statutory / annual proclamation | Sunrise to sunset | National; all federal buildings |
Sources:
Follow the scope exactly as written. An order may cover federal buildings, military installations, naval vessels, or only a particular jurisdiction. Check for an extension before returning the flag to full-staff.
With the timing confirmed, the next step is to lower the flag correctly.
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How to Fly the Flag at Half-Staff
How to Fly the U.S. Flag at Half-Staff
Once you’ve confirmed the order and schedule, follow these steps.
Move the Flag to the Peak Before Lowering
Hoist the flag briskly to the peak for an instant, then lower it respectfully to half-staff - midway between the peak and the base. At day’s end, bring it back to the peak before lowering it respectfully.
Before moving the flag, check that it’s secure and clear of the ground, water, and nearby objects.
Displaying Multiple Flags
When flying the U.S. flag with other flags on the same halyard, keep it above them. If you’re using separate staffs, hoist the U.S. flag first and lower it last. No other flag or pennant should sit above it or to the U.S. flag’s own right.
Fly foreign national flags on separate staffs of equal height, and use flags of similar size.
Start Times, Overnight Displays, and Return to Full Staff
Follow these timing rules throughout the display:
- Fly the flag from sunrise to sunset.
- If you fly it 24 hours a day, light it during darkness.
- When the order ends, bring it to the peak. Then lower it if you’re taking it down; otherwise, leave it at full staff.
If an order takes effect during the day, lower the flag to half-staff even if it’s already at the peak. On Memorial Day, keep it at half-staff until noon, then return it to full staff for the rest of the day.
Mourning Display Rules by Location
Once you’ve checked the timing and procedure, apply the order based on the property type.
Government Buildings and Military Installations
Apply the order only to the properties it names. Federal facilities should follow presidential orders, while military installations should follow the order that applies to their site. State and local facilities should follow gubernatorial or local orders.
Local authorities may issue half-staff orders for local commemorations, but those orders do not automatically apply to federal buildings.
Businesses, Homes, Schools, and Civic Facilities
Half-staff observance is generally voluntary on private property. Public schools and public institutions, however, may need to meet state-law requirements.
Check who owns the property and which jurisdiction applies. In New York, Executive Law Section 403 addresses flag displays at public institutions and schoolhouses.
Cemeteries, Memorial Sites, and Flags That Cannot Be Lowered
Check cemetery or memorial-site rules before changing a display. For a wall-mounted double holder that cannot be lowered, move the flag to the lower holder. If an indoor flag cannot be lowered, use a black ribbon or crepe.
New York bars crepe streamers on flagstaffs or spearheads unless ordered by the President or Governor.
Equipment Checks and Mourning Display Checklist
Once the order applies to your property, check the display hardware before putting up the flag.
Check Flagpoles, Halyards, and Mounts
Check the lowering system before display. Inspect the halyard, pulleys, cleats, and mounts. Make sure the flag clears the ground and nearby objects at both full staff and half-staff.
If the flag cannot be lowered, confirm that wall-mounted brackets have a lower holder for mourning display. On angled staffs, keep the union at the top except during half-staff display.
Weather Safety and Flag Supplies
Do not fly the flag in unsafe weather or with unsafe hardware. An all-weather flag does not make unsafe conditions acceptable. Use only equipment suited to the display.
Action Flag carries American flags, flagpoles, brackets, holders, and memorial flag cases. Use memorial cases only for folded flags.
Conclusion: Confirm Authority, Timing, and Procedure
Before display, confirm the order and inspect the hardware. Then follow the posted schedule exactly.
FAQs
Where can I verify current half-staff orders?
Check the news and the official White House website for presidential proclamations. Visit your state government’s website for notices from the governor, too. Your local government’s website may also post alerts for designated local observances.
Want reminders sent to your inbox? Action Flag notes that many states and websites offer email sign-ups for half-staff alerts.
What if state and federal mourning orders conflict?
Federal guidelines and presidential proclamations generally take precedence for the U.S. flag. The President may issue nationwide orders, while governors may issue state directives to honor local officials or events.
Government agencies often follow both federal and state mandates, as required. Private citizens and organizations are encouraged to follow proclamations from either the President or their state governor as a show of support and unity.
What if Memorial Day overlaps a mourning order?
On Memorial Day, the American flag flies at half-staff from sunrise until noon to honor those who died serving the nation. At noon, it moves to full-staff for the rest of the day, shifting from mourning to celebrating the nation’s perseverance. This protocol still applies when other mourning orders are in effect [4].
