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State Mottos 2024
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
State | State Mottos | Motto Language | Motto Translation | Additional Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 stat... |
| Alabama | Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere | Latin | We Dare Maintain Our Rights | |
| Arizona | Ditat Deus | Latin | God Enriches | |
| Arkansas | Regnat Populus | Latin | The People Rule | |
| Colorado | Nil Sine Numine | Latin | Nothing without Providence | |
| Connecticut | Qui Transtulit Sustinet | Latin | He Who Transplanted Sustains | According to Connecticut's state government site, possible origins trace to the psalm "Thou hast bro... |
| District of Columbia | Justitia Omnibus | Latin | Justice for All | |
| Idaho | Esto Perpetua | Latin | Let It Be Perpetual | |
| 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. |
| Maine | Dirigo | Latin | I Direct or I guide | |
| Massachusetts | Ense Petit Placidam Sub Libertate Quietem | Latin | By the Sword We Seek Peace, But Peace Only Under Liberty | |
| Michigan | Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice | Latin | If You Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look About You | |
| Mississippi | Virtute et Armis | Latin | By Valor and Arms | |
| 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 peop... |
| New Mexico | Crescit Eundo | Latin | It Grows as It Goes | |
| New York | Excelsior | Latin | Ever Upward | |
| North Carolina | Esse Quam Videri | Latin | To Be, Rather than To Seem | |
| 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 ... |
| Oregon | Alis Volat Propriis | Latin | She Flies with Her Own Wings | |
| 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... |
| Vermont | Stella Quarta Decima Fulgeat | Latin | May the Fourteenth Star Shine Bright | |
| Virginia | Sic Semper Tyrannis | Latin | Thus Always to Tyrants | |
| West Virginia | Montani Semper Liberi | Latin | Mountaineers are Always Free | A 2007 vote also established "Wild, Wonderful" as West Virginia's state slogan. |
| Maryland | Fatti Maschi, Parole Femmine | Italian | Manly Deeds, Womanly Words | |
| 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 ros... |
| 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... |
| Minnesota | L’etoile du Nord | French | The Star of the North | |
| Alaska | North to the Future | English | Chosen in 1967 during the Alaska Purchase Centennial to represent "Alaska as a land of promise." | |
| Delaware | Liberty and Independence | English | The state also adopted a tourist slogan in 2015, "Delaware: Endless Discoveries. | |
| Florida | In God We Trust | English | ||
| Georgia | Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation | English | ||
| Illinois | State Sovereignty, National Union | English | ||
| Indiana | The Crossroads of America | English | ||
| Iowa | Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain | 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 ... | |
| Louisiana | Union, Justice, and Confidence | English | ||
| Nebraska | Equality Before the Law | English | ||
| Nevada | All for Our Country | English | ||
| New Hampshire | Live Free or Die | English | Comes from a statement written by Revolutionary General John Stark | |
| New Jersey | Liberty and Prosperity | English | The state also voted on the slogan "New Jersey: Come See For Yourself" in 2006 to attract tourists | |
| 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 Nort... | |
| 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 con... | |
| Pennsylvania | Virtue, Liberty, and Independence | English | ||
| Rhode Island | Hope | English | The state also created the slogan "Rhode Island: Cooler and Warmer" in 2016 to garner tourists but q... | |
| 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 ... | |
| Tennessee | Agriculture and Commerce | English | Tennessee's state motto has been "Agriculture and Commerce" since 1801 because of the state's large ... | |
| Texas | Friendship | English | According to the Texas State Historical Association, the word was chosen in 1930 because the state n... | |
| Utah | Industry | English | According to Utah History Encyclopedia, the motto became official in 1959 and was chosen because of ... | |
| Wisconsin | Forward | English | This was chosen in 1851 when the state seal and coat of arms were revised. | |
| Wyoming | Equal Rights | English | The state is also nicknamed "Equality State," as it was the first territory in the U.S. to give wome... | |
| Washington | Al-ki | Chinook | By and By | Washington has a territorial motto, but it's never been formally adopted by the legislature, its sta... |
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