Your own answers
Citizenship test state questions: your senators, representative, governor and capital
Key takeaways
- Four questions have an answer that depends on where you live.
- You need only one senator for the senator question.
- Officials change, so look them up shortly before your interview.
- D.C. and territory residents answer differently. The rules are below.
Four questions on the civics test do not have one right answer for everyone. They ask about your own state. Here is how to answer each one.
The four questions
Question 23
Who is one of your state’s U.S. senators now?
The official guidance says answers will vary. Name one of your state's senators.
Question 29
Name your U.S. representative.
The official guidance says answers will vary. Name your representative.
Question 61 *
Who is the governor of your state now?
The official guidance says answers will vary. Name your governor.
Question 62
What is the capital of your state?
The official guidance says answers will vary. Name your state capital.
How to find your answers
- Senators and representative: use the official lookups at senate.gov and house.gov.
- Governor and state capital: use usa.gov/states-and-territories.
- Write the names down and say them out loud, full name first.
- Look them up again a few days before your interview, because officials can change.
How to practice your answers
- Write your four answers on a card.
- Say them out loud: "My senator is ... My representative is ... My governor is ... My state capital is ..."
- Practice the question, then the answer, without looking at the card.
- Check them again a few days before your interview.
Washington, D.C. residents
D.C. has special answers. These are the official notes:
Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. senators.]
Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a governor.]
Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.]
Residents of U.S. territories
Territory residents have their own rules for the representative question. These are the official notes:
Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) representatives in Congress.]
For the capital question, territory residents name the capital of their territory:
- Puerto Rico San Juan
- Guam Hagåtña
- U.S. Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie
- American Samoa Pago Pago
- Northern Mariana Islands Saipan
State capitals
Here are all 50 state capitals for the capital question.
- Alabama Montgomery
- Alaska Juneau
- Arizona Phoenix
- Arkansas Little Rock
- California Sacramento
- Colorado Denver
- Connecticut Hartford
- Delaware Dover
- Florida Tallahassee
- Georgia Atlanta
- Hawaii Honolulu
- Idaho Boise
- Illinois Springfield
- Indiana Indianapolis
- Iowa Des Moines
- Kansas Topeka
- Kentucky Frankfort
- Louisiana Baton Rouge
- Maine Augusta
- Maryland Annapolis
- Massachusetts Boston
- Michigan Lansing
- Minnesota Saint Paul
- Mississippi Jackson
- Missouri Jefferson City
- Montana Helena
- Nebraska Lincoln
- Nevada Carson City
- New Hampshire Concord
- New Jersey Trenton
- New Mexico Santa Fe
- New York Albany
- North Carolina Raleigh
- North Dakota Bismarck
- Ohio Columbus
- Oklahoma Oklahoma City
- Oregon Salem
- Pennsylvania Harrisburg
- Rhode Island Providence
- South Carolina Columbia
- South Dakota Pierre
- Tennessee Nashville
- Texas Austin
- Utah Salt Lake City
- Vermont Montpelier
- Virginia Richmond
- Washington Olympia
- West Virginia Charleston
- Wisconsin Madison
- Wyoming Cheyenne
Why people miss these four
- They study the other 124 questions and forget the four that depend on them.
- They memorize names early, and an official changes.
- They give a city that is not the capital, such as the biggest city in the state.
Common questions
How many senators do I need to name?
The question asks for one of your state's U.S. senators, so one is enough.
Is Washington, D.C. a state?
No. The official guidance says D.C. residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital.
Does D.C. have a governor?
No. The official guidance says D.C. residents should answer that D.C. does not have a governor.
Where do I find my representative?
Use the lookup at house.gov and enter your address or zip code.