What laws must you promise to follow?

When you take the Oath of Allegiance you promise to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States, which means obeying federal, state, and local laws of every kind. The promise to obey the law is implicit in the oath text in 8 CFR section 337.1, which commits the new citizen to "support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic" and to "bear true faith and allegiance to the same."

Federal laws passed by Congress and signed by the President (or passed over a veto) include the criminal code in Title 18, the Internal Revenue Code in Title 26, immigration law in Title 8, and many other titles of the U.S. Code. Federal regulations issued by executive agencies under authority of those statutes are also binding. State laws include each state's criminal code, civil code, motor vehicle code, family code, and tax code; and local ordinances cover matters such as zoning, building codes, parking, noise, and licensing. The new citizen is expected to obey them all.

Specific civic duties tied to the obligation to obey the law include paying federal, state, and local taxes (including income tax under Title 26, payroll taxes, sales tax, and property tax); registering with the Selective Service System if a male aged 18 to 25 (50 U.S.C. section 3802); responding truthfully to the decennial census under Title 13; and serving on a jury when called under federal or state law. Failure to obey the law has the usual consequences (fines, criminal penalties) and, for serious violations soon after naturalization, may also have immigration consequences under denaturalization rules in 8 U.S.C. section 1451.