Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
When is the American flag flown at half-staff at the White House and who orders it?
Executive summary
The White House flag is commonly lowered to half‑staff to mark national mourning for major officeholders, memorial days, or as the President directs; federal law and long‑standing custom guide durations such as “until day of interment” for former vice presidents (examples from recent coverage of former Vice President Dick Cheney) [1] [2]. The decision to lower the White House flag is made at the presidential level — typically by presidential order or proclamation — although reporting and local practices sometimes blur who issued or publicized the directive [3] [4].
1. What “half‑staff” means and where the practice comes from — a short primer
Lowering an American flag to half‑staff (also called half‑mast at sea) is a formal sign of national mourning and respect whose roots lie in maritime tradition; the symbolism and routine were popularized during the 20th century and are explained by vexillologists and etiquette authorities [5]. Title 4 flag etiquette establishes customary display rules (sunrise to sunset unless illuminated) that interact with half‑staff practice, though the Code is largely advisory rather than a mechanism that directly orders timeframes [6] [5].
2. Who orders the White House flag to half‑staff — the President’s role
The U.S. flag displayed at the White House is lowered on the direction of the President to “commemorate a certain occasion or object,” including the death of significant public figures [3]. Contemporary news reporting repeatedly treats White House lowering as a presidential action or a White House directive; in cases such as the lowering after Dick Cheney’s death, outlets reported that the White House lowered flags even while some questioned whether the President had issued a formal public proclamation [4] [1].
3. Legal and customary limits — how long flags stay lowered
There are customary durations tied to the rank of the deceased: for example, news coverage notes federal practice that flags are flown at half‑staff from the day of death until the day of interment for former vice presidents, a guideline reflected in multiple state and national notices around Cheney’s funeral arrangements [2] [7]. States and localities often mirror the White House or issue coordinated orders extending the period [8] [9].
4. Who else can order flags at half‑staff — states, agencies, and local officials
Beyond the President, state governors and many federal agencies set flag status for the flags under their control; multiple state proclamations and agency releases cited Cheney’s death and matched the White House timeline, showing layered implementation across jurisdictions [8] [9]. Local reporting highlighted some variation: governors explicitly ordered state flags to remain lowered through specified dates while the White House action provided a national cue [4].
5. How the action is communicated — proclamations, press statements, and practices
The White House can issue a formal presidential proclamation, a press release, or simple orders via the presidential staff; reporting around recent events shows variation in public visibility — media noted occasions when flags were lowered without an immediately obvious formal proclamation on the White House website, prompting coverage about who had issued the direction [4] [1]. Private flag‑tracking organizations and state press offices also publish schedules that reflect or interpret White House action for the public [10] [11].
6. Points of dispute, ambiguity, and political context
Coverage shows two frequent flashpoints: first, whether a specific presidential proclamation was issued or merely a White House directive, and second, debate over consistency in lowering flags for some deaths versus others — controversies that have recurred in past administrations and trigger partisan coverage [5] [4]. Reporting around Cheney’s death highlighted that the White House lowered flags but that some critics noted the absence of an immediately visible presidential proclamation on the White House website, illustrating how procedural transparency and political judgment can become contentious [4] [9].
7. Limitations of this summary and what reporting does not say
Available sources do not mention a comprehensive, single statute that forces the President to order half‑staff observances in particular circumstances; instead, the practice combines federal guidance, custom, and presidential discretion [3]. Sources here document recent practice (Cheney) and general custom and do not provide a definitive legal text that prescribes every duration or all exceptions — reporting emphasizes norms and presidential direction rather than a single controlling legal command [2] [5].
8. Bottom line for readers
When you see the White House flag at half‑staff, it reflects a presidentially directed national mark of mourning implemented across federal and often state jurisdictions; customary durations vary by officeholder and are tracked by news outlets and state announcements, which is why local proclamations frequently echo the White House timeline [3] [8]. If you need a definitive source for a specific incident, check the White House statement or the relevant governor or federal agency release cited in contemporary reporting [4] [1].