Flags are flying at half-staff in Idaho. How, why and when flags should be lowered

Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued a statewide order that U.S. and state of Idaho flags are to be flown at half-staff after an Ada County sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed in the line of duty.

Tobin Bolter, 27, was shot Saturday during a traffic stop on the Boise Bench and died Sunday. The 65-year-old suspect fled and was later killed by Boise police Sunday morning.

Flags are to be lowered to half-staff until the day after Bolter’s memorial service, according to a news release from the governor’s office. An updated flag directive will be posted when the date of the memorial service is set.

Here’s what to know about lowered flags, and how Idahoans can find out when and why they’re flown at half-staff.

What does half-staff or half-mast mean?

Flying the American flag, or a state flag, halfway up the flagpole is a symbol of mourning for the country or state after the death of a government official, military member or first responder; a national tragedy; or on national days of remembrance such as Memorial Day, according to usa.gov.

The president, the state governor or the mayor of Washington, D.C., can order flags to fly at half-staff, according to usa.gov. It is commonly referred to as half-mast instead of half-staff on naval vessels.

Mayors of cities cannot order flags to half-staff, according to the American Legion.

In Idaho, state law allows the governor to order flags flown at half-staff for in-the-line-of-duty deaths of federal, state or local police, firefighters, paramedics or EMTs, according to Idaho state law.

The governor, upon notification and verification of the death, directs that U.S. and Idaho flags be flown at half-staff from the time of notification until the day after the memorial service, according to state law. All flags at the state Capitol and other state and local government buildings are required to follow this rule.

The flag flying over the Capitol in honor of the deceased will be presented to the family, according to Idaho state law.

Rules for flying a Stars and Stripes at half-staff

Flags are traditionally flown in public only from sunrise to sunset, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but can be flown at all times if they are illuminated during darkness.

“The flag should not be subject to weather damage, so it should not be displayed during rain, snow and wind storms unless it is an all-weather flag,” according to the VA. “It should be displayed often, but especially on national and state holidays and special occasions.”

The American flag, which “should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously,” should be flown on or near the main building of public institutions, schools during school days and polling places on election days, according to the VA.

On Memorial Day, the flag should be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff until sunset, according to the VA. For times of mourning, the flag “should be briskly run up to the top of the staff before being lowered slowly to the half-staff position.”

The U.S. Flag Code is only advisory for private residences, so there are no penalties or punishments if ordinary citizens choose to not fly flags at half-staff, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Presidents get 30 days, others typically 10 or fewer

The time flags are to be flown at half-staff varies depending on the individual, including:

• 30 days after the death of the president or a former president.

• 10 days after the death of the vice president, speaker of the House of Representatives, or chief justice or a retired chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

• From the day of death until interment for an associate justice of the Supreme Court, a member of the Cabinet, a former vice president, the president pro tempore of the Senate, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and House or the governor of a state, territory or possession.

• From the day of death until the day after for the death of a U.S. senator, representative, territorial delegate or the resident commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

The president may also order the flag to half-staff for the death of other officials, former officials, foreign dignitaries or other tragic events, according to the VA.

Wondering why a flag is at half-staff?

Idahoans interested in flying flags at half-staff can sign up for flag notifications and find flag status updates, including presidential half-staff orders, at the Office of the Governor’s website at gov.idaho.gov/flag-status/. You can sign up for half-staff alerts via email or text message.

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