48 USC § 874 - Judicial process; officials to be citizens of United States; oath

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t48/s874"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "48 USC § 874 - Judicial process; officials to be citizens of United States; oath"
title_number: 48
title_name: "TERRITORIES AND INSULAR POSSESSIONS"
section_number: "874"
section_name: "Judicial process; officials to be citizens of United States; oath"
chapter_number: 4
chapter_name: "PUERTO RICO"
subchapter_number: "IV"
subchapter_name: "THE JUDICIARY"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Mar. 2, 1917, ch. 145, § 10, 39 Stat. 954; May 17, 1932, ch. 190, 47 Stat. 158.)"
---


# § 874. Judicial process; officials to be citizens of United States; oath

All judicial process shall run in the name of “United States of America, ss, the President of the United States”, and all penal or criminal prosecutions in the local courts shall be conducted in the name and by the authority of “The People of Puerto Rico.” All officials shall be citizens of the United States, and, before entering upon the duties of their respective offices, shall take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States and the laws of Puerto Rico.

---

**Source Credit**: (Mar. 2, 1917, ch. 145, § 10, 39 Stat. 954; May 17, 1932, ch. 190, 47 Stat. 158.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in , .

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

“Puerto Rico” substituted in text for “Porto Rico” pursuant to act , which is classified to .