What are the four methods of amending the Constitution? — A clear guide

What the Constitution says about amending itself: a short definition

Where Article V fits in the Constitution, explain the constitutional amendment process

Article V of the U.S. Constitution sets out the formal rules for changing the written charter. It lists two methods to propose amendments and two methods to ratify them, creating four formal routes in total; this text and its official notes are summarized in the Constitution Annotated Constitution Annotated.

Put simply, to alter the Constitution one route must propose an amendment and another must ratify it. The National Archives gives a parallel plain-language account useful for readers checking the original documents and historical practice National Archives.

The four methods at a glance: an easy map

Article V pairs two ways to propose with two ways to ratify, yielding four formal combinations. One proposal path starts in Congress; the other depends on state legislatures applying for a convention. Either proposed amendment then goes to the states for ratification, where the choice is between state legislatures and specially called state conventions.

The constitutional thresholds are explicit: a two-thirds proposal threshold in both Houses if Congress proposes, and a three-quarters ratification requirement across the states, whether by legislatures or by conventions, as explained in the Constitution Annotated Constitution Annotated.

Those pairings mean the formal routes are: (1) proposed by two-thirds of both Houses of Congress and ratified by three-quarters of state legislatures, (2) proposed by two-thirds of both Houses and ratified by conventions in three-quarters of the states, (3) proposed by a convention called on application of two-thirds of state legislatures and ratified by three-quarters of state legislatures, and (4) proposed by a state-called convention and ratified by conventions in three-quarters of the states. The Constitution Annotated lays out these combinations and the text that creates them Constitution Annotated.

Those pairings mean the formal routes are: (1) proposed by two-thirds of both Houses of Congress and ratified by three-quarters of state legislatures, (2) proposed by two-thirds of both Houses and ratified by conventions in three-quarters of the states, (3) proposed by a convention called on application of two-thirds of state legislatures and ratified by three-quarters of state legislatures, and (4) proposed by a state-called convention and ratified by conventions in three-quarters of the states. The Constitution Annotated lays out these combinations and the text that creates them Constitution Annotated.

How Congress can propose an amendment: step by step

The most straightforward route starts in Congress. An amendment is proposed when two-thirds of the members in both the House and the Senate vote to approve the same text; that two-thirds requirement is in Article V and is described in explanatory guides for lawmakers and the public Constitution Annotated.

After both Houses pass the identical amendment text, Congress transmits the proposed amendment to the states with instructions for ratification. Those transmission and ratification steps are part of the standard congressional proposal process and are outlined in National Archives materials that summarize amendment history and procedure National Archives.

Historically, every amendment that has been adopted was proposed by Congress. That record of congressional proposal for all successful amendments is documented in the Senate historical overview and National Archives compilations of amendment history U.S. Senate.

In practice, the congressional route is procedurally clear: vote two-thirds in each House, transmit the text, then await state action on ratification. The clarity of that path is one reason Congress has been the standard proposer in U.S. history and is emphasized in official summaries of Article V practice Constitution Annotated.

The state-called Article V convention: available but unsettled

Article V also allows amendments to be proposed when two-thirds of state legislatures apply for a convention to propose amendments. In the text, the mechanism appears straightforward, but its practical use raises open questions that scholars and officials still discuss Legal Information Institute.

No Article V convention has ever been convened to propose an amendment in U.S. history. While many states have passed applications, and some modern campaigns collect applications on specific topics, the convention option has not produced an amendment text in practice, a historical point noted in research and legal summaries Congressional Research Service (see also CRS background).

Legal scholars and government reports point out several unresolved procedural questions about a state-called convention. Debates include how delegates would be selected, what rules would govern the convention, and whether Congress or the states would set limits on scope; these uncertainties make the convention route constitutionally possible but procedurally unsettled and politically contentious Congressional Research Service (see related CRS analysis R42592 and commentary such as Heritage Foundation analysis).

Ratification by state legislatures: the historically common path

One ratification route in Article V is approval by the legislatures of three-quarters of the states. That option has been used for most adopted amendments and is described in National Archives materials about how amendments reach effect National Archives.

By 2026, the vast majority of amendments were ratified by state legislatures rather than by conventions; historical records show that 26 of the 27 ratified amendments followed legislature ratification, a pattern explained in Senate historical notes and archival summaries U.S. Senate.

Legislature ratification is often the default because state legislatures are standing bodies that can vote on proposed texts without special organizing steps, unlike calling special ratifying conventions that require additional time and logistics.

When a proposed amendment is sent to the states, state legislatures typically consider it under their own procedures, and once three-quarters approve the amendment according to their rules, the amendment becomes part of the Constitution as officially recorded by the Archivist of the United States National Archives.

Ratification by state conventions: the 21st Amendment exception

Article V allows ratification by conventions in three-quarters of the states as an alternative to legislature ratification; that route is explicitly available and was used once in U.S. history for a major constitutional change Constitution Annotated.

The 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition, was ratified by state conventions in 1933; historians and the National Archives note that the ratifying-convention method was chosen for that amendment and remains the only instance where conventions were used for final ratification National Archives – 21st Amendment records.

Because state conventions are rare, they are often mentioned as a special tool rather than the standard route. Calling and organizing ratifying conventions across many states requires planning that legislative ratification does not, which helps explain why legislatures have been used more often in practice.

How to judge proposed amendment routes: decision criteria for readers

When you see claims about an amendment effort, check four practical criteria: whether the proposal matches Article V text, whether history supports the chosen route, how clearly procedures are defined, and how politically feasible the plan appears. The Constitution Annotated is a good primary reference for how Article V is written and interpreted Constitution Annotated.

Procedural clarity matters. The congressional proposal route is historically tested and procedurally familiar, while the state-called convention route raises unresolved questions about delegate selection and scope that scholars and CRS reports discuss in detail Congressional Research Service.

For readers evaluating advocacy or reporting, a practical checklist is to look for primary sources: the constitutional text, official guides such as the Constitution Annotated, historical compilations at the National Archives, and CRS analysis when conventions or novel claims appear. For related background on constitutional topics, see our constitutional-rights hub and the platform reader guide.

Common misunderstandings and legal pitfalls to avoid

One common mistake is treating any proposal as a guarantee that an amendment will follow. Article V sets thresholds that make amendment passage deliberately difficult; no step alone guarantees a final outcome, and historical experience shows that many proposals fail at the state level National Archives.

Another frequent source of confusion is the difference between symbolic state resolutions and formal Article V applications by state legislatures. Symbolic resolutions signal opinion but do not by themselves trigger constitutional steps; formal applications are the specific state-level actions that count toward a convention application total, and legal summaries explain that distinction Legal Information Institute.

Readers should also be cautious when a proposal leans on novel or unsettled procedural theories about conventions; those claims often rest on contested legal interpretations and have not been tested in a real Article V convention setting, so sources and attributions matter for verification Congressional Research Service.

Historical examples and scenarios: what actually happened before

The clearest historical exception that highlights the two ratification routes is the 21st Amendment. Ratified by state conventions, the 21st shows how the convention-based ratification option can be used for a single amendment, and the National Archives provides documents that trace that path National Archives – 21st Amendment records.

Conversely, the fact that every adopted amendment so far was proposed by Congress illustrates the durability of the congressional proposal route; historians and official records track that pattern across amendment history U.S. Senate.

For a simple hypothetical, imagine a congressional proposal that clears two-thirds in both Houses and then goes to the states for legislature ratification. That path uses familiar legislative procedures at every step and is the course followed by the great majority of historical amendments.

As a contrasting hypothetical, imagine 34 state legislatures sending applications that trigger an Article V convention to propose amendments. Even if the convention produced a text, the path would raise questions about delegates and rules that current scholarship identifies as unresolved, making the convention scenario procedurally more uncertain Congressional Research Service.

If you want to check claims about a current amendment effort, look first to the constitutional text, then to official sources such as the National Archives and CRS reports for discussions of unsettled procedural questions, especially concerning state-called conventions Congressional Research Service. For a quick way to read the founding document, see our guide to reading the Constitution online constitutional text.

Conclusion: what readers should remember and where to read more

Article V creates four formal amendment routes by pairing two proposal methods with two ratification methods, and in practice the congressional proposal plus state-ratification route has been dominant; for readers, the Constitution Annotated and National Archives provide authoritative primary explanations Constitution Annotated.

If you want to check claims about a current amendment effort, look first to the constitutional text, then to official sources such as the National Archives and CRS reports for discussions of unsettled procedural questions, especially concerning state-called conventions Congressional Research Service.