Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith

Q: Who won Smith?

The outcome in Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith was: Anti-Religion. Neutral, generally applicable laws do not require religious exemptions under the First Amendment absent a compelling government interest.

Legal Case

Neutral, generally applicable laws do not require religious exemptions under the First Amendment absent a compelling government interest.

ReligiousLiberty.TV February 26, 2026 1 min read

Cite This Case

Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith (U.S. 1990).

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Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith (U.S. Supreme Court, 1990). https://religiousliberty.tv/case-library/employment-division-v-smith/

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⚠ No official reporter citation found for this case. Citation quality will improve once a reporter citation (e.g. 573 U.S. 682) is added to the case record.

Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith [U.S. Supreme Court, 1990] — Neutral, generally applicable laws do not require religious exemptions under the First Amendment absent a compelling government interest. Source: ReligiousLiberty.TV (https://religiousliberty.tv/case-library/employment-division-v-smith/, accessed September 20, 2026).

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⚠ No official reporter citation found for this case. Citation quality will improve once a reporter citation (e.g. 573 U.S. 682) is added to the case record.

Year: 1990 Court: U.S. Supreme Court Outcome: Anti-Religion

Free Exercise

Holding: Neutral, generally applicable laws do not require religious exemptions under the First Amendment absent a compelling government interest.

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Official Documents

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Coverage on ReligiousLiberty.TV

📎 Document links found in our articles: 📄 tile.loc.gov PDF

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Cited as context 📎 tile.loc.gov PDF
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Cited as context

Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith is a Free Exercise case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990. The court held that neutral, generally applicable laws do not require religious exemptions under the First Amendment absent a compelling government interest. The case resulted in a Anti-Religion outcome.