Which must be filed first: the oath of office or the statement of officer?

• A. The oath of office
• B. The statement of officer
• C. Both simultaneously
• D. Neither

Answer: (B)

Establishing official status before pledging to the job is the key idea. The statement of officer serves as the formal acknowledgment of appointment and acceptance of duties and must be on file with the proper office before the oath is administered. Once that status is on record, the oath is given and then filed to complete the official record. If the oath were filed first, there would be no verified authority to take the oath against, which is why the statement of officer must come first. In practice, the oath may be administered at swearing-in and then filed, but the crucial order is to establish the office first via the statement.