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43 USC § 857 - Grant to new States

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t43/s857"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "43 USC § 857 - Grant to new States"
title_number: 43
title_name: "PUBLIC LANDS"
section_number: "857"
section_name: "Grant to new States"
chapter_number: 20
chapter_name: "RESERVATIONS AND GRANTS TO STATES FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(R.S. §§ 2378, 2379.)"
---

# § 857. Grant to new States

September 4, 1841

There is granted, for purposes of internal improvement, to each new State admitted into the Union, after , upon such admission, so much public land as, including the quantity that was granted to such State before its admission and while under a territorial government, will make five hundred thousand acres.

The selections of lands, granted in this section, shall be made within the limits of each State so admitted into the Union, in such manner as the legislatures thereof, respectively, may direct; and such lands shall be located in parcels conformably to sectional divisions and subdivisions of not less than three hundred and twenty acres in any one location, on any public land not reserved from sale by law of Congress or by proclamation of the President. The locations may be made at any time after the public lands in any such new State have been surveyed according to law.

---

**Source Credit**: (R.S. §§ 2378, 2379.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

R.S. §§ 2378, 2379 derived from , .

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Grants Not To Extend to Alaska

Land grant under Alaska Statehood provisions in lieu of grant of land under this section (declared not to extend to Alaska), see section 6() of , set out as a note preceding , Territories and Insular Possessions.

## Executive Documents

### Admission of Alaska as State

Admission of Alaska into the Union was accomplished , on issuance of Proc. No. 3269, , 24 F.R. 81, 73 Stat. c16, as required by sections 1 and 8(c) of , , , set out as notes preceding , Territories and Insular Possessions.