List of U.S. state mottos
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Nil sine numine, the motto of Colorado on its state seal

Live free or die, the motto of New Hampshire on its state quarter

Eureka, the motto of California on its state seal

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

In God we trust, the motto of Florida on its state seal

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

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

Esto perpetua, the motto of Idaho on its state quarter

South Carolina has two state mottos

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

All of the United States' 50 states have a state motto, as do the District of Columbia and three US territories. A motto is a phrase meant 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

South Carolina has two official mottos, both of which are in Latin.² Kentucky also has two mottos, one in Latin and the other in English.³ All other states and territories have only one motto, except Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, which do not have any mottos.⁴⁵ English and Latin are the most-used languages for state mottos, used by 25 and 23 states and territories, respectively. Only six 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, Johannes est nomen ejus, granted to the island by the Spanish in 1511.⁶

State and territory mottos

State	Motto	English Translation (if applicable)	Language	Date	Ref.
Alabama	Audemus jura nostra defendere	We dare defend our rights	Latin	01923 1923	7
Alaska	North to the future	—	English	01967 1967	8
American Samoa	Samoa, Muamua Le Atua	Samoa, let God be first	Samoan	01973 1973	9
Arizona	Ditat Deus	God enriches	Latin	01863 1863	1011
Arkansas	Regnat populus	The people rule	Latin	01907 1907	12N 1
California	Eureka	I have found it	Greek	01849 1849	13N 2
Colorado	Nil sine numine	Nothing without Providence	Latin	01861-11-05 November 5, 1861	14
Connecticut	Qui transtulit sustinet	He who transplanted sustains	Latin	01662-10-09 October 9, 1662	15
Delaware	Liberty and Independence	—	English	01847 1847	16
District of Columbia	Justitia Omnibus	Justice for All	Latin	01871-08-03 August 3, 1871	17
Florida	In God We Trust	—	English	01868 1868	18N 3
Georgia	Wisdom, justice, and moderation	—	English	01798 1798	2021
Guam	Guahan i tano' chamorro	Land of the chamorros	Chamorro	1945	4
Hawaii	Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono	The life of the land is perpetuated by righteousness.	Hawaiian	01843-07-31 July 31, 1843	2223N 4
Idaho	Esto perpetua	Let it be perpetual	Latin	01890 1890	24
Illinois	State sovereignty, national union	—	English	01819 1819	25
Indiana	The Crossroads of America	—	English	01937 1937	26
Iowa	Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain	—	English	01847 1847	27
Kansas	Ad astra per aspera	To the stars through difficulties	Latin	01861 1861	28
Kentucky	United we stand, divided we fall Deo gratiam habeamus	Let us be grateful to God	English Latin	01942 1942 2002	3
Louisiana	Union, justice, confidence	—	English	01902 1902	29
Maine	Dirigo	I lead	Latin	01820 1820	30
Maryland	Fatti maschii, parole femine	Manly deeds, womanly words	Italian	01874 1874	3132
Massachusetts	Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem	By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty	Latin	01775 1775	33
Michigan	Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice	If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you	Latin	01835-06-02 June 2, 1835	34
Minnesota	L'étoile du Nord	The star of the North	French	01861 1861	35N 5
Mississippi	Virtute et armis	By valor and arms	Latin	01894-02-07 February 7, 1894	36
Missouri	Salus populi suprema lex esto	Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law	Latin	01822-01-11 January 11, 1822	37
Montana	Oro y plata	Gold and silver	Spanish	01865-02-09 February 9, 1865	38
Nebraska	Equality before the law	—	English	01867 1867	39
Nevada	All For Our Country	—	English	01866-02-24 February 24, 1866	40N 6
New Hampshire	Live Free or Die	—	English	01945 1945	41
New Jersey	Liberty and prosperity	—	English	01928-03-26 March 26, 1928	42
New Mexico	Crescit eundo	It grows as it goes	Latin	01887 1887	43N 7
New York	Excelsior	Ever upward	Latin	01778 1778	44
North Carolina	Esse quam videri	To be, rather than to seem	Latin	01893 1893	45
North Dakota	Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable	—	English	01889 1889	46
Northern Mariana Islands	—	—	—	—	5
Ohio	With God, all things are possible	—	English	01959-10-01 October 1, 1959	47
Oklahoma	Labor omnia vincit	Labor conquers all things	Latin	01893-03-10 March 10, 1893	48N 8
Oregon	Alis volat propriis	She flies with her own wings	Latin	01854 1854	51N 9
Pennsylvania	Virtue, Liberty, and Independence	—	English	01875 1875	52
Puerto Rico	Joannes Est Nomem Ejus	John is his name	Latin	01511 1511	653N 10
Rhode Island	Hope	—	English	164454 and by the General Assembly on 01664-05-04 May 4, 1664	55
South Carolina	Dum spiro spero Animis opibusque parati	While I breathe, I hope Ready in soul and resource	Latin	01777-05-22 May 22, 1777	2
South Dakota	Under God the people rule	—	English	01885 1885	56
Tennessee	Agriculture and commerce	—	English	01802-05-24 May 24, 1802	57N 11
Texas	Friendship	—	English	01930 1930	58
Utah	Industry	—	English	01896-05-03 May 3, 1896	59N 12
Vermont	Freedom and Unity	—	English	01779-02-20 February 20, 1779	61
Virginia	Sic semper tyrannis	Thus always to tyrants	Latin	01776 1776	62
Virgin Islands	United in Pride and Hope	—	English	01991-01-01 January 1, 1991	63
Washington	Al-ki	By and by	Chinook Jargon	—	64N 13
West Virginia	Montani semper liberi	Mountaineers are always free	Latin	01863-09-26 September 26, 1863	65
Wisconsin	Forward	—	English	01851 1851	66
Wyoming	Equal Rights	—	English	01893 1893	67

Notes

See also

• List of U.S. state nicknames
• List of U.S. state slogans
• List of national mottos

References

Works cited

• Shearer, Benjamin F.; Shearer, Barbara S. (2002). State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols (3 ed.). Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313315343. http://books.google.com/books?id=nCA0UuGlJG8C. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 

External links

• Mottoes of the 50 States from Netstate.com
• State mottos from State Symbols USA