Do you have an American flag either at home on your property or at your place of work? Are you wondering when you should fly the flag at half-staff? There weren’t any hard and fast rules regarding flying the flag at half-staff until 1954 when President Dwight Eisenhower created and issued guidelines on when and how it should be done.

Even though those policies are in place, there is still some confusion. A big part of this is likely because people aren’t sure what events would constitute flying the flag at half-staff and whether they are obligated to do so. Typically, the military, federal buildings, state buildings, etc. will follow the policies. However, some homeowners want to follow suit.

Fortunately, we can make things a little easier and will break it down for you here, so you can fly your flag right.

Fly the American Flag at Half-Staff on These Occasions

In cases where a president or former president dies, the American flag should be flown at half-staff for 30 days on naval vessels, federal buildings, and federal grounds. If a vice president, speaker of the house, chief justice, or retired chief justice passes away, the flag is to fly at half-staff for 10 days.

You should keep in mind that states and local municipalities might have their own rules for their government offices when it comes to keeping the flag at half-staff on certain days important to those areas. For example, if a town supervisor passes away, the town may fly the flag at half-staff, but neighboring towns wouldn’t.

The flag is often flown at half-staff on September 11th, Patriot’s Day, as well as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. It is often flown at half-staff on Armed Forces Day, which happens to be the same day (May 15) as Peace Officer’s Memorial Day.

There is, however, one exception to this half-staff rule. For Memorial Day, you will fly the American flag at half-staff from sunrise until noon. At noon, you will then raise the flag to the top of the pole until sunset.

Some flags are on poles that can’t be lowered. This is often the case with residences. If you can’t put the flag at half-mast, you can instead add a black ribbon to the top of the flag.

Get in Touch and Choose a Flag of Your Own Today

It is time to check out what The Flag Center has to offer. If you would like to have an American flag for your home or business, we’re the place to go for the old red, white, and blue. However, that’s just the beginning of everything we have in stock.

You will also find a host of other flag options, including military flags, state flags, sports flags, and so many other choices. We can even help you make custom flags and accessories here in Redding, CA. Whether you need a historic flag or something modern, we are here to help. You can order online.