DEATH OF SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM
Find the reason flags were lowered on a past date by person, event, state, or effective date.
In honor of Our Fallen Heroes.
In honor of Robert Kilduff Jr. and Barney Frank.
In honor of EMS professionals who have given their lives in the line of duty.
As a mark of respect for former State Representative Paul Clemente
As a mark of respect for the officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.
In honor of Fallen Peace Officers.
As a mark of respect for WWII airman Robert A. Keuchel.
Use the calendar to check a date or official order, then use the position calculator to set the flag at the correct height for your pole and display.
Check recurring U.S. observances, federal and state orders, Memorial Day’s noon rule, and exact display times.
Check half-staff dates →Enter your pole and flag measurements to calculate the correct height and get the proper raise–lower sequence.
Calculate the flag position →Select your state to see whether a federal or governor’s order applies there today, why the flag was lowered, and when the order ends.
A lowered flag marks mourning, remembrance, or respect. The reason usually falls into one of three groups: the death of an official, service member, or first responder; a national tragedy; or an official day of remembrance.
A presidential order covers the federal locations named in the proclamation. Read the current reason, start and end time, and linked official source above.
A state can be at half-staff even when no nationwide federal order is active. Check your state before deciding how to display your flag.
Orders may end at sunset, at interment, or at another stated time. Memorial Day is different: the flag returns to full-staff at noon.
Use the live order for today’s exact dates and scope. These are the recurring rules and display steps flag owners most often need.
Raise it to the peak first. Hoist the flag briskly to the top for an instant.
Lower it ceremoniously. Bring it down to the half-staff position.
Return to the peak before taking it down. At day’s end, raise it to the top again, then lower it completely.
In U.S. usage, “half-staff” is the term for a flag on land. “Half-mast” is traditionally used for a flag on a ship or at a naval station. People often use both phrases for the same lowered display.
A presidential order sets the national federal status and names the locations it covers. A governor can also issue a separate order within one state, so the state answer can differ from the federal answer.
Use the end time in the active proclamation. Some statutory mourning periods last a set number of days, while special orders may last until sunset, interment, or another time named by the issuing authority.
Normal outdoor display is from sunrise to sunset. The flag may remain displayed after dark when it is properly illuminated; the active order still determines whether its position should be half-staff or full-staff.
A fixed angled staff cannot create a true half-staff position. Check the issuing authority or your organization’s policy before using a mourning ribbon or another alternative display.
A status is confirmed only when an official order, statutory observance, or official status page supports it. If a source is unavailable or ambiguous, the page says “not confirmed” instead of guessing full-staff.