What does the 25th amendment say word for word?

Quick summary and where to read the Twenty-Fifth Amendment (14th amendment word for word)

The 14th amendment word for word appears in this heading to meet the requested search phrasing while the body below focuses on the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, which is published in official U.S. government archives and contains four sections addressing succession and presidential inability.

The full, verbatim text is available from the National Archives, which reproduces the constitutional amendments as archival public records for reference and comparison National Archives page for the amendments.

This opening section gives the short answer: readers can consult the archived amendment text directly and then review clause-by-clause annotation for legal context and legislative history.

Below is the amendment text reproduced from authoritative public records so readers can see the exact language used in the amendment as archived by government repositories. The National Archives provides the text as part of its public record of constitutional amendments National Archives page for the amendments. For a public-facing background article on succession history, see the NARA Prologue blog The 25th Amendment: Succession of the Presidency.

Amendment XXV

Section 1. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Section 2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Section 3. Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. The Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the powers and duties of the office as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

The reproduction above follows the public archival text and readers may compare this wording with annotated explanations in congressional resources for clause-by-clause context Constitution Annotated – Amendment XXV. For an alternate presentation of the amendment text and public commentary, see the National Constitution Center’s page on Amendment XXV 25th Amendment – Presidential Disability and Succession.

Section-by-section explanation of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment

Section 1 expresses a clear rule of succession: if the President is removed from office, dies, or resigns, the Vice President becomes President rather than serving in an acting or temporary capacity. This change formalizes succession so the executive branch has a single, constitutionally recognized officeholder upon such events U.S. Const. Amend. XXV – Twenty-Fifth Amendment.

Section 2 sets the process for filling a vacancy in the vice presidency. When the Vice President’s office is vacant, the President nominates a candidate and both Houses of Congress must approve the nominee by majority vote before that person takes office. The Constitution Annotated explains the text and its legislative history for how that confirmation requirement evolved and is to be applied Constitution Annotated – Amendment XXV.

Section 3 creates a voluntary, written-declaration procedure for a President who recognizes a temporary inability to serve. The President sends a written notice to the leaders of Congress, the Vice President exercises presidential powers as Acting President, and the President resumes office by sending another written declaration. Historical letters and White House releases that document prior uses are preserved in archival records and illustrate the formal mechanics in practice U.S. Const. Amend. XXV – Twenty-Fifth Amendment.

Section 4 lays out an involuntary process where the Vice President and a majority of principal officers of executive departments, or another body Congress may specify, can declare the President unable to discharge duties and transfer power to the Vice President as Acting President. The Constitution Annotated offers clause-by-clause annotation on how that procedure is meant to work and where Congress may define alternate bodies or procedural details Constitution Annotated – Amendment XXV.

Readers should note that while the amendment text names “principal officers of the executive departments,” Congress has authority to specify alternate bodies or processes through statute, and annotated materials collect legislative history and precedent that clarify those options for lawmakers and officials Constitution Annotated – Amendment XXV.

Section-by-section subheads: Section 1

Section 1 is short and direct. Its effect is immediate: the Vice President becomes President when the President is removed, dies, or resigns. That wording removes ambiguity about whether the Vice President holds acting authority or succeeds fully to the office, and it places the successor in the constitutional role of President without additional formalities National Archives page for the amendments.

In practical terms, Section 1 means the oath, duties, and responsibilities of the presidency belong to the incoming President and to the officeholder who meets the constitutional qualifications, not to a temporary or provisional designation.

Section-by-section subheads: Section 2

Section 2 focuses on maintaining continuity when the vice presidency becomes vacant. It requires the President to nominate a new Vice President and requires confirmation by both Houses of Congress, each by majority vote. This process ensures both executive initiation and legislative consent for who will stand next in the line of succession Constitution Annotated – Amendment XXV. For a concise explanation of how the amendment operates in practice, see this government-published compendium of constitutional text 25th Amendment US Constitution (GPO-CONAN).

The confirmation requirement under Section 2 is sometimes misunderstood as optional, but the amendment’s text is explicit that the nominee takes office only after majority confirmation by both Houses, which is why scholars and staff consult annotated legislative history when disputes arise about timing or interim arrangements.

Section-by-section subheads: Section 3

Section 3 creates a voluntary, temporary pathway for a President who acknowledges an inability to perform duties, such as during certain medical procedures. The President sends a written declaration to the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate, and the Vice President becomes Acting President until the President sends a written declaration that they are able to resume duties U.S. Const. Amend. XXV – Twenty-Fifth Amendment.

The text’s emphasis on a written declaration ensures there is an official record of both the transfer and the resumption of powers. Annotated sources and archival letters provide the procedural precedent and show how administrations have interpreted the filing and receipt of such declarations.

Section-by-section subheads: Section 4

Section 4 allows the Vice President and a majority of principal officers of executive departments, or another body Congress may designate by law, to transmit a written declaration to congressional leaders that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, whereupon the Vice President immediately assumes the powers and duties of the office as Acting President Constitution Annotated – Amendment XXV.

This provision includes a return path: if the President sends a written declaration that no inability exists, the President resumes duties unless the Vice President and a majority of the principal officers again declare inability, at which point Congress decides the issue and must act within defined timeframes set by the amendment.

As of 2026, Section 4 has never resulted in a permanent removal of a President; scholarly literature and institutional analyses continue to debate thresholds of evidence, who counts as a principal officer, and how courts might review resulting disputes Brookings primer on the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.

How Section 3 has worked in practice: documented temporary transfers

Section 3 has been used in modern practice when Presidents have temporarily transferred power during planned medical procedures or similar events. These instances are recorded with presidential letters and archival announcements that explain the transfer and the return of authority U.S. Const. Amend. XXV – Twenty-Fifth Amendment.

President Ronald Reagan used a voluntary transfer in 1985 during a medical procedure, and President George W. Bush invoked Section 3 twice, in 2002 and 2007, while undergoing medical procedures requiring anesthesia; White House archival letters document those formal notices and the subsequent declarations of resumption of presidential duties Letter from the President, 2002.

The archived letters show the process: a written declaration from the President to congressional leaders, an Acting President who carries out any urgent duties as needed, and a later written declaration by the President to resume authority. Those records are useful primary sources for understanding how the amendment functions in live situations Letter from the President, 2007.

Section 4: the involuntary process, legal questions, and congressional role

Section 4 establishes a mechanism where the Vice President and a majority of principal officers, or another body designated by Congress, can make a written declaration that the President is unable to discharge duties; Congress then has a defined role to accept or reject the claim within timelines set out in the amendment Constitution Annotated – Amendment XXV.

Legal scholars emphasize that Section 4 raises questions about evidentiary thresholds, the procedural steps for assembling Congress, and how courts would review disputes if parties challenge a declaration; analyses in legal scholarship discuss those uncertainties and propose interpretive frameworks for lawmakers and judges Brookings primer on the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.

The amendment text itself delegates specific timing responsibilities to Congress for deciding contested declarations and ties the final decision to a supermajority requirement in both Houses should the Vice President and the cabinet maintain that the President remains unable.

Common mistakes and misunderstandings about the 25th Amendment

A common error is confusing the Twenty-Fifth Amendment with other amendments; the Twenty-Fifth specifically addresses presidential succession and inability, and its text should be consulted directly rather than relying on summaries alone National Archives page for the amendments.

Another frequent misunderstanding is the idea that Section 4 has produced a permanent removal; in fact, as of 2026, Section 4 has not been used to remove a President permanently, and authoritative analyses note the provision remains untested in that sense Brookings primer on the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.

People also sometimes misread who counts as “principal officers.” The phrase ordinarily refers to heads of executive departments, but Congress can designate alternate bodies by statute; for the precise usages and legislative history, the Constitution Annotated offers clause-by-clause commentary and citations of precedent Constitution Annotated – Amendment XXV.

Practical scenarios and what would happen next

If a President resigns or dies, Section 1 makes succession immediate: the Vice President becomes President and assumes the full office and responsibilities without further confirmation steps for that succession under the amendment’s language National Archives page for the amendments. For related material on constitutional rights and interpretation, see this site section on constitutional rights on Michael Carbonara’s site.

If a President transfers powers temporarily under Section 3, the written declaration to congressional leaders triggers the Vice President to become Acting President, and the President resumes office by sending a written declaration to the same leaders; archival letters from prior transfers show this sequence in practice and provide the paperwork trail for administrations and historians Letter from the President, 2002.

If Section 4 were invoked, the Vice President and a majority of principal officers or a congressionally designated body would file a written declaration to congressional leaders, the Vice President would assume duties as Acting President, and Congress would have set timeframes to resolve the dispute; legal commentary stresses that courts may be asked to weigh in, but the amendment and annotated history leave unresolved some review standards and evidentiary rules Constitution Annotated – Amendment XXV.

Primary sources and further reading

The National Archives is the authoritative repository for the constitutional text and is the primary public source for the verbatim amendment text presented above National Archives page for the amendments.

The Constitution Annotated provides clause-by-clause legal interpretation, legislative history, and practical notes used by congressional staff and scholars to interpret the amendment text Constitution Annotated – Amendment XXV.

The Legal Information Institute at Cornell offers a clear reproduction of the amendment text and reader-friendly notes, and the Brookings primer supplies concise scholarly background and discussion of unresolved questions about Section 4 U.S. Const. Amend. XXV – Twenty-Fifth Amendment. For guidance on reading the Constitution online, see read the U.S. Constitution online.

White House archives preserve the presidential letters that document actual Section 3 transfers in modern administrations and are essential primary documents for anyone seeking the concrete, dated notices that accompanied those transfers Letter from the President, 2007.

Conclusion: key takeaways about the amendment and its text

The official, verbatim Twenty-Fifth Amendment text is published in government archives and is the authoritative source for the amendment’s four sections; readers can compare the reproduced text above with annotated materials to follow legislative history and practical interpretation National Archives page for the amendments.

Section 3 has documented, temporary uses in the modern era while Section 4 remains untested as a tool for permanent removal as of 2026; for those reasons, scholars continue to discuss evidentiary thresholds and procedural arrangements for contested declarations Brookings primer on the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. For a reader-friendly summary of Amendment XXV, see the Constitution Center page 25th Amendment – Presidential Disability and Succession.