Inauguration Day is full of ceremony and celebration, much of which is either outlined in the U.S. Consitution or by the influence of presidents past.
With Donald Trump’s inauguration just days away, preparations are underway for everything from the swearing-in ceremony to the balls and parties to follow. While some Americans are familiar with the major beats of Jan. 20, including the recitation of the presidential oath of office and presidential parade, many may not know that the Constitution goes into detail about when inauguration should happen, even down to the precise time.
Here’s what to know about Trump’s upcoming transition to office on Inauguration Day.
Who’s performing at inauguration: Carrie Underwood, Lee Greenwood to take stage
Trump’s inauguration is set for Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. This also happens to fall on Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year.
Inauguration Day has officially been Jan. 20 (or Jan. 21 if the 20th falls on a Sunday) since 1937, after the 20th Amendment was passed, according to the National Archives. Prior to that, Inauguration Day took place on March 4 or 5 (if the 4th fell on a weekend).
The first-ever presidential inauguration of George Washington was supposed to take place on the first Wednesday in March, which set the precedent for the March 4 date. However, it ended up being pushed to April 30, 1789, due to inclement weather preventing Congress from arriving in New York City in time for the planned ceremonies.
The 20th Amendment gets even more specific than outlining the date on which power transfers from one president to another. In fact, it even dictates the transition down to the minute.
According to the amendment, which is available to read in full on the National Archives website, the president-elect officially becomes the sitting president at the stroke of noon on Jan. 20. This is true regardless of if the president has taken the presidential oath of office or not.
Generally speaking, the day is meticulously planned to ensure the oath has been taken by or as close as possible to 12 p.m. ET.
Here is the text of the 20th Amendment, Section 1 in full:
“The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.”
The Constitution also outlines the process for officially certifying the new president based on the results of the election. According to the 20th Amendment, if a new president has not been chosen and certified or if the president-elect has died before Inauguration Day, the vice president-elect takes over the position.
Congress can also present the case that neither the president-elect nor vice president is qualified to take the position, in which case Congress either chooses an acting president or decides the process by which to select a new one. This person would serve in the interim until a president or vice president is qualified.
Inauguration Day is planned by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) and the Presidential Inaugural Committee. The major beats generally go as follows:
