The Oath of Allegiance, explained

The oath

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

“I hereby declare, on oath”

Everything that follows is a sworn promise. Lying under oath is a crime, and the promises are the legal condition of your citizenship.

“I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty”

You give up your political loyalty to any other country or ruler. “Renounce” and “abjure” both mean to give up formally; “prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty” is an old way of listing every kind of government. This is about loyalty, not paperwork: the United States does not require you to surrender another passport, and many new citizens keep dual citizenship if their original country allows it.

“of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen”

“Heretofore” means “until now.” The promise covers any country you belonged to before this moment.

“that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic”

You promise to uphold the Constitution and obey the law, and to stand with the country against anyone who attacks it, from outside or inside. This is the same promise the President, members of Congress, and soldiers make.

“that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same”

Your loyalty is now to the United States, sincerely, not just in words. Civics questions 66 and 67 are about this line.

“that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law”

If the law ever requires it (there has been no draft since 1973), you would serve in the military. If your religion or deeply held beliefs forbid fighting, you can ask USCIS to leave this clause out; you show that on the N-400, usually with a letter explaining your beliefs.

“that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law”

Military service without a weapon, such as medical or support work, if the law required it. This clause can also be left out for those whose beliefs forbid any military service.

“that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law”

Civilian service in a national emergency if required. Everyone takes this part; it cannot be left out.

“and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion”

You are choosing this. Nobody is forcing you, you have no secret exceptions in your mind, and you are not saying the words with a plan to ignore them. This is why the ceremony questionnaire asks whether you are willing to take the full oath.

“so help me God”

A traditional closing. You may leave it out and say “I solemnly affirm” at the start instead; tell the officer before the ceremony.

After you say it

You are a citizen. You receive your Certificate of Naturalization, and you can register to vote that day. The oath is not a test and nobody grades your pronunciation; you repeat it line by line after the official, along with everyone else in the room.

Last reviewed September 5, 2026. Procedures vary by field office and change over time; confirm anything that matters for your case at uscis.gov.