36 USC § 302 - National motto

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t36/s302"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "36 USC § 302 - National motto"
title_number: 36
title_name: "PATRIOTIC AND NATIONAL OBSERVANCES, CEREMONIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS"
section_number: "302"
section_name: "National motto"
chapter_number: 3
chapter_name: "NATIONAL ANTHEM, MOTTO, FLORAL EMBLEM, MARCH, TREE, AND BIRD"
part_number: "A"
part_name: "Observances and Ceremonies"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1263; Pub. L. 107–293, § 3(a), Nov. 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 2060.)"
---


# § 302. National motto

“In God we trust” is the national motto.

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

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 302 | 36:186. | July 30, 1956, ch. 795, 70 Stat. 732. |

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2002— reenacted section catchline and text without change.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Reaffirmation of Language

> “In codifying this subsection [probably should be “section”, meaning
> 
> , 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.”

, , , provided that: