first ▁Am end ment . ▁ ▁A ▁proposed ▁am end ment ▁becomes ▁an ▁oper ative ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁rat ified ▁by ▁three - four th s ▁of ▁the ▁States ▁( current ly ▁ 3 8 ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 0 ▁states ). ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁further ▁step . ▁The ▁text ▁requires ▁no ▁additional ▁action ▁by ▁Congress ▁or ▁anyone ▁else ▁after ▁rat ification ▁by ▁the ▁required ▁number ▁of ▁states . ▁Thus , ▁when ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁Register ▁ver ifies ▁that ▁it ▁has ▁received ▁the ▁required ▁number ▁of ▁authentic ated ▁rat ification ▁documents , ▁it ▁draft s ▁a ▁formal ▁pro clam ation ▁for ▁the ▁Archiv ist ▁to ▁cert ify ▁that ▁the ▁am end ment ▁is ▁valid ▁and ▁has ▁become ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁frame ▁of ▁government . ▁This ▁cert ification ▁is ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁Federal ▁Register ▁and ▁United ▁States ▁Stat utes ▁at ▁Lar ge ▁and ▁serves ▁as ▁official ▁notice ▁to ▁Congress ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁nation ▁that ▁the ▁rat ification ▁process ▁has ▁been ▁successfully ▁completed . ▁ ▁Rat ified ▁am end ments ▁ ▁The ▁Constitution ▁has ▁twenty - se ven ▁am end ments . ▁Struct ur ally , ▁the ▁Constitution ' s ▁original ▁text ▁and ▁all ▁prior ▁am end ments ▁remain ▁un touch ed . ▁The ▁preced ent ▁for ▁this ▁practice ▁was ▁set ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 9 , ▁when ▁Congress ▁considered ▁and ▁proposed ▁the ▁first ▁several ▁Constitution al ▁am end ments . ▁Among ▁these , ▁Am end ments ▁ 1 – 1 0 ▁are