Taps at a Military Funeral: History, Protocol and Etiquette

Taps is the 24-note bugle call sounded at the end of a military funeral. Federal law says the military must provide, on request, a funeral honors detail for any eligible veteran, and that the minimum ceremony is the folding and presentation of a U.S. flag and the playing of Taps. When no bugler is available, the detail plays a recording.

What is Taps, and where did it come from?

Taps is a short, slow bugle melody of 24 notes. Arlington National Cemetery traces it to July 1862, in the Civil War. Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield asked his brigade bugler, Private Oliver Willcox Norton, to play a new tune he had whistled. After repeated trials, Norton played a 24-note call that suited the general. The 24-note call spread through the army and, according to Arlington, even to some Confederate forces.

Arlington says Taps was first sounded at a military funeral for a cannoneer killed in action, when the commanding officer chose a bugle call because it was less risky than the usual three-rifle volley, which the enemy might mistake for an attack. In 1874 Butterfield's call became the U.S. Army's official bugle call. The name comes from the drum taps that traditionally followed the lights-out call.

In the 2013 defense authorization law (Public Law 112-239, section 596), Congress expressed the sense that Taps should be designated the National Song of Military Remembrance. That is a statement of Congress's view, and it does not create rules for how people must behave when it is played.

Who is entitled to Taps at a funeral?

An eligible veteran is entitled to military funeral honors on request. Under 10 U.S.C. 1491, a "veteran" for this purpose is someone who served on active duty and was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, or who was a member or former member of the Selected Reserve (the law sets service conditions in 38 U.S.C. 2301(f)). The law has applied since January 1, 2000.

The detail must have at least two members of the armed forces in uniform, and the VA says one of them represents the veteran's own branch of service. At a minimum they fold the flag, present it to the family and play Taps. If a bugler is not part of the detail, the detail plays a recorded Taps on audio equipment it brings if none is available at the site. Active-duty members, retirees and Medal of Honor recipients may receive fuller honors with more participants, depending on the service's rules.

Our military honors at a funeral guide explains the full range of honors, and national cemetery burial eligibility covers who can be buried in a VA national cemetery.

How do you request Taps and military honors?

1. Ask your funeral home. The VA says funeral home directors or a personal representative should request honors for the family.
2. Give the military notice. The VA recommends contacting the service branch at least 48 to 72 hours before the service.
3. Bring documents. Have the veteran's discharge papers (DD214) ready so the honors team can confirm eligibility.
4. Ask about a live bugler. The armed forces prefer a live bugler, who may be military or civilian, paid or volunteer, but one is not guaranteed. If your family wants live Taps, raise it when you first call.
5. At a national cemetery, staff can help arrange honors for services held there. Veterans service organizations may also supply members of the detail, pallbearers or escorts.

Program questions can go to Military OneSource at 800-342-9647.

What happens during the ceremony?

At a military funeral with full graveside honors, the order usually runs like this:

1. The chaplain or clergy member finishes the committal.
2. A firing party fires three volleys. Army guidance says the firing party may have 3 to 8 riflemen, and firing three volleys with seven riflemen is not a 21-gun salute.
3. A bugler, or a recording, plays Taps.
4. The honors team folds the flag and presents it to the next of kin.

A two-person minimum detail does not include a firing party, so you may not hear volleys unless the service provides a full detail. For the difference between the volleys and a gun salute, see our 21 gun salute guide, and for the meaning of the folds, see military flag folding.

What is the etiquette when Taps is played?

Stand still and stay silent until the last note. Army guidance sets out what each group does:

• People in military uniform face the casket or flag and render a hand salute while Taps is played.
• Civilians, and service members in civilian clothes, stand at attention with the right hand over the heart. Army guidance for men in civilian clothes is to remove any headdress and hold it over the left shoulder with the right hand over the heart.
• Indoors, the general Army rule is to stand at attention rather than salute.
• If you cannot stand, sit quietly and stay still. No one expects more than that.

Phones should be silenced before the service, and no one should walk around or take photos while Taps is played. If you are unsure, watch the uniformed members and the family.

Can a civilian funeral include Taps?

Official funeral honors are reserved for eligible veterans and service members. A family can still arrange for a bugler or a recording to play Taps at a civilian's service, for example for someone who loved the military. It would not be official military honors, and no detail or flag presentation would be provided by the government. A veterans group or the funeral home may be able to help you find a bugler.

What to do next

1. Ask the funeral director to request military funeral honors as early as possible.
2. Find the DD214 and the death certificate.
3. Tell the funeral home whether you want a live bugler, and whether you want the flag presented at the graveside.
4. Read about the other benefits you can claim in our guide to veterans burial benefits and the VA burial allowance.