U.S. Constitution · Article I, Section 10

Limits on the States

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Cited in 23 grades this month.

41 public items cite this provision or its parts · 23 in October 2026 (last month: 0)

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Citations per week, last 12 weeks

The text

  1. Article I, Section 10, Clause 1 · Contracts Clause; Bill of Attainder Clause; Ex Post Facto Clause explained

    No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

  2. Article I, Section 10, Clause 2 · Import-Export Clause 1 cite

    No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.

  3. Article I, Section 10, Clause 3 · Tonnage Clause; Compact Clause 6 cites

    No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

National Archives transcription (public domain; original spelling and capitalization). archives.gov

In the founders’ words

  • “Bills of attainder, ex-post-facto laws, and laws impairing the obligation of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation.” James Madison, The Federalist No. 44 (1788-01-25)
  • “Mr. MADISON admitted that inconveniences might arise from such a prohibition but thought on the whole it would be overbalanced by the utility of it. He conceived however that a negative on the State laws could alone secure the effect.” James Madison, Madison's Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention, August 28, 1787 (1787-08-28)
  • “It was my opinion, Sir, that the States ought not to be totally deprived of the right to emit bills of credit, and that as we had not given an authority to the general government for that purpose, it was the more necessary to retain it in the States” Luther Martin, Luther Martin, The Genuine Information, published serially Dec. 1787-Feb. 1788 (on bills of credit) (1787-12-28)

Public-domain primary sources, quoted word for word and checked against the linked text.

Leading Supreme Court cases

Cited in the VFA record

“Where this provision is cited”

grades (23)

roll-call votes (18)

Roll-call votes are listed when the measure voted on has a current Constitution Index grade citing this provision. Counts include only published items.

Cite this page

Values for America Constitution Explorer, https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution (text: National Archives transcription, public domain), Article I, Section 10, https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution/article-1/section-10

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