Constitution
Article V of the United States Constitution
Text from National Archives. Explanation last updated September 29, 2026. How we check this
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In plain English
Article V explains how to amend the Constitution. An amendment may be proposed by two thirds of both houses of Congress, or by a convention called at the request of two thirds of the state legislatures. It becomes part of the Constitution when ratified by three fourths of the states, either by their legislatures or by conventions, as Congress chooses.
The process is deliberately demanding. Of the thousands of amendments proposed in Congress, twenty-seven have been ratified.
The text
As printed by the source cited at the end of this page, with its original spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
Explained section by section
Two ways to propose
Congress may propose an amendment when two thirds of both houses “deem it necessary.” Alternatively, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the states, Congress “shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments.” Every amendment so far has been proposed by Congress; the convention route has never been used.
Two ways to ratify
A proposed amendment becomes valid when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the states or by conventions in three fourths of the states, whichever mode Congress specifies. Only the Twenty-First Amendment, which repealed Prohibition, was ratified by state conventions; the rest went through state legislatures.
Limits on amending
The text protected two subjects until 1808: the slave-trade clause and the direct-tax clause. The one permanent limit remains: no state, without its consent, may be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.
Context and current status
The framers wanted a Constitution that could change but not casually. Under the Articles of Confederation amendments required the unanimous consent of the states, which made reform nearly impossible.
Current textual status: unchanged and in force. The Article does not set a time limit for ratification. Congress has often set seven-year deadlines in its proposing resolutions, and the Twenty-Seventh Amendment, ratified in 1992 after more than two centuries, shows that a proposal without a deadline stays pending.
Terms to know
- Amendment
- A formal change to the text of the Constitution.
- Ratification
- Approval of a proposed amendment by three fourths of the states.
- Convention for proposing amendments
- A special gathering that Congress must call if two thirds of the states apply; never yet held.
- Equal suffrage
- Equal representation; here, two senators per state.
Common misconceptions
“The President must sign a constitutional amendment.”
The President has no formal role in amending the Constitution. Amendments are proposed by Congress or a convention and ratified by the states.
How it connects
Links to related provisions and documents, with the reason each one matters here.
- Amendment 27Congressional Pay ChangesThe Twenty-Seventh Amendment shows how Article V works when no ratification deadline is set.
- Amendment 26Voting Age of EighteenThe Twenty-Sixth Amendment is the fastest ratification in the Constitution’s history.
- Articles of ConfederationArticles of Confederation (1777)Article XIII of the Articles required unanimous state approval for changes, the barrier Article V replaced.
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Sources and corrections
- Text: National Archives. Checked against the source on September 29, 2026.National Archives transcription of the engrossed Constitution, with original spelling and capitalization. The signature block and the Convention's interlineation note are not reproduced.
- The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription — National Archives
- The Interactive Constitution: Article V — National Constitution Center
Educational material, not legal advice. Spotted a mistake? Tell us; corrections change this page’s update date.