Also known as: natural born citizen · natural-born citizens · natural born citizens
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A person who acquires United States citizenship at birth either by being born on U.S. soil or by being born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent. The Constitution limits eligibility for the presidency to natural-born citizens or citizens at the time of the Constitution's adoption.
Naveen Nanda was born in California to two noncitizen parents. When he announces a presidential run at age forty, opponents argue he fails the constitutional requirement. The court confirms his birth on U.S. soil makes him a natural-born citizen eligible for the office.
Nina Nielsen is born in Canada to a U.S. citizen mother and a Canadian father. Decades later she seeks to run for president. The State Department issues documentation confirming her status as a natural-born citizen because of her mother's citizenship at the time of birth.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Neil Nair immigrates as a child and becomes a naturalized citizen at age twelve. He later serves in state government and attempts to qualify for the presidency. Courts hold that his naturalization after birth disqualifies him under the natural-born citizen requirement.
Naomi Norton is born in a foreign hospital to two U.S. citizen parents temporarily working abroad. When eligibility questions arise during a presidential campaign, federal authorities treat her as a natural-born citizen without requiring any naturalization process.
Yes. A person born within the United States is a natural-born citizen regardless of the parents' citizenship status.
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Yes. Children born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent are natural-born citizens and need no naturalization process.
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No. Only citizenship acquired at birth meets the requirement. Post-birth naturalization creates a naturalized citizen ineligible for the presidency.
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The Constitution requires a natural-born citizen or a citizen at the time of adoption for presidential eligibility, while allowing Congress to create additional citizens through naturalization.
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…a uniform rule of naturalization." It has determined that children born abroad to U.S. parents, subject to some exceptions, are natural-born citizens who do not need to go through the naturalization process. The consular report of birth abroad is well suited to carrying into execution the power conferred on Congress in the…