U.S. Citizenship to Include 10-Year “Re-Certification Quiz” Starting in 2026, Officials Announce
April 10, 2025 Washington D.C.
In a move officials are calling “a proactive update to national accountability,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a new federal initiative that will require all U.S. citizens to re-certify their citizenship status once every 10 years by passing a short online quiz covering basic civics, geography, and federal holiday trivia.
The program, known as the Citizenship Verification and Knowledge Renewal Assessment (CVKRA) — pronounced “Civkra,” which officials insist is "not supposed to sound like a Soviet nickname" — is set to roll out in 2026, with a soft launch beginning next January for citizens whose Social Security numbers end in 0.
Homeland Security Secretary Lyndsey Halvorson stated that the goal is “not to punish ignorance, but to celebrate retention.”
“We’re not revoking citizenship. We’re just gently verifying it,” Halvorson said during a press briefing. “In the 21st century, patriotism should be an open-book test.” What’s on the Quiz?
The 20-question multiple-choice quiz will be administered online through MyGovID.gov (formerly a COVID test portal) and must be completed within 60 minutes. Topics include:
Naming at least two branches of government
Identifying the location of the Mississippi River (or swiping near it on a map)
Choosing the correct number of states (with a 2-state margin of error allowed)
Recognizing a real federal holiday vs. one invented by mattress companies
And a bonus question: “What is the purpose of a congressional hearing?” (Wrong answers accepted if funny)
Citizens must score at least 65% to maintain “uninterrupted civic standing.” Those who score below 40% will receive a "Probationary Patriot" badge and be automatically subscribed to a 3-month refresher podcast narrated by Ken Burns and an AI version of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The quiz may be retaken once, after which citizens must schedule a 5-minute Zoom call with a DHS intern.
Public Reaction: Mostly Confused, Mildly Concerned
Reaction to the announcement has been swift and wildly varied.
“I’ve been a citizen for 47 years,” said Ohio resident Marcia Denton. “Now I have to prove I still know how many senators we have? I’ve already forgotten how many kids I have.”
TikTok influencers are already jumping on the trend. The hashtag #ReCertifyMeDaddy has garnered over 1.2 million views, mostly from users sharing fake quiz answers and arguing whether Guam counts as “real.”
Meanwhile, conspiracy forums have interpreted the initiative as everything from “a secret FEMA loyalty test” to “the final stage of Real ID.”
Implementation and “Tiered Citizenship Status”
According to internal documents, DHS is considering a tiered rollout based on “civic visibility” — meaning more politically active citizens may be asked to re-certify earlier, as “a symbolic gesture of participatory democracy.” Celebrities, high-profile Twitter users, and HOA board members are expected to be first.
Those who refuse to take the quiz will not lose their citizenship, but may experience what the agency calls “mild administrative drift,” such as slower passport renewals, random TSA quizzes, and receiving their census forms in Wingdings.
Long-Term Vision
DHS officials say the quiz is only the beginning of a “dynamic citizenship framework.” By 2030, plans may include:
• Annual Mini-Refresher Challenges during National Civics Month
• A Citizenship Leaderboard, showing which ZIP codes are “most informed” (and which “could try harder”)
• Integration with federal loyalty apps like FedFit, SnapCensus, and MyLibertyScore
• Possible “civic partner discounts” at participating Arby’s locations
“Being a citizen isn’t a one-time deal,” said Secretary Halvorson. “It’s a lifestyle. And like any lifestyle brand, we want it to have quizzes.”
The White House has yet to comment, though the President was overheard asking aides whether Guam does count as real.
The program, known as the Citizenship Verification and Knowledge Renewal Assessment (CVKRA) — pronounced “Civkra,” which officials insist is "not supposed to sound like a Soviet nickname" — is set to roll out in 2026, with a soft launch beginning next January for citizens whose Social Security numbers end in 0.
Homeland Security Secretary Lyndsey Halvorson stated that the goal is “not to punish ignorance, but to celebrate retention.”
“We’re not revoking citizenship. We’re just gently verifying it,” Halvorson said during a press briefing. “In the 21st century, patriotism should be an open-book test.” What’s on the Quiz?
The 20-question multiple-choice quiz will be administered online through MyGovID.gov (formerly a COVID test portal) and must be completed within 60 minutes. Topics include:
Naming at least two branches of government
Identifying the location of the Mississippi River (or swiping near it on a map)
Choosing the correct number of states (with a 2-state margin of error allowed)
Recognizing a real federal holiday vs. one invented by mattress companies
And a bonus question: “What is the purpose of a congressional hearing?” (Wrong answers accepted if funny)
Citizens must score at least 65% to maintain “uninterrupted civic standing.” Those who score below 40% will receive a "Probationary Patriot" badge and be automatically subscribed to a 3-month refresher podcast narrated by Ken Burns and an AI version of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The quiz may be retaken once, after which citizens must schedule a 5-minute Zoom call with a DHS intern.
Public Reaction: Mostly Confused, Mildly Concerned
Reaction to the announcement has been swift and wildly varied.
“I’ve been a citizen for 47 years,” said Ohio resident Marcia Denton. “Now I have to prove I still know how many senators we have? I’ve already forgotten how many kids I have.”
TikTok influencers are already jumping on the trend. The hashtag #ReCertifyMeDaddy has garnered over 1.2 million views, mostly from users sharing fake quiz answers and arguing whether Guam counts as “real.”
Meanwhile, conspiracy forums have interpreted the initiative as everything from “a secret FEMA loyalty test” to “the final stage of Real ID.”
Implementation and “Tiered Citizenship Status”
According to internal documents, DHS is considering a tiered rollout based on “civic visibility” — meaning more politically active citizens may be asked to re-certify earlier, as “a symbolic gesture of participatory democracy.” Celebrities, high-profile Twitter users, and HOA board members are expected to be first.
Those who refuse to take the quiz will not lose their citizenship, but may experience what the agency calls “mild administrative drift,” such as slower passport renewals, random TSA quizzes, and receiving their census forms in Wingdings.
Long-Term Vision
DHS officials say the quiz is only the beginning of a “dynamic citizenship framework.” By 2030, plans may include:
• Annual Mini-Refresher Challenges during National Civics Month
• A Citizenship Leaderboard, showing which ZIP codes are “most informed” (and which “could try harder”)
• Integration with federal loyalty apps like FedFit, SnapCensus, and MyLibertyScore
• Possible “civic partner discounts” at participating Arby’s locations
“Being a citizen isn’t a one-time deal,” said Secretary Halvorson. “It’s a lifestyle. And like any lifestyle brand, we want it to have quizzes.”
The White House has yet to comment, though the President was overheard asking aides whether Guam does count as real.