The state government code chapter states the Texas flag should be displayed at half-staff on Memorial Day and Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15. The flag can also be displayed at half-staff by order of the governor as a mark of respect for the memory of a person who has recently died.

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Elvia Limón has covered Dallas and its surrounding communities for The Dallas Morning News since January 2016. She's also worked as an intern and freelancer for Al Dia, American Way and Surrentum Magazine in Sorrento, Italy. Elvia is from Dallas and has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Journalism from the University of North Texas.

Cunningham's question is part of Curious Texas, an ongoing project from The Dallas Morning News that invites you to join in our reporting process. The idea is simple: You have questions, and our journalists are trained to track down answers.

The flag must be displayed at half-staff for 30 days after the death of a current or former president, and 10 days after the death of the vice president, current and former U.S. Supreme Court chief justices or speaker of the House of Representatives.

The protocols for flying the U.S. flag date back to March 1954 when President Dwight Eisenhower issued a proclamation with the proper times to fly a flag at half-staff. The U.S. Flag Code contains the guidelines that recommend how to display the flag.

The U.S. flag should fly at half-staff from sunrise until noon on Memorial day then raised to the top of the staff until sunset.

Richard Cunningham of Plano was driving around town days after former President George H. W. Bush died in December when he noticed not all of the United States flags that he passed were at half-staff.  He said that's what made him wonder about the protocols on how to properly fly a U.S. flag.

The code also states that the state flag should only be displayed outdoors before sunrise or sunset if it is properly illuminated. This is the same for displaying the U.S. flag.

Texas Government Code Chapter 3100, which outlines the proper protocol for displaying the Texas flag, states that the flag should be displayed on each state or national holiday, and on any occasion of historical significance. The Texas flag should also be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of each state institution.

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The U.S. flag should be flown at half-staff during periods of mourning proclaimed by the president or a governor of a state or U.S. territory, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“As I would drive down the road, I’d see five different flags -- a couple of them were at half mast and a couple were not,” he said. “It got me curious to know what’s going on. Is it because people don’t understand the rules?”

That’s why he asked Curious Texas: What are the rules for flying the U.S. flag at half-mast? I know there are specific time frames for different circumstances.

For U.S. Supreme Court associate justices, Cabinet members, former vice presidents, president pro tempore of the Senate, the Senate majority and minority leaders and the House of Representatives majority and minority leaders, the flag should be displayed at half-staff from the day of their death until their burial.

First, a gentle correction in the question, flags flown on land are considered half-staff. Only flags flown aboard ships are considered half-mast.

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There are similar rules for the displaying the state flag. Texans who are unsure of how to display their state flag can always check the state's website, which has an up-to-date flag status.