When to Fly Flag at Half Staff: Official Rules & Dates

The American flag flies at half-staff on specific days set by federal law and whenever the President or your state Governor issues a proclamation, typically following the death of a government official or first responder, as well as on Flag Day, Peace Officers Memorial Day, Patriot Day, and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

This guide is for homeowners who fly the United States flag and want to follow proper flag etiquette. We'll walk through the federal rules, the dates you need to know, and how to stay up to date on half-staff notices in 2026. Understanding these guidelines ensures you're showing proper respect.

You'll learn:

• Which days of federal law require half-staff
• How presidential and state proclamations work
• Where to check for current orders
• The correct way to raise and lower your flag

When to Fly the Flag at Half-Staff: Federal Law

US CoUSitle 4, Section 7 sets the rules. The flag is flown at half-staff for 30 days after a President or former President dies. It remains in effect for 10 days after the death of the Vice President, Chief Justice, or Speaker of the House. When an Associate Justice, Cabinet secretary, former Vice President, or sitting Governor dies, the flag flies at half-staff from the time of death until burial.

For a Member of Congress, the flag lowers for one day in the state they represented. Only the President can order flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide. Governors can issue orders for their own state, including for garden flags for peace officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

The law also names four fixed dates each year when you fly the American flag at half-staff, no proclamation needed. These dates honor collective sacrifice, not individual deaths.

What Days of the Year Is the Flag Flown at Half-Staff?

By law, four memorial observances require the flag to be flown at half-staff. Memorial Day is the most widely recognized: you raise the flag briskly to full staff at sunrise, lower it to half-staff, then return it to full staff at noon until sunset. This movement honors the fallen in the morning and the living who carried on in the afternoon.

Peace Officers Memorial Day falls on May 15 each year. The flag stays at half-staff all day unless May 15 coincides with Armed Forces Day, in which case full-staff takes precedence. Patriot Day, observed on September 11, and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, on December 7, both call for the flag to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset.

These four dates are permanent. You don't need to wait for a proclamation or check the news. If it's in your cart, it's in our warehouse, and every Annin and Flagzone US flag we stock ships free, same or next day, so you're ready for the observances that matter.

Why Would You Fly a Flag at Half-Mast?

Half-mast and half-staff mean the same thing: the flag's position signals mourning or respect. Historically, lowering the flag left room for an invisible flag of death flying above. Today, it's a visible sign of collective grief.

You fly at half-staff when the nation or your state loses a leader, when tragedy strikes a community, or on days set aside to remember those who gave their lives. The gesture acknowledges loss and unites everyone under a shared symbol.

Recent examples include the February 2026 order in North Carolina, where flags remained at half-staff to honor Rev. Jesse L. Jackson and NC Master Trooper Stien Davis Jr. In August 2025, a presidential proclamation lowered flags until sunset on August 31 for victims of a mass shooting in Minneapolis. Each order specifies the reason and the duration.

Flag at Half-Staff: How to Lower and Raise Correctly

Proper flag etiquette requires you to hoist the flag briskly to the peak of your residential flagpole first, then lower it slowly to the half-staff position. Half-staff means the flag is one flag's width down from the top of the pole, not halfway down the pole.

When you're ready to retire the flag for the evening, raise it briskly back to full staff, then lower it ceremoniously. This two-step process applies every time you fly at half-staff, whether for a fixed observance or a proclamation.

If you're flying a state flag below your American flag, both go to half-staff together. The US flag always occupies the superior position on the same pole. We stock state flags from all 50 states, manufactured by Annin and Flagzone, and they ship free with no minimum order from our Des Moines warehouse.

Half-Staff Notices: Where to Check Current Orders

Presidential proclamations appear on WhiteHouse.gov and the Federal Register. Most orders specify the reason, the duration, and whether they apply to federal buildings only or to the entire United States. Governors issue state-level orders through their official websites and state government portals.

The American Legion and the Department of Veterans Affairs maintain updated lists of current half-staff orders. Many news outlets report major proclamations, but the official government source is always the most reliable. If you're unsure whether an order applies to private citizens, it does: flag codes encourage but do not require you to follow federal and state half-staff directives at home.

No law compels private citizens to wave their flags. The U.S. FLSA is advisory, not enforceable. That said, most homeowners who fly the American flag choose to honor half-staff orders as a matter of respect and tradition.

Is It Against the Law to Not Fly Flag at Half-Staff?

No. The Flag Code carries no penalties for private citizens. It offers guidelines, not mandates. Federal and state government buildings must comply with proclamations, but your home flagpole is your own.

That said, following half-staff orders is a visible way to participate in national and state mourning. It signals to your neighbors that you're aware of the loss and that you're marking it in the same way millions of others are. Most people who fly the flag lower it when asked.

If you're flying a flag that's faded, torn, or too worn to display properly, half-staff or full, it's time to replace it. Every US flag in our inventory is made by Annin or Flagzone, ships free from Iowa, and goes out the same day or the next. If it's in your cart, it's in our warehouse.

Flag Etiquette: Peace Officers Memorial Day and Line-of-Duty Deaths

Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15 honors law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The flag flies at half-staff all day. Governors also issue individual proclamations when a state trooper, sheriff's deputy, or local officer dies on duty, and those orders typically last from death until burial or for a set number of days.

The same protocol applies to firefighters and other first responders. State proclamations for line-of-duty deaths are one of the most common reasons you'll see half-staff notices outside the fixed federal dates. These orders apply within the state where the death occurred, though neighboring states sometimes join in solidarity.

We've been in business since 1993, and we've seen how these observances bring communities together. Flying your flag correctly on those days is one small way to show respect for the families and departments grieving the loss.

Flying Holidays: Memorial Day and Patriot Day

Memorial Day is the only holiday when the flag moves during the day. You raise it to full staff at dawn, lower it to half-staff immediately, then return it to full staff at noon. This choreography is written into the Flag Code and observed at military installations, government buildings, and homes across the country.

Patriot Day on September 11 is simpler: half-staff from sunrise to sunset. The day marks the 2001 terrorist attacks, and the half-staff observance has been federal law since 2002. You don't need a proclamation each year; the law makes it permanent.

Both days fall on the calendar every year. If you rotate decorative garden flags seasonally, you can plan around these dates. We stock seasonal flags from Evergreen Enterprises, Studio-M, and WinCraft, and they ship free, same-day, or next-day, alongside any US flag order

Lowering Flags: State vs. Federal Authority

The President controls federal half-staff orders. Governors control state orders. The two don't overlap in authority, but they often align in timing. When a national tragedy occurs, you'll usually see both a presidential proclamation and matching state orders.

If your state Governor issues a half-staff order and the President does not, you'll see flags lowered at state buildings and encouraged at homes within that state. If the President issues a national order, every state follows. Federal law gives the President sole authority to direct nationwide half-staff observances outside the four fixed dates.

Some states are more active than others in issuing proclamations. States with larger populations or higher rates of line-of-duty deaths tend to issue more frequent orders. You can subscribe to your state government's email alerts or check your Governor's website to stay informed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do You Put the Flag Out on 9/11?

Yes. Patriot Day on September 11 is a permanent half-staff observance under federal law. Raise your flag to full staff first, then lower it to half-staff, and leave it there from sunrise to sunset. No presidential proclamation is needed each year; USdate is fixed in the U.S. Code.

Is It Against the Law to Not Fly FlaUSUS at Half-Staff?

No. The U.S. FlUSUS code is advisory for private citizens, not enforceable by law. Government buildings must comply with proclamations, but homeowners are encouraged, not required, to follow half-staff orders. Most people who fly the American flag choose to honor the directives as a sign of respect.

What Days of the Year Is the Flag Flown at Half-Staff?

Four dates are permanent: Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), Peace Officers Memorial Day (May 15), Patriot Day (September 11), and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (December 7). Additional half-staff periods occur when the President or your Governor issues a proclamation, typically following the death of a government official or first responder.

Why Would You Fly a Flag at Half-Mast?

Half-mast and half-staff are the same: the flag's lowered position signals mourning or respect. You fly at half-staff to honor the death of a leader, mark a national tragedy, or observe memorial days. The tradition dates back centuries and serves as a visible, shared gesture of collective grief.

Conclusion

You now know when to fly the flag at half-staff: the four fixed federal dates, any presidential or state proclamation, and the proper way to raise and lower your flag. The rules are straightforward once you understand who has authority and where to check for current orders.

If your flag is worn or faded, or if you're setting up a new residential flagpole, we stock US-made flags fromflags Annin and Flagzone in every size. If it's in your cart, it's in our warehouse in Des Moines, and it ships free, same or next day: no drop shipping, no delays, no minimum order. Browse our full selection of American flags and state flags, or call us if you have questions about flagpole kits or flag etiquette. We've been doing this since 1993, and we're here to help you fly your flag the right way.