Montani semper liberi

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The Great Seal of West Virginia with the state motto found at the bottom

Montani Semper Liberi (Latin for "Mountaineers are Always Free") is the official motto of the state of West Virginia in the United States and the coat of arms for the Colombian city of Bucaramanga.

In West Virginia, it was adopted as the official motto of the state in Article II, Section 2-7, of the state constitution signed in 1872. This article specifically states: "[t]he present seal of the state, with its motto, "Montani Semper Liberi," shall be the great seal of the state of West Virginia, and shall be kept by the secretary of state, to be used by him officially, as directed by law". The phrase was suggested as the motto by Joseph H. DisDebar, the artist who created the state's Great Seal.

The motto is also used on the coat of arms for Bucaramanga in Colombia.

The Coat of Arms for Bucaramanga, a city in Colombia, with words "Montani Semper Liberi"

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