Constitution and Citizenship Day is observed each year on September 17, the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787. Federal law recognizes the date under 36 U.S.C. § 106 and, through Section 111 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005, requires schools that receive federal funds and federal agencies to hold educational programming about the Constitution on that day.1U.S. Government Publishing Office. Public Law 108-447 – Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 It is not a day off. Offices stay open, mail moves, and the observance runs on education rather than closure.
What Schools Receiving Federal Funds Must Do
Section 111(b) of the 2005 law requires every educational institution that receives federal funds during a fiscal year to hold an educational program about the Constitution on September 17. The requirement reaches from elementary schools through research universities. If September 17 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the program can be held during the preceding or following week.2Federal Student Aid. Constitution and Citizenship Day
The statute does not prescribe a curriculum or a minimum length. Administrators design their own programming. Universities often host guest lectures, distribute pocket copies of the Constitution, or organize panel discussions. Elementary and secondary schools may run classroom readings or mock constitutional conventions.
The law contains no penalty for skipping it. Section 111 sets no fine, and Congress appropriated no funds to implement or police the requirement. The Department of Education sends annual reminder letters, but schools do not file certifications proving they held a program. Compliance runs largely on the honor system.
What Federal Agencies Must Do
Section 111(a) places a parallel obligation on the executive branch. Every federal agency must provide educational and training materials about the Constitution to each new employee as part of orientation, and must distribute constitutional training materials to all employees on September 17 each year.1U.S. Government Publishing Office. Public Law 108-447 – Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 Agencies typically satisfy this through email distributions, intranet resources, or brief training sessions covering constitutional rights and the structure of government. Delivery is flexible, and many agencies fold the materials into broader civic programming during Constitution Week.
One point often confused: Constitution and Citizenship Day is not a federal holiday. The paid federal holidays are listed in 5 U.S.C. § 6103, and September 17 is not among them.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 6103 – Holidays Federal employees report to work as usual.
The Presidential Proclamation and Constitution Week
Under 36 U.S.C. § 106, the President may issue an annual proclamation calling on officials to display the flag on federal buildings and inviting the public to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 36 USC 106 – Constitution Day and Citizenship Day The statute uses “may,” so the proclamation is authorized rather than strictly required. Presidents have issued it consistently for decades.
A companion statute, 36 U.S.C. § 108, designates September 17 through September 23 as Constitution Week and asks the President to issue a separate proclamation encouraging observance in schools, churches, and other gathering places.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 36 USC 108 – Constitution Week The week-long window gives schools and community groups scheduling room, and it also frames the period when large naturalization events cluster. Section 106 additionally encourages state and local authorities to plan their own observances and to promote civic instruction about citizenship.
Naturalization Ceremonies During Constitution Week
The “Citizenship” half of the name shows up most visibly in the naturalization ceremonies U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services concentrates in this window. In 2024, USCIS welcomed more than 17,000 new citizens in over 400 ceremonies across the country between September 14 and September 23.6USCIS. USCIS to Celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day Events are often staged at historic landmarks, national parks, or federal courthouses.
At the ceremony, applicants take the Oath of Allegiance, which under 8 U.S.C. § 1448 includes a pledge to support and defend the Constitution.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1448 – Oath of Renunciation and Allegiance New citizens receive a Certificate of Naturalization and a voter registration application on the spot; at administrative ceremonies, the registration form may be handed out by a state or local election official or by a USCIS representative.8USCIS. Naturalization Ceremonies
How the Day Became September 17
The observance began in a different form. In 1940, a joint resolution of Congress designated the third Sunday in May as “I Am an American Day,” recognizing people who had recently gained citizenship through naturalization or by coming of age. In 1952, Public Law 82-261 renamed the holiday “Citizenship Day” and moved it to September 17 to coincide with the anniversary of the Constitution’s signing.9Congress.gov. Constitution Day and Citizenship Day: Fact Sheet
The current dual name and the educational mandates came in 2004, when Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia attached an amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005. Section 111 of Division J renamed the day “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day” and created the requirements that now bind federally funded schools and federal agencies.1U.S. Government Publishing Office. Public Law 108-447 – Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 The paired name reflects the paired purpose: honoring the founding document and recognizing the people it governs.