State Mottos of the United States 2025

Motto Language

Chinook

English

French

Greek

Hawaiian

Italian

Latin

Spanish

State	State Mottos↓	Motto Language	Motto Translation	Additional Details
Ohio	With God, All Things are Possible	English		Ohio's state motto is "With God, All Things Are Possible," decided after a 12-year-old boy won a contest to select the motto in the 1950s. The American Civil Liberties Union sued the state of Ohio in 1997, saying this motto was a violation of the separation of church and state. But the motto remained when the district court judge ruled that it didn't make reference to any one religion and was a generic reference to God.
Georgia	Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation	English
Mississippi	Virtute et Armis	Latin	By Valor and Arms
Pennsylvania	Virtue, Liberty, and Independence	English
Kentucky	United We Stand, Divided We Fall	English		It comes from "Liberty Song" by John Dickinson, a song from 1768 that Kentucky's first governor was fond of. Kentucky also has an official Latin motto, "Deo gratiam habeamus," or "Let us be grateful to God."
Louisiana	Union, Justice, and Confidence	English
South Dakota	Under God the People Rule	English		The state also has a motto that accompanies its state flower, the American Pasque. According to the state's official site, "I lead" is the floral emblem motto.
Hawaii	Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono	Hawaiian	The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness	Hawaii's state motto comes from King Kamehameha III in 1843 and was uttered as the Hawaiian flag rose again after a brief period of British occupation
Indiana	The Crossroads of America	English
Vermont	Stella Quarta Decima Fulgeat	Latin	May the Fourteenth Star Shine Bright
Illinois	State Sovereignty, National Union	English
Virginia	Sic Semper Tyrannis	Latin	Thus Always to Tyrants
Michigan	Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice	Latin	If You Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look About You
Missouri	Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto	Latin	The Welfare of the People is the Highest Law	The exact translation has been debated but was originally intended to mean "Let the good of the people be the supreme law," as proposed by William Wells in 1847 when he designed the state seal. Today, the Secretary of State's office says it means “The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law
Arkansas	Regnat Populus	Latin	The People Rule
Connecticut	Qui Transtulit Sustinet	Latin	He Who Transplanted Sustains	According to Connecticut's state government site, possible origins trace to the psalm "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it
Iowa	Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain	English
Montana	Oro Y Plata	Spanish	Gold and Silver	This motto is in tandem with Montana's state nickname, "The Treasure State," both named for the state's mineral wealth
Alaska	North to the Future	English		Chosen in 1967 during the Alaska Purchase Centennial to represent "Alaska as a land of promise."
Colorado	Nil Sine Numine	Latin	Nothing without Providence
West Virginia	Montani Semper Liberi	Latin	Mountaineers are Always Free	A 2007 vote also established "Wild, Wonderful" as West Virginia's state slogan.
New Hampshire	Live Free or Die	English		Comes from a statement written by Revolutionary General John Stark
North Dakota	Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable	English		According to ND.gov, this was also the motto of the Dakota Territory, the unorganized states of North and South Dakota prior to 1889
New Jersey	Liberty and Prosperity	English		The state also voted on the slogan "New Jersey: Come See For Yourself" in 2006 to attract tourists
Delaware	Liberty and Independence	English		The state also adopted a tourist slogan in 2015, "Delaware: Endless Discoveries.
Oklahoma	Labor Omnia Vincit	Latin	Hard Work Conquers All Things	Only 38% of Oklahoma residents could identify the motto, a 2021 survey found. A 2012 Oklahoma House resolution even tried to establish "In God We Trust," the national motto, as Oklahoma's as well. And in 2021, Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall proposed an $85,000 bill to prominently display the phrase on state buildings.
Minnesota	L’etoile du Nord	French	The Star of the North
District of Columbia	Justitia Omnibus	Latin	Justice for All
Utah	Industry	English		According to Utah History Encyclopedia, the motto became official in 1959 and was chosen because of its connection with the beehive symbol, also in Utah's state nickname
Florida	In God We Trust	English
Rhode Island	Hope	English		The state also created the slogan "Rhode Island: Cooler and Warmer" in 2016 to garner tourists but quickly attracted backlash on social media.
Texas	Friendship	English		According to the Texas State Historical Association, the word was chosen in 1930 because the state name came roughly from a Caddo Indian word translating to "friends"
Wisconsin	Forward	English		This was chosen in 1851 when the state seal and coat of arms were revised.
Maryland	Fatti Maschi, Parole Femmine	Italian	Manly Deeds, Womanly Words
New York	Excelsior	Latin	Ever Upward
California	Eureka	Greek	I Found It	This has been California's state motto since 1963, but the word has appeared on the state seal since 1849 as a reference to the discovery of gold in California.
Idaho	Esto Perpetua	Latin	Let It Be Perpetual
North Carolina	Esse Quam Videri	Latin	To Be, Rather than To Seem
Nebraska	Equality Before the Law	English
Wyoming	Equal Rights	English		The state is also nicknamed "Equality State," as it was the first territory in the U.S. to give women the right to vote
Massachusetts	Ense Petit Placidam Sub Libertate Quietem	Latin	By the Sword We Seek Peace, But Peace Only Under Liberty
Arizona	Ditat Deus	Latin	God Enriches
Maine	Dirigo	Latin	I Direct or I guide
New Mexico	Crescit Eundo	Latin	It Grows as It Goes
Alabama	Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere	Latin	We Dare Maintain Our Rights
South Carolina	Animis Opibusque Parati; Dum Spiro Spero	Latin	Prepared in Mind and Resources; While I Breathe, I Hope	South Carolina has two state mottos that appear on the state seal in two ovals. The first is "Animis Opibusque Parati" meaning "Prepared in mind and resources" and the second is "Dum Spiro Spero," which means "While I breathe I hope.
Nevada	All for Our Country	English
Oregon	Alis Volat Propriis	Latin	She Flies with Her Own Wings
Washington	Al-ki	Chinook	By and By	Washington has a territorial motto, but it's never been formally adopted by the legislature, its state government site says
Tennessee	Agriculture and Commerce	English		Tennessee's state motto has been "Agriculture and Commerce" since 1801 because of the state's large agriculture sector
Kansas	Ad Astra Per Aspera	Latin	To the Stars Through Difficulties	This is aptly illustrated on the state seal, which depicts a farm below a sky of stars.

The mottos of all fifty states in the US are representative of what each state values the most. The purpose of each state motto is to give a voice to the individual states and show what the state believes at its core. The motto of each state is different from the slogan of the states.

State slogans are intended to welcome visitors and assist with tourism rates in the given states, whereas mottos are meant to paint a picture of the state and its principles.

Below, you will find each of the fifty US states as well as their respective state motto and abbreviation.

Alabama

State motto: Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere
Language: Latin
Translation: We Dare Maintain Our Rights

Alaska

State motto: North to the Future
Language: English

Arizona

State motto: Ditat Deus
Language: Latin
Translation: God Enriches

Arkansas

State motto: Regnat Populus
Language: Latin
Translation: The People Rule

California

State motto: Eureka
Language: Greek
Translation: I Found It

Colorado

State motto: Nil Sine Numine
Language: Latin
Translation: Nothing without Providence

Connecticut

State motto: Qui Transtulit Sustinet
Language: Latin
Translation: He Who Transplanted Sustains

Delaware

State motto: Liberty and Independence
Language: English

Florida

State motto: In God We Trust
Language: English

Georgia

State motto: Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation
Language: English

Hawaii

State motto: Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono
Language: Hawaiian
Translation: The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness

Idaho

State motto: Esto Perpetua
Language: Latin
Translation: Let It Be Perpetual

Illinois

State motto: State Sovereignty, National Union
Language: English

Indiana

State motto: The Crossroads of America
Language: English

Iowa

State motto: Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain
Language: English

Kansas

State motto: Ad Astra Per Aspera
Language: Latin
Translation: To the Stars Through Difficulties

Kentucky

State motto: United We Stand, Divided We Fall
Language: English

Louisiana

State motto: Union, Justice, and Confidence
Language: English

Maine

State motto: Dirigo
Language: Latin
Translation: I Direct

Maryland

State motto: Fatti Maschi, Parole Femmine
Language: Italian
Translation: Manly Deeds, Womanly Words

Massachusetts

State motto: Ense Petit Placidam Sub Libertate Quietem
Language: Latin
Translation: By the Sword We Seek Peace, But Peace Only Under Liberty

Michigan

State motto: Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice
Language: Latin
Translation: If You Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look About You

Minnesota

State motto: L’etoile du Nord
Language: French
Translation: The Star of the North

Mississippi

State motto: Virtute et Armis
Language: Latin
Translation: By Valor and Arms

Missouri

State motto: Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto
Language: Latin
Translation: The Welfare of the People is the Highest Law

Montana

State motto: Oro Y Plata
Language: Spanish
Translation: Gold and Silver

Nebraska

State motto: Equality Before the Law
Language: English

Nevada

State motto: All for Our Country
Language: English

New Hampshire

State motto: Live Free or Die
Language: English

New Jersey

State motto: Liberty and Prosperity
Language: English

New Mexico

State motto: Crescit Eundo
Language: Latin
Translation: It Grows as It Goes

New York

State motto: Excelsior
Language: Latin
Translation: Ever Upward

North Carolina

State motto: Esse Quam Videri
Language: Latin
Translation: To Be, Rather than To Seem

North Dakota

State motto: Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable
Language: English

Ohio

State motto: With God, All Things are Possible
Language: English

Oklahoma

State motto: Labor Omnia Vincit
Language: Latin
Translation: Hard Work Conquers All Things

Oregon

State motto: Alis Volat Propriis
Language: Latin
Translation: She Flies with Her Own Wings

Pennsylvania

State motto: Virtue, Liberty, and Independence
Language: English

Rhode Island

State motto: Hope
Language: English

South Carolina

State motto: Dum Spiro Spero
Language: Latin
Translation: While I Breathe, I Hope

South Dakota

State motto: Under God the People Rule
Language: English

Tennessee

State motto: Agriculture and Commerce
Language: English

Texas

State motto: Friendship
Language: English

Utah

State motto: Industry
Language: English

Vermont

State motto: Stella Quarta Decima Fulgeat
Language: Latin
Translation: May the Fourteenth Star Shine Bright

Virginia

State motto: Sic Semper Tyrannis
Language: Latin
Translation: Thus Always to Tyrants

Washington

State motto: Al-ki
Language: Chinook
Translation: By and By

West Virginia

State motto: Montani Semper Liberi
Language: Latin
Translation: Mountaineers are Always Free

Wisconsin

State motto: Forward
Language: English

Wyoming

State motto: Equal Rights
Language: English