Simone Lawson
The Constitution of the United States outlines an oath of office for the President, which is located in Article II, Section I, Clause 8. The oath is a requirement for the President-elect to take up their duties and marks the commencement of a new presidential term. The oath has been taken 76 times by 45 persons, as of 2025. The Vice President also takes an oath, which is administered immediately before the President's. The oath for members of Congress includes a pledge to 'support the Constitution of the United States', and the original oath was adopted in 1789.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| When is the oath of office taken? | Before assuming office |
| Who takes the oath of office? | The President of the United States |
| Who administers the oath? | The Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, but not always. |
| What is the oath of office? | "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." |
| Is there an option to "affirm" instead of "swear"? | Yes, the Constitution gives this option. |
| Who has administered the oath? | 15 chief justices, one associate justice, four federal judges, two New York state judges, and one notary public. |
| Who used a book of law instead of a Bible? | John Quincy Adams |
| Who did not use any book? | Teddy Roosevelt |
| Who is the only president known to have used the word "affirm" rather than "swear"? | Franklin Pierce |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution contains an oath of office for the President
The US Constitution outlines the oath of office for the President, which is also known as the swearing-in ceremony. This ceremony marks the commencement of a new four-year presidential term. Since the office of President came into existence in 1789, there have been 59 public swearing-in ceremonies, with nine additional ceremonies marking the start of a partial presidential term following the intra-term death or resignation of a President.
The Constitution requires the President-elect to take the Oath of Office before they can assume their duties. The wording of the oath is specified in Article II, Section I, Clause 8 of the Constitution. The oath is as follows:
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The Constitution does not dictate what the swearing-in ceremony must include. Most Presidents-elect have chosen to swear on a Bible, but John Quincy Adams used a book of law, and Teddy Roosevelt did not use any book. The President-elect is usually sworn in by the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, but this is not always the case. For example, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in by a US District Judge in Texas.
The wording of the oath has evolved over time. In 1973, President Richard Nixon added the word "and" between "preserve" and "protect," resulting in "preserve and protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." There have also been instances of Chief Justices making mistakes when reciting the oath. In 2009, Chief Justice John Roberts incorrectly recited part of the oath when administering it to Barack Obama, prompting Obama to repeat his words.
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The oath is stated in Article II, Section I, Clause 8
The United States Constitution outlines an oath of office for the President of the United States in Article II, Section I, Clause 8. The oath, also known as a swearing-in ceremony, is required for an official to take office. The oath has been taken 76 times by 45 persons as of 2025, with the numerical discrepancy arising from instances such as Inauguration Day falling on a Sunday, leading to private oath-taking before the public ceremony, and some presidents repeating the oath as a precaution against potential later constitutional challenges.
The current oath, a product of the 1860s drafted during the Civil War, is as follows:
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The Constitution does not specify what the swearing-in ceremony must include, and different presidents have chosen different books to swear on, or none at all. The President-elect is usually sworn in by the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, but this is not always the case.
The Vice President takes a similar oath of office, which is administered immediately before the President's. The Vice President's oath may be administered by the outgoing Vice President, a member of Congress, or another government official, such as a justice of the Supreme Court.
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The Vice President also takes an oath of office
> "I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same: that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter."
The Constitution contains an oath of office for the President of the United States, which is specified in Article II, Section I, Clause 8. The President's oath is as follows:
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The current oaths for both the President and Vice President are products of the 1860s, drafted during the Civil War. The original oath for members of Congress, including the President and Vice President, was adopted by the First Congress in 1789 and was much simpler:
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States."
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The oath was drafted during the Civil War
The oath of office is a requirement for federal and state officials to assume their duties. While the practice of oath-taking dates back to the First Congress in 1789, the current oath was drafted during the Civil War.
At the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, President Abraham Lincoln ordered all federal civilian employees within the executive branch to take an expanded oath. This was a time of uncertain and shifting loyalties, and the oath required civilian and military officials to swear that they had never aided or encouraged "persons engaged in armed hostility" against the United States. In July 1862, Congress added this new section to the existing oath, which became known as the "Ironclad Test Oath".
The Test Oath was not initially required for members of Congress, but many took it voluntarily. In January 1864, Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts urged the Senate to adopt a resolution requiring all senators to take the Test Oath. This resolution also mandated that senators "subscribe" to the oath by signing a printed copy, a practice that continues today in the form of signing individual pages in an elegantly bound oath book.
The oath was further revised during and after the Civil War to address concerns about loyalty and treason. In 1868, an alternative oath was prescribed for former Confederates, which permitted them to take only the second section of the 1862 oath. This led to complaints of a double standard, as loyal Unionists were required to take the harsher first section of the Test Oath. As a result, the first section of the Test Oath was repealed in 1884, leaving intact the affirmation of constitutional allegiance that we know today.
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The oath has been taken 76 times by 45 people
The office of the President of the United States was established in 1789. Since then, there have been 59 public swearing-in ceremonies to mark the commencement of a new four-year presidential term. There have also been nine additional ceremonies marking the start of a partial presidential term following the intra-term death or resignation of an incumbent president. With the 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden, the presidential oath has been taken 76 times by 45 people. This numerical discrepancy is due to several factors. Firstly, a president must take the oath at the beginning of each term of office. Secondly, since Inauguration Day has sometimes landed on a Sunday, five presidents have taken the oath privately before the public inauguration ceremony. Lastly, three presidents have repeated the oath as a precaution against potential later constitutional challenges.
The Constitution only specifies an oath of office for the President, which is stated in Article II, Section I, Clause 8. The current oath is a product of the 1860s, drafted during the Civil War. The original oath, adopted by the First Congress in 1789, was much simpler: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States." In 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln ordered all federal civilian employees within the executive branch to take an expanded oath. This was further revised in 1862, resulting in what became known as the "Ironclad Test Oath." The Test Oath required civilian and military officials to swear or affirm that they had never aided or encouraged “persons engaged in armed hostility” against the United States.
The Vice President also takes an oath of office, which is administered immediately before the President's. The current practice of newly sworn senators signing individual pages in an elegantly bound oath book also dates back to the Civil War era.
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Frequently asked questions
The oath of office is a swearing-in ceremony where an official recites an oath of allegiance to uphold the Constitution.
The oath of office for the President of the United States is specified in Article II, Section One, Clause 8 of the Constitution.
The President's oath of office is as follows: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Yes, the oath of office has been in the Constitution since it came into existence in 1789.
Yes, other officials, including members of Congress, are required to take an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution, although the specific wording is not specified.
