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The 11th Amendment to the Constitution prevents federal courts from hearing lawsuits brought against a state by citizens of another state or by citizens or subjects of a foreign country.

1795

The year this amendment was ratified in.

What is a constitutional amendment?

A constitutional amendment alters the Constitution of the United States by striking or inserting new language. The Constitution establishes the structure, powers, and responsibilities of the federal government. It has been formally amended 27 times.

The constitutional amendment process is as follows:

Step 1

Two-thirds vote

An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures.

Step 2

Three-fourths ratification

Once proposed, the archivist of the United States submits the amendment to the states for consideration. It becomes part of the Constitution once it is ratified by three-fourths of the states.

Full text of the 11th Amendment

"The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State."

When did the states ratify the 11th Amendment?

Congress proposed this amendment on March 11, 1794. Ratification was completed on February 7, 1795, when the 12th state, North Carolina, approved the amendment, with 15 states in the Union at the time. New York was the first state to approve, 16 days after the amendment was proposed. South Carolina was the last state to approve, 1,400 days after the amendment was proposed.

North Carolina completed ratification of the 11th Amendment.

Date of ratification by state, 11th Amendment

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How has the 11th Amendment shaped Supreme Court rulings?

The Supreme Court has the power of judicial review, which is the authority to declare that federal or state government actions violate the Constitution. This power shows how individual amendments can have a lasting impact on how laws are interpreted and applied.

Under judicial review, there have been four cases where the Court struck down laws as unconstitutional using the 11th Amendment.

Supreme Court cases invoking this amendment

Cases, 1798–2021

Supreme Court cases invoking this amendment
CaseYear

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USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.