FAQ / On Inauguration Day, is the President sworn in first, or the Vice President?

In the United States, Inauguration Day is the day on which a President-elect and Vice President-elect are sworn in and take office. It occurs every four years on January 20.

The oath of office is administered first to the Vice President-elect and then the President-elect on the steps of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. After the oath, the President delivers an inaugural address and then attends the Inaugural Luncheon hosted by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

A Presidential Inauguration Parade is then held for the President and Vice President. The event includes a procession of military units, citizen groups, marching bands, and floats. The inauguration parade is open to the public and is televised. To participate in the parade, please contact the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee.

Inaugural balls are also held honoring the new President and Vice President. The Presidential Inaugural Committee organizes official balls and tickets are available through them. Some state societies also sponsor inaugural balls. To find out if your state sponsors an inaugural ball, please visit the web site of the National Conference of State Societies and locate your state on the right-hand side of the page.

Please note: Each Senator and Representative of the 111th Congress receives a limited quantity of free tickets to the swearing-in ceremony that they distribute to the public at their discretion. If you are interested in attending the ceremony, contact your Senator or Representative. Tickets are not available to the general public for the luncheon.

The public should also be aware that no web site or other ticket outlet actually has inaugural swearing-in tickets to sell, regardless of what they may claim. Tickets will not be distributed to congressional offices until the week before the inauguration and will require in-person pick-up.

If you are planning on traveling to the District of Columbia for inaugural events, you may wish to visit the District of Columbia's 2009 Presidential Inauguration web site. This site offers information on such things as lodging, transportation, security measures and closures. You may also want to view the weather forecast for Inauguration Day or the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (Metro) plans for inauguration day travel.

If you live in the D.C.-metropolitan area and would like to offer travelers from out of town a place to stay, please refer to the many private organizations that will allow you to place such an advertisement. You can locate these organizations through an Internet search engine or in your local phone book.

Finally, you may also wish to view additional information on USA.gov's Presidential Inauguration 2009 web page or information on the presidential transition.

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