The CA State Oath of Allegiance is a declaration of loyalty to the state and an adherence to the laws therein required by all individuals employed by a CA State government agency. It is to be completed on the employee's first day of work and should be administered in person with the issuer acting as a witness.

icon Oath Statement - DocuSign PowerForm

Who has to Sign the State Oath of Allegiance form?

  • Only University employees, including staff, faculty, and other academics are required to sign the Oath. 

Who does not have to sign the State Oath?

  • Contingent workers, visitors, volunteers, independent contractors, outside temporary agency employees, and other non-University employees
  • ANR volunteers (4-H, Master Gardener, etc.)
  • Permanent Resident (Green Card) and Non-Resident Aliens

When does the Oath have to be signed? 

  • The Oath should be signed by all employees on the date of hire, but no later than the time at which the employee begins providing compensable service. 
  • Departments should make a reasonable effort to obtain a signature on the Oath immediately and should make a good faith effort to comply with the California Government Code sections regarding the Oath.
  • Oath instructions state that a new form must be signed at re-employment if the original form on file is more than one year old. For example, if rehire is within one year the original form should still be acceptable. 
  • Separate signature dates can apply for Oath and Patent.

What are the consequences for not signing the Oath? 

If an employee refuses to sign the Oath, the issue should be forwarded to either the Chief Human Resource Officer or the Academic Personnel Director at the campus level for further discussion and evaluation.  
The campus will still need to pay the employee for services performed during the time period that the Oath was not signed (see Damage Payments). 

What are the methods of obtaining and recording Oath signatures?

  • UCPath intends to have all new hires electronically sign onboarding documents, including the Oath. This process is currently being completed via DocuSign (see Oath Statement - DocuSign PowerForm).
  • Remote signatures should be in the presence of a notary, personal attorney, or an employee of another university, and the signature should be witnessed.