You’ve probably seen it. That unmistakable sight of the Stars and Stripes sitting midway down the pole, looking a bit lonely against the sky. If you’re driving through your neighborhood or passing a post office and wondering why there are flags at half staff for Carter, you aren't alone.
Jimmy Carter passed away on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100. It was a massive moment in American history. He wasn't just a former president; he was a guy who spent nearly two years in hospice care, defying every medical expectation thrown his way. Because of his passing, a very specific set of rules kicked in.
Why is the flag still down?
Basically, it’s all about the U.S. Flag Code. Most people think flags go down for a weekend or maybe a week. Not for a president. When a sitting or former President of the United States dies, the flag stays at half staff for 30 days.
That is a long time.
If you do the math, starting from his passing on December 29, that period of mourning stretched all the way through January 28, 2025. This caused a bit of a stir because, if you remember, January 20 is Inauguration Day.
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The Inauguration Day "Glitch"
Honestly, the timing was wild. We had a moment where the nation was supposed to be celebrating the peaceful transfer of power to Donald Trump, but the flag code said we should still be in official mourning for Jimmy Carter.
It got a little political. Some governors decided to raise their flags for the day to celebrate the inauguration, while federal buildings mostly stuck to the 30-day mandate. Speaker Mike Johnson eventually announced that the U.S. Capitol flags would fly at full staff for the inauguration ceremony itself but would be lowered again the next day.
It was a weird, "half-mast, full-mast, back-to-half-mast" dance that we haven't seen in decades.
The Man Behind the Mourning
Jimmy Carter’s life was sort of an anomaly. He served one term, which many historians used to rank as "below average," but then he went and had the most productive post-presidency in the history of the office. He didn't just go play golf. He built houses. He wiped out diseases. He monitored elections in places most people couldn't find on a map.
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When he entered hospice in February 2023, the world prepared for the end. Then he just... kept living. He made it to his 100th birthday in October 2024. He saw the release of his wife Rosalynn’s belongings at auction and lived to see her legacy honored.
When he finally passed, it wasn't just a political event. It felt like the end of an era of "decency" that both sides of the aisle actually stopped to acknowledge.
Who actually makes the call?
You might think your neighbor has to lower their flag. They don't. The President of the United States is the one who issues the official proclamation for federal buildings. Governors can do it for their states.
- The President issues a proclamation (like Biden did on Dec 29).
- All federal facilities, embassies, and military bases follow suit.
- Private citizens and businesses are invited to join, but there’s no "flag police" coming to your house if you don't.
The 30-day rule for presidents is actually part of Proclamation 3044, which was signed by Eisenhower way back in 1954. Before that, the rules were a bit more "vibe-based" and inconsistent.
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What you should do next
If you are a flag owner and want to show respect, the protocol is actually pretty specific. You don't just hoist it halfway and call it a day.
First, you have to briskly hoist the flag to the very top of the pole for a split second. Then, you lower it slowly to the half-staff position. When it’s time to take it down at the end of the day, you hoist it back to the peak again before lowering it all the way.
It’s a bit of extra work, but it’s the proper way to handle flags at half staff for Carter or any other national figure.
If you’re looking to pay respects beyond just a flag, the Carter Center in Atlanta is still the hub for his living legacy. They are currently managing his estate auctions and continuing his work in human rights. You can actually view some of his personal items, like his hand-painted artwork, which are being auctioned to fund the center’s peace initiatives.
Check your local state government’s website for "Flag Alerts." Most states have a mailing list you can join so you never have to guess why the flag is down again. It's usually for a local hero, a fallen soldier, or, in this case, a centenarian former president who finally decided it was time to rest.
Keep an eye on the calendar. Once that 30-day window closes, the flags go back up, marking the official end of the national mourning period.