sovereign citizens
Self-declared law-exempt
Sovereign citizens are people who believe they can declare themselves exempt from government authority—particularly taxes, licensing requirements, and court jurisdiction—through pseudo-legal arguments and specific verbal formulas.
The movement draws on fringe interpretations of constitutional law, claiming the "real" legal system recognizes individual sovereignty.
Adherents often file elaborate, nonsensical court documents and refuse to recognize police authority during traffic stops: The sovereign citizen argued the court had no jurisdiction over him.
Law enforcement considers the movement a domestic terrorism threat due to violent confrontations.
Non-professional armed force
- tax protestOpposition to government levies
- noncomplianceFailure to follow requirements
- standoffUnresolved confrontation between opponents
- resistanceCapacity to withstand force
extremist · survivalist · distrust · paramilitary · traffic stop · license plate · liens · federal reserve
Inherent moral principles
- self-ownershipExclusive bodily authority
- nonrecognitionRefusal to acknowledge existence
- exemptionRelease from requirement
- nullificationFormal cancellation of validity
common law · legal fiction · birth certificate · Moorish · posse comitatus · tax protester · right to travel
Control over one's fate
- independenceFreedom from external control
- self-governanceIndependent management of affairs
- self-relianceDepending on oneself alone
- autarkyComplete economic independence
self-sufficiency · off-grid · homesteading · barter · alternative currency · unbanked · homeschooling · secession
militia
Non-professional armed force
- tax protestOpposition to government levies
- noncomplianceFailure to follow requirements
- standoffUnresolved confrontation between opponents
resistance · extremist · survivalist · distrust · paramilitary · traffic stop · license plate · liens · federal reserve · IRS
natural law
Inherent moral principles
- self-ownershipExclusive bodily authority
- nonrecognitionRefusal to acknowledge existence
- exemptionRelease from requirement
nullification · common law · legal fiction · birth certificate · Moorish · posse comitatus · tax protester · right to travel
self-determination
Control over one's fate
- independenceFreedom from external control
- self-governanceIndependent management of affairs
- self-relianceDepending on oneself alone
autarky · self-sufficiency · off-grid · homesteading · barter · alternative currency · unbanked · homeschooling · secession · opt-out
sovereign citizensnaturalized citizens
Immigrants granted legal membership
sovereign citizensstatists
Advocates for government authority
constitutionalists · patriots · government employees · civil servants · public servants
sovereign, sovereigns, sovereignty, citizen, citizens, citizenship, citizenry