If you walked outside in late 2024 or early 2025 and saw the American flag drooping halfway down the pole, you weren't alone in wondering why. It was a somber, ubiquitous sight. Jimmy Carter flags at half staff became a national visual for 30 straight days, marking the end of an era for the 39th President who finally passed away at the age of 100 on December 29, 2024.
He lived a long time. A remarkably long time.
Actually, he was the first centenarian president in our history. But the flag being lowered wasn't just about his age or a simple "rest in peace" gesture. It was about a very specific, rigid set of rules found in the U.S. Flag Code that most people never actually read. Honestly, the protocol for a former president's death is way more intense than it is for a Senator or even a sitting Vice President.
The 30-Day Rule for Jimmy Carter Flags at Half Staff
When a former president dies, the flag doesn't just stay down for a day or two. According to U.S. Code Title 4, Section 7, the flag must fly at half-staff for exactly 30 days from the day of death.
President Biden signed the official proclamation immediately. He ordered all federal buildings, military bases, and embassies to lower the colors to honor the man from Plains. Because Carter died on December 29, the math worked out so that the flags were scheduled to stay down until sunset on January 28, 2025.
That’s a full month of mourning.
It’s a long time to see the flag at half-staff. For some, it felt like the nation was stuck in a loop of grief, especially with the 2025 Inauguration happening right in the middle of that window. You’ve probably heard about the drama that followed.
The Inauguration Day Exception
Here is where it gets kinda complicated. January 20, 2025, was Inauguration Day for Donald Trump. Usually, Inauguration is a day of "celebration" and "national unity."
Having the flags at half-staff for a funeral rite while trying to throw a party for a new president created a weird tension. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson eventually made a call that frustrated some and relieved others. He announced that flags at the U.S. Capitol would fly at full-staff just for that one day.
Why? Basically, they wanted to "celebrate the country coming together."
They went back down the very next day. Trump himself had some choice words on Truth Social, calling out the "giddy" Democrats and saying "nobody wants to see" flags at half-staff during an inauguration. It wasn't the first time flag protocol turned into a political football, but it was certainly one of the most visible.
Why 30 Days? Understanding Presidential Protocol
You might be thinking, "Ten days for a Vice President, but thirty for a former President? That’s a huge jump."
It is.
The 30-day period is reserved exclusively for the President and former Presidents. It’s the highest honor the flag can give. When Jimmy Carter flags at half staff remained lowered throughout January, it was a nod to his service as Commander-in-Chief, his time as Governor of Georgia, and his decades of humanitarian work.
- The Proclamation: Only the President or a Governor can order the U.S. flag to half-staff.
- The Method: You don't just pull it halfway up. You have to hoist it to the very top (the peak) for an instant, then lower it to the middle.
- The Retrieval: At the end of the day, you raise it back to the top before bringing it down for the night.
If you see a flag just sitting in the middle of the pole without these steps being followed, it’s technically "incorrect," though most people just do their best.
The Impact of a Centennial Legacy
Jimmy Carter was in hospice for nearly two years. Two years! Most people enter hospice and pass away within weeks. Carter, being the stubborn Navy lieutenant he was, just kept going.
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He wanted to vote for Kamala Harris. He wanted to reach 100. He did both.
When he finally passed, the outpouring of respect was pretty bipartisan, even if the flag debate was messy. He was the "Peanut Farmer" who became the most influential ex-president in modern history. The Carter Center’s work on eradicating the Guinea worm and monitoring elections globally gave him a moral authority that lasted long after he left the Oval Office in 1981.
His state funeral in early January 2025 involved a 21-gun salute and a motorcade through the streets of D.C. It was a massive logistical undertaking.
What to Do If You See a Flag Alert
If you own a business or manage a government building, keeping track of these things is a headache. You don't want to be the only one with a flag at full-staff when the rest of the block is mourning.
Most people use "Flag Alert" email services. These services ping you the moment a proclamation is signed. For the Jimmy Carter mourning period, the alerts were clear: keep them down until January 28.
But what about state flags?
Protocol says if the U.S. flag is at half-staff, the state flag must be too. No flag should ever fly higher than the American flag on the same pole. If you have a separate pole for a state or corporate flag, it also needs to be lowered. It’s about showing a unified front of respect.
Practical Steps for Proper Flag Display
If you are looking to honor a national figure or just want to make sure you're following the rules next time a proclamation is issued, keep these points in mind:
- Check the Source: Don't trust a random social media post. Check the official White House website or your Governor’s press releases.
- Timing Matters: Half-staff typically lasts from sunrise to sunset unless otherwise specified.
- The "Morning" vs. "Mourning" Rule: On Memorial Day, the flag is at half-staff only until noon, then it's raised to full-staff. For a death like Jimmy Carter's, it's 24/7 (if illuminated) or sunrise-to-sunset for the full 30 days.
We are now well past the 30-day mourning period for the 39th President. As we move through 2026, the flags you see at half-staff today are likely for local tragedies, Peace Officers Memorial Day, or specific state-level orders.
The era of Jimmy Carter flags at half staff is over, but the precedent it set for how we handle national mourning during a transition of power will be studied by historians for a long time.
To stay compliant with future flag changes, bookmark the federal government's official flag notices or sign up for a state-specific registry. This ensures your display always reflects the current national status without guesswork. Knowing the difference between a 30-day presidential mourning and a 10-day period for other officials helps you maintain a respectful and accurate presence in your community.