Half-mast in Norway – rules and procedure

A flag at half-mast is a sign of mourning. In Norway it is used for deaths, cremations and funerals, and in national mourning. The procedure is not laid down in the Flag Act or the flag regulation, but it is well established and described in the same way by Store norske leksikon and in guidance from, among others, Norske Boligbyggelag, the national federation of housing cooperatives.

How the flag hangs at half-mast

According to Store norske leksikon, the flag is lowered until its upper edge is one third of the pole’s height below the top. On a 9-metre pole, the upper edge therefore hangs about 3 metres below the top. Norske Boligbyggelag puts it as one third of the pole’s height being visible above the flag, and refers to a practical tip from the flag rules: counting the number of pulls on the halyard when the flag is raised to the top, and dividing that number by three.

The Norwegian name “halv stang” (half pole) is therefore not quite precise. The flag hangs higher than the middle of the pole. In some other countries, such as Germany, the lower edge of the flag hangs at half the height instead.

To the top first

The custom of raising the flag to the top first is firm. According to Store norske leksikon, the flag is also raised all the way to the top before being taken down when flying at half-mast over several days.

Times

At half-mast, the normal flag times apply. Under section 6 of the flag regulation, the flag is raised at 8 a.m. from March to October and at 9 a.m. from November to February, and lowered at sunset, but no later than 9 p.m. In Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. applies in winter. More in the guide to flag rules.

At funerals

According to Store norske leksikon, the flag is raised to the top and lowered to half-mast on the morning of the funeral day. When the ceremony is over, it is raised fully. After a death in the family or the neighbourhood, it is also common to fly the flag at half-mast on the day of the death. Occasions and customs are covered in the guide to flags in mourning.

National mourning

National mourning (landesorg) is not a term in Norwegian law, and according to Store norske leksikon there are no fixed rules for it. The government decides on official half-mast flag flying at state bodies. After King Harald V died on 28 August 2026, the government declared national mourning until the funeral on 9 September. According to Norske Boligbyggelag, only state bodies were required to fly flags at half-mast, while the government stated that private individuals and businesses that wished to could follow the same rules as state institutions. After the funeral, which began at 1 p.m., the flag was raised to the top.

The pole and the equipment

Half-mast requires a flagpole with a halyard or an internal line. On a telescopic pole without a halyard, or with a flag on an angled pole on the house wall, the flag cannot be lowered. Halyard, pulley and cleat are covered in the guide to flagpole mechanics.