Any person who has rendered distinguished service to the nation may lie in state (in the case of government officials and military officers) or in honor (in the case of private citizens) beneath the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, if the family so wishes and Congress approves by concurrent action of the House of Representatives and Senate.
When should bells ring as an individual lies in state?
At such an occasion, the bourdon bell at the Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon will toll as the hearse arrives and departs the U.S. Capitol with the body of the honored.
- Arriving to the U.S. Capitol
The funeral cortège approaches the U.S. Capitol heading eastbound on Constitution Ave. NW. The moment the hearse carrying the body of the honored passes the north-south perpendicular of the Taft Memorial structure, the first toll of the bourdon resounds. Ringing will continue to fill the silence as the motorcade comes to a stop at the steps of the east facade, central entrance. - Departing the U.S. Capitol
After lying in state, the Honor Guard begins the final procession out of the Capitol. The casket is presented at the top of the steps of the east facade, central entrance, before ruffles and flourishes and selected hymns. For a president, expect “Hail to the Chief” concurrent with a 21-gun salute cannon battery across the Capitol Reflecting Pool. Silence then descends across the Capitol as the casket is set into the hearse. The Honor Guard steps away, the colors are retired, and the hearse is closed. At the moment the door to the hearse is closed, the first toll of the bourdon resounds. The hearse and funeral cortège depart.
For the president, former presidents, and the president-elect, the total number of tolls is equal to that of their number in the line of presidencies, e.g. 41 times for George H.W. Bush, the 41st president. For all others, the total number of tolls is equal to the number of states in the Union, i.e. 50 as of 2025.
These protocols are subject to the wishes of the bereaved family.
What is the historical context for this bell ringing schedule?
When President Lincoln was lying in state at City Hall in New York, the appointed pall-bearers took their place beside the coffin, which at 1:00 pm was lifted and carried, to the tolling of the bell and the tap of the drum, out through the double line of the Seventh Regiment, and placed upon the funeral car.
When Lincoln’s hearse arrived at Chicago’s Court House, the great bell in the tower began to ring so loudly that it could be heard in the farthest reaches of Chicago, according to local media reports at the time.
Cover image: Former President Jimmy Carter's coffin arrives at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., where it is transferred to a horse-drawn caisson before traveling to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 7, 2025.
