Can you still get tickets to the inauguration? (Getty)
President-Elect Donald Trump is being sworn in as President on Friday, January 20 at noon. But is there still time to get tickets to see the event? If you’re wondering, you’re in luck. You can still make it to the event. However, many of the associated inaugural balls are now sold out.
Here’s what you need to know.
General admission viewing of the swearing-in ceremony does not require tickets. If you’re in areas on the National Mall located west of Fourth Street NW, then you don’t need a ticket to watch the swearing-in ceremony, NBC4 reported.
However, tickets are needed for special viewing areas, typically within a half-mile of the event. Tickets are free and color-coded based on the sitting or standing zone that you’re in. During the first couple weeks of January, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies issued thousands of tickets, mostly to Congressional members. It may be tough to get a special viewing seat at this point in time, but if you want to try, you should call your local Senator of Representative. Some have forms online that you can fill out to request a ticket.
For example, Rep. Norton was still giving out swearing-in tickets as of Wednesday, January 18, according to a Trump supporter on Reddit who just received red tickets on Wednesday. If you live in D.C., try calling today (Thursday) to see if tickets are still available. Others who are interested in getting color-coded tickets should call their representatives on Thursday and ask if they have any extra tickets and what they plan to do with them. You can find who your representative is here.
None of the tickets for the inauguration swearing-in ceremony should cost any money. In fact, the Inaugural Committee has been working with Craigslist, eBay, and StubHub to try to prevent the sale of inaugural tickets, as they believe it violates the spirit of the event. Tickets have been advertised for hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Remember, if you’re going to attend with a ticket, security gates open at 6 a.m. Eastern on Friday.
Here’s a basic map of the area for inauguration day:
Inauguration tickets and map revealed t.co/fV4D0SQ1Ww
As for the Inaugural Parade, tickets will work the same for that, too. If you’re in a general viewing area, you won’t need a ticket. Tickets are only needed for public viewing areas.
You may, however, have a tougher time getting to go to an inaugural ball. Tickets are required and many of them are already sold out. See which inaugural balls are sold out for Thursday here.
