List of U.S. state and territory mottos

All of the United States' 50 states have a state motto, as do the District of Columbia and 3 of its territories. A motto is a phrase intended to formally describe the general motivation or intention of an organization. State mottos can sometimes be found on state seals or state flags. Some states have officially designated a state motto by an act of the state legislature, whereas other states have the motto only as an element of their seals. The motto of the United States itself is In God We Trust, proclaimed by Congress and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on July 30, 1956.^[1] The motto "E pluribus unum" (Latin for 'out of many, one') was approved for use on the Great Seal of the United States in 1782, but was never adopted as the national motto through legislative action.

Eureka, the motto of California on its state seal

Nil sine numine, the motto of Colorado on its state seal

Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono, the motto of Hawaii on its state quarter

Crossroads of America, the motto of Indiana on its state quarter

Ad astra per aspera, the motto of Kansas on its state seal

Live Free or Die, the motto of New Hampshire on its state quarter

Labor omnia vincit, the motto of Oklahoma

South Carolina has two state mottos

Freedom and Unity, the motto of Vermont on its state quarter

Salus populi suprema lex esto, the motto of Missouri on its state seal

South Carolina has two official mottos, both which are in Latin.^[2] Kentucky, North Dakota, and Vermont also have two mottos, one in Latin and the other in English.^[3][4] All other states and territories have only one motto, except for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, which do not have any mottos.^[5] English and Latin are the most-used languages for state mottos, each used by 25 states and territories. Seven states and territories use another language, of which each language is only used once. Eight states and two territories have their mottos on their state quarter; thirty-eight states and four territories have their mottos on their state seals.

The dates given are, where possible, the earliest date that the motto was used in an official sense. Some state mottos are not official but are on the official state seal; in these cases the adoption date of the seal is given. The earliest use of a current motto is that of Puerto Rico, Joannes est nomen ejus, granted to the island by the Spanish in 1511.^[6]

State, federal district and territory mottos

Jurisdiction	Motto	English translation	Language	Date	Ref.
Alabama	Audemus jura nostra defendere	We dare defend our rights	Latin	1923	[7]
Alaska	North to the Future	—	English	1967	[8]
American Samoa	Samoa, Muamua Le Atua	Samoa, let Atua be first	Samoan	1973	[9]
Arizona	Ditat Deus	God enriches	Latin	1863	[10][11]
Arkansas	Regnat populus[N 1]	The people rule	Latin	1907	[12]
California	Eureka (Εὕρηκα)	I have found it	Greek	1849[N 2]	[13]
Colorado	Nil sine numine	Nothing without providence	Latin	November 6, 1861	[14]
Connecticut	Qui transtulit sustinet	He who transplanted still sustains	Latin	October 9, 1662	[15]
Delaware	Liberty and Independence	—	English	1847	[16]
District of Columbia	Justitia Omnibus	Justice for all	Latin	August 3, 1871	[17]
Florida	In God We Trust	—	English	1868[N 3]	[18]
Georgia	Wisdom, Justice, Moderation[N 4]	—	English	1798	[20][21][19]
Guam	—	—	—	—	[5]
Hawaiʻi	Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono	The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness/*The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness When first said by King Kamehameha (Kauikeaouli) in July 1843. It originally meant "The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." The State of Hawaiʻi letter translate the saying as "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." In Hawaiian, Ea means life and also sovereignty, leading to this slight difference in translation.	Hawaiian	July 31, 1843[N 5]	[23][22]
Idaho	Esto perpetua	Let it be perpetual	Latin	1890	[24]
Illinois	State sovereignty, national union	—	English	1819	[25]
Indiana	Crossroads of America	—	English	1937	[26]
Iowa	Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain	—	English	1847	[27]
Kansas	Ad astra per aspera	To the stars through difficulties	Latin	1861	[28]
Kentucky	United we stand, divided we fall	—	English	1942	[3]
	Deo gratiam habeamus	Let us be grateful to God	Latin	2002	[29]
Louisiana	Union, justice, confidence	—	English	1902	[30]
Maine	Dirigo	I lead	Latin	1820	[31]
Maryland	Fatti maschi, parole femine	Strong deeds, gentle words	Italian	1874	[32][33]
Massachusetts	Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem	By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty	Latin	1775	[34]
Michigan	Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice	If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you	Latin	June 2, 1835	[35][36]
Minnesota	L'Étoile du Nord[N 6]	The star of the North	French	1861	[37]
Mississippi	Virtute et armis	By valor and arms	Latin	February 7, 1894	[38]
Missouri	Salus populi suprema lex esto	Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law	Latin	January 11, 1822	[39]
Montana	Oro y plata	Gold and silver	Spanish	February 9, 1865	[40]
Nebraska	Equality before the law	—	English	1867	[41]
Nevada	All For Our Country[N 7]	—	English	February 24, 1866	[42]
New Hampshire	Live Free or Die	—	English	1945	[43]
New Jersey	Liberty and prosperity	—	English	March 26, 1928	[44]
New Mexico	Crescit eundo	It grows as it goes	Latin	1887[N 8]	[45]
New York	Excelsior	Ever upward	Latin	1778	[46]
North Carolina	Esse quam videri	To be, rather than to seem	Latin	1893	[47]
North Dakota	Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable	—	English	January 3, 1863	[48][49]
	Serit ut alteri saeclo prosit	One sows for the benefit of another age	Latin	March 11, 2011	[50]
Northern Mariana Islands	—	—	—	—	[5]
Ohio	With God, all things are possible[N 9]	—	English	October 1, 1959	[52][51]
Oklahoma	Labor omnia vincit	Labor conquers all things	Latin	March 10, 1893[N 10] [N 11]	[55][53][54]
Oregon	Alis volat propriis	She flies with her own wings	Latin	1854[N 12]	[56]
Pennsylvania	Virtue, liberty, and independence	—	English	1875	[57]
Puerto Rico	Joannes Est Nomen Ejus	John is his name	Latin	1511[N 13]	[6][58]
Rhode Island	Hope	—	English	May 4, 1664	[59]
South Carolina	Dum spiro spero	While I breathe, I hope	Latin	May 22, 1777	[2]
	Animis opibusque parati	Ready in soul and resource	Latin
South Dakota	Under God the people rule	—	English	1885	[60]
Tennessee	Agriculture and Commerce	—	English	May 24, 1802[N 14]	[61]
Texas	Friendship	—	English	1930	[62]
Utah	Industry	—	English	May 3, 1896[N 15]	[63][64]
Vermont	Freedom and Unity	—	English	February 20, 1779	[65]
	Stella quarta decima fulgeat	May the fourteenth star shine bright	Latin	April 10, 2015	[66][67]
Virginia	Sic semper tyrannis	Thus always to tyrants	Latin	1776	[68]
U.S. Virgin Islands	United in Pride and Hope	—	English	January 1, 1991	[69]
Washington	Al-ki or Alki (Unofficial)[N 16]	By and by	Chinook Jargon	—	[70]
West Virginia	Montani semper liberi	Mountaineers are always free	Latin	September 26, 1863	[71]
Wisconsin	Forward	—	English	1851	[72]
Wyoming	Equal Rights	—	English	1893	[73]

See also

• United States portal

• List of national mottos
• List of U.S. state nicknames
• List of U.S. state tourism slogans
• United States national motto

Notes

1. The motto was originally designated as Regnant populi in 1864. It was changed to Regnat populus in 1907.^[12]
2. Eureka first appeared on the state seal in 1849. It was designated the official motto in 1963.^[13]
3. "In God We Trust" first appeared on the state seal in 1868. It was designated the official motto in 2006.^[18]
4. Georgia never officially adopted a state motto; the words wisdom, justice, and moderation come from its state seal.^[19]
5. The motto of Hawaiʻi was first used by King Kamehameha III in 1843, after his restoration. In May 1845 it first appeared on the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. It was made the official motto of the State of Hawaiʻi on May 1, 1959.^[22]
6. The unofficial motto of the Minnesota Territory was Quae sursum volo videre, I long to see what is beyond, chosen in 1849.^[37]
7. The unofficial motto of the Nevada Territory was Volens et potens, 'willing and able', which was on the territorial seal approved on November 29, 1861. This was changed to the current motto after statehood.^[42]
8. Crescit eundo was added to the territorial seal in 1882. Ths change was officially adopted by the legislature in 1887.^[45]
9. From 1866 to 1868, the motto Imperium in Imperio (Latin for 'Empire within an Empire') appeared on the state seal.^[51]
10. Labor omnia vincit was on the territorial seal of 1893.^[53]
11. It was specified as a feature of the seal in the 1907 State Constitution.^[54]
12. The motto of Oregon was "The Union" from 1957 until 1987, when the original 1854 motto of Alis volat propriis was restored. "The Union" is still present on the official state seal and flag.^[56]
13. The Spanish Crown gave Puerto Rico its coat of arms in 1511. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico officially adopted it on March 9, 1905.^[6]
14. The words agriculture and commerce appeared on the first state seal of 1802. "Agriculture and Commerce" was made the official state motto in 1987.^[61]
15. Industry first appeared on the state seal of 1896. It was designated the official motto on March 4, 1959.^[63]
16. The motto of Washington is the only one to be fully unofficial. It is neither on the seal nor designated by the state legislature, but was present on the territorial seal.^[70]