Honoring Sheriff Brett Myers.
Governor's order · through Friday, November 6 · governor.wa.gov ↗
Next nationwide: National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day · Monday, December 7, half-staff all day
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The latest for Washington and nationwide. Flag Beacon began watching October 19, 2026.
What the U.S. Flag Code says about lowering the flag, and how Flag Beacon follows it.
Half-staff is the flag's position one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff. To fly it there:
On Memorial Day, flags fly at half-staff until noon, then go to the top.
From 4 U.S.C. § 7(m), the U.S. Flag Code.
They mean the same position. Half-mast is the traditional word on ships and at naval stations, and half-staff is used on land. The Flag Code says half-staff.
The Flag Code sets it for these offices:
For anyone else, the President's or governor's order gives the dates.
Federal law sets aside five days, all day unless noted:
The President orders others as they come up, and Flag Beacon shows those too.
No. Veterans Day, November 11, honors everyone who has served, and flags fly at full staff all day. The Flag Code lists it among the days to display the flag.
It's often mixed up with Memorial Day, which remembers those who died in service and has flags at half-staff until noon. If an order for a death happens to cover November 11, that order still applies, and Flag Beacon shows it.
The President, for the whole country: when a national leader dies, on the days set by law, and after other deaths and tragedies.
A governor, for their state: when a current or former state official dies, or a service member from the state or a first responder working there dies on duty. Governors also follow the President's orders, and often lower flags to mark other losses in their state. The mayor of Washington, D.C. can do the same for the District.
No. The Flag Code is guidance, with no penalty for anyone who doesn't follow it. Orders cover government buildings and grounds, and most invite homes, businesses and organizations to join in.
Usually not, since federal buildings follow the President. The exception: when a governor lowers flags for a service member from the state who died on active duty, federal buildings and bases in that state lower theirs too.
The Flag Code doesn't cover flags on a fixed bracket or a wall. A common custom is to tie a black ribbon or streamer to the top of the pole instead.
From the White House and each governor's official pages, plus the notice emails some states send, read four times a day in each state's time zone. Each state's page links to the notice it's based on. When in doubt, go by the official source.
Flag Beacon counts only orders for a whole state or the whole country. Mayors, counties and single agencies sometimes lower the flags on their own buildings, and those aren't shown.
A new order shows up at the first check after it's posted, usually within a few hours. If you've signed up for alerts, yours goes out as soon as the order is found.
Yes. There's a free card, banner and badge for any state, on the Add to your site page.