How long are state flags flown at half-staff after a governor or state official dies?
Executive summary
State governors set half‑staff periods for state flags; common practice is to order flags lowered from the date of death until interment (sunset on interment day) or for single days (sunrise to sunset), but rules vary by state and by the individual honored (e.g., governors, members of Congress, or local officials) [1][2][3]. The U.S. Flag Code gives governors latitude to direct half‑staff observances for present or former state officials, and some states add their own specific periods (for example, Arizona law sets seven days for an incumbent elective state officer) [4][5].
1. Governors decide — federal code gives latitude, not a single rule
The U.S. Flag Code prescribes certain national half‑staff observances and grants governors discretion to lower the U.S. flag “in the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State” or a member of the armed forces, but it does not mandate a uniform duration for every state official’s death; governors issue proclamations that set the period for their state [4][5].
2. Common patterns: until interment or sunrise-to-sunset proclamations
Many gubernatorial orders instruct flags to remain at half‑staff “from the date of death until interment,” or “until sunset on the date of interment,” which typically means the flag stays lowered through the funeral day (examples include Connecticut and New York orders) [1][6]. Other orders are limited to a single day from sunrise to sunset — for instance, New York directed lowering for a fallen firefighter for one specified Saturday [2], and Iowa ordered flags half‑staff from sunrise to sunset on a specific day for a former state senator [3].
3. State law can add fixed periods for certain officials
Some states have statutes that set explicit timeframes. Arizona notes that while the U.S. Flag Code gives governors latitude, state law specifically directs the Arizona flag to be lowered on the death of an incumbent elective state officer for seven days beginning the day after death [4]. That shows how state statutes can create standard durations distinct from gubernatorial proclamations.
4. High‑profile officials often generate multi‑day or until‑interment observances
When national figures die, the U.S. Flag Code and tradition yield longer observances — for example, flags are to fly 10 days at half‑staff after the death of a president, and for former vice presidents states have followed guidance to lower flags from date of death until interment [5][7]. Multiple governors’ press releases about former Vice President Dick Cheney cited lowering flags “until interment” or following the period that concluded at sunset on the day of interment [7][8][9].
5. States may keep flags at half‑staff for local reasons after national observances end
Even after a national half‑staff period ends, individual states may continue or set separate half‑staff periods to honor state‑specific losses; Newsweek’s reporting and state orders show instances where a state kept flags lowered beyond a national observance for reasons such as a local workplace tragedy or to mark interment dates [10][11]. This illustrates governors balancing national guidance with local mourning.
6. Practical phrasing you’ll see in proclamations
Typical gubernatorial language includes: “lowered effective immediately and remain lowered until sunset on the date of interment,” “from sunrise to sunset on [date],” or “immediately until sunset on the day of interment.” Those formulations determine whether the observance is a single‑day action or extends through funeral arrangements and interment [1][2][9].
7. What this means if you’re tracking a particular case
To know how long flags will be at half‑staff in a given death: (a) check the governor’s proclamation for explicit dates or “until interment” language (examples from Connecticut, New York, Iowa); (b) check state law for any mandated fixed periods (Arizona’s seven‑day rule for incumbent elective officers is an example); and (c) watch for separate local or later state proclamations that may extend observance beyond any federal period [1][4][10].
Limitations and unresolved points
Available sources do not provide a single, nationwide rule for every category of state official beyond the general grants of authority in the U.S. Flag Code; instead, the duration depends on federal guidance, state statute, and the governor’s proclamation in each instance [5][4]. Where the governor’s order uses “until interment,” the exact end date depends on the funeral schedule, which may be set later [1][6].