State citizenship usually refers to citizenship of one of the states of the United States of America. Citizenship was initially defined by Article 4 of the United States Constitution, and later clarified by the 14th Amendment, which states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

[edit] Definition

In matters of international law, a citizen of one of the several States is frequently considered a United States citizen. Passports issued by the U.S. State Department refer to the "citizen/national," since the document is used by both classes. While being a citizen of the United States arises out of birth or naturalization, state Citizenship is based on birth and domicile. In an American court, however, State Citizenship is separate and distinct from U.S. citizenship.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} State laws (more frequently of states admitted to the Union before 1866 than after) also make this distinction.^[6]

A person is subject to the jurisdiction of a state simply by being physically present in that state. Any person, whether citizen, foreign national, corporation or other legal entity, is subject to the jurisdiction of both the laws of the state in which that person resides and the federal laws that apply to all the states. There are exceptions, such as for diplomats with immunity. Such persons also enjoy certain legal rights under both systems. For example, a UK Citizen accused of a crime in New Jersey can be found guilty and punished, but only after a trial conducted according to the standards of the United States and New Jersey legal systems.

As a practical matter, states may restrict certain privileges of citizenship to those who are long-term or permanent residents. Some states distinguish different pains and penalties for the same offense depending on whether the accused is a state Citizen or resident person.^[7]

Another more common example of this is in the public university system, where state residents pay substantially reduced tuition compared to persons who live outside the state. The definition of this "in-state" status varies from state to state. Citizens might be required to live in the state for a minimum of 1 year, or they might be required to pay state income or property taxes at least once.

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