Constitution Day and Citizenship Day: 1787 history, 2027 date, and school law

Constitution Day 2027 date and schedule

Constitution Day is always tied to the historical anniversary date of September 17 rather than a floating Monday:

• 2027 Date: Friday, September 17, 2027.
• Federal Status: National observance under 36 U.S.C. § 106 (not a federal employee day off under 5 U.S.C. § 6103).
• School and Agency Observance Date in 2027: Friday, September 17, 2027. (When September 17 falls on a weekend in other calendar years, schools and federal agencies observe it during the preceding or following week.)

Following the September 17 signing, many historical societies, DAR chapters, and classrooms observe Constitution Week from September 17 through September 23, a seven-day period authorized by Congress under 36 U.S.C. § 108.

How Citizenship Day became Constitution Day (36 U.S.C. § 106)

The path from the 1787 Philadelphia convention to today’s federal statute involved two separate civic movements that merged in the mid-twentieth century:

1. “I Am an American Day” (1940): On May 3, 1940, Congress passed a joint resolution (54 Stat. 178) authorizing the President to proclaim the third Sunday in May as “I Am an American Day.” The day honored both native-born citizens who had recently turned 21 and foreign-born residents who had completed naturalization.
2. Citizenship Day Moves to September 17 (1952): To connect the recognition of citizenship directly to the date the Constitution was signed in 1787, Congress enacted a joint resolution on February 29, 1952 (66 Stat. 9) repealing the 1940 resolution and designating September 17 of each year as “Citizenship Day.”
3. Constitution Week Added (1956): On August 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Public Law 84-915 (now 36 U.S.C. § 108), requesting the President to proclaim September 17 through September 23 each year as Constitution Week.
4. Constitution Day and Citizenship Day Codified (2004): Through Section 111 of Division J of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (Public Law 108-447, signed December 8, 2004), Congress updated 36 U.S.C. § 106 to rename the September 17 observance Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.

Under the current text of 36 U.S.C. § 106, the day commemorates the formation and signing of the Constitution and recognizes all persons who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have attained the status of citizenship. The statute authorizes the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on United States officials to display the flag on all government buildings on September 17 and inviting citizens to observe the day in schools, churches, and civic gatherings.

The 2004 federal education requirement explained

Alongside updating Title 36, Section 111 of Division J of Public Law 108-447 created two binding training and education rules that remain in force every September 17:

• Section 111(a) — Federal agencies: The head of each federal agency or department must provide every new employee with educational and training materials concerning the United States Constitution as part of their orientation, and must provide all agency employees with constitutional educational materials on September 17 of each year.
• Section 111(b) — Schools and universities: Each educational institution that receives federal funds for a fiscal year is required to hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution.

Who is covered and what schools must do

On May 24, 2005, the U.S. Department of Education published its official Notice of Implementation in the Federal Register (70 FR 29727). Two practical details govern how schools comply:

• Applies to K-12 and higher education alike: Any public school district, charter school, private school, community college, trade school, or university that accepts federal funds—including Title I funds or Title IV federal student aid such as Pell Grants and Direct Loans—is covered by the mandate.
• Local control over curriculum: Congress and the Department of Education did not mandate a specific lesson plan, textbook, or test. Elementary schools often study the Preamble, the three branches of government, or the Bill of Rights, while universities host public lectures, moot court debates, voter registration drives, and pocket Constitution distributions.

Primary source materials for teachers and families are maintained free of charge by the National Archives (which houses the original four parchment pages of the Constitution in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom), the Library of Congress, and the Office of Personnel Management.

How Americans observe Constitution Day

Beyond classroom lessons, September 17 is one of the busiest dates of the year for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the federal judiciary:

• Naturalization ceremonies: Federal courts and historic landmarks—including Independence Hall, Mount Vernon, Monticello, and national parks—host special naturalization ceremonies on or around September 17, welcoming thousands of new citizens who take the Oath of Allegiance.
• Bells Across America: At 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 17—the hour the delegates concluded their signing in 1787—churches, courthouses, and town halls ring bells for one minute to mark the signing.
• Flying the flag at full staff: Under 4 U.S.C. § 6(d) of the U.S. Flag Code and 36 U.S.C. § 106(c), Constitution Day is an official flag-flying holiday. Unlike solemn remembrance days when you display the flag at half-staff, the Stars and Stripes flies at the peak from sunrise to sunset on September 17.

Patriotic apparel for Constitution Day and civic events

Many teachers, students, and families mark September 17 by wearing apparel inspired by the founding charters. Our We the People collection centers on the opening calligraphied words of the 1787 Preamble, while our 1776 founding heritage collection and American flag shirts pair classic typography with everyday tees and hats suitable for school assemblies, history field trips, and community readings.