Alabama approves Ten Commandments poster for public schools starting in January

Alabama public schools can display an approved poster featuring the Ten Commandments and excerpts from the nation’s founding documents beginning January 1, 2027. State Superintendent Eric Mackey approved the official display late last week.

The requirement stems from Senate Bill 99, sponsored by Senator Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, and signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey in April. The law requires schools to post the displays in common areas and fifth- through 12th-grade classrooms where teachers routinely teach U.S. history, provided donated posters or funding are available.

The approved poster, titled “Historical Truths: The Ten Commandments and America’s Founding Documents,” includes the Ten Commandments alongside excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Mayflower Compact and the Northwest Ordinance. It also references a letter written by John Quincy Adams.

The design includes the phrase “One Nation under God,” an American flag and a bald eagle. It also contains a statement recognizing that students and their families can make their own decisions about matters of faith.

Mackey told local school superintendents that the approved design is the only version that meets the law’s requirements. The poster must measure at least 11 by 14 inches, and the Alabama State Department of Education said it will provide printed copies to schools at no charge. The department has not yet announced distribution details.

The law requires schools to place the displays in at least one entryway or other common area, such as a cafeteria or library. Schools serving only kindergarten through fourth grade are exempt from the common-area requirement.

Local school boards do not have to use public funds to purchase the displays. SB99 makes implementation contingent on the availability of donated posters or money and directs the state education department to identify resources to help school systems comply.

The American Historical Association urged Alabama lawmakers to reject the legislation, arguing that claims about the Ten Commandments’ influence on the nation’s founding misrepresent the historical record. The ACLU of Alabama also opposed the measure, arguing that government-mandated religious displays raise religious freedom concerns for students of different faiths and those who do not practice a religion.

Alabama is among several states that have enacted laws requiring Ten Commandments displays in public schools. Similar measures in other states have prompted federal court challenges, with judges reaching different conclusions about their constitutionality.

A federal judge permanently blocked enforcement of Arkansas’ law in several school districts in March 2026, while a federal appeals court upheld Texas’ classroom-display requirement in April. The U.S. Supreme Court has also been asked to review legal challenges involving requirements in Louisiana and Texas. The outcome of those cases could affect the legality of Alabama’s law.

With the design now approved, Alabama’s school systems have until January 1 to begin implementing the requirement, subject to the availability of donated displays or funding.