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36 U.S.C. 302: National mottoText contains those laws in effect through Public Law 119-120 (October 7, 2026).
From Title 36-PATRIOTIC AND NATIONAL OBSERVANCES, CEREMONIES, AND ORGANIZATIONSCHAPTER 3-NATIONAL ANTHEM, MOTTO, FLORAL EMBLEM, MARCH, TREE, AND BIRD
Jump To: Source CreditHistorical and Revision NotesEditorial NotesAmendmentsStatutory Notes and Related SubsidiariesMiscellaneous

§302. National motto

“In God we trust” is the national motto.

( Pub. L. 105–225 , Aug. 12, 1998 , 112 Stat. 1263 ; Pub. L. 107–293, § 3(a) , Nov. 13, 2002 , 116 Stat. 2060 .)

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised

Section

Source (U.S. Code)

Source (Statutes at Large)

302

36:186.

July 30, 1956, ch. 795, 70 Stat. 732.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2002⁠—Pub. L. 107–293 reenacted section catchline and text without change.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Reaffirmation of Language

Pub. L. 107–293, § 3(b), Nov. 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 2061, provided that:

“In codifying this subsection [probably should be “section”, meaning section 3 of Pub. L. 107–293, which amended this section], the Office of the Law Revision Counsel shall make no change in section 302, title 36, United States Code, but shall show in the historical and statutory notes that the 107th Congress reaffirmed the exact language that has appeared in the Motto for decades.”