Is the Bible royalty free?
Michael King
Updated on March 14, 2026
Because the World English Bible is in the Public Domain (not copyrighted), it can be freely copied, distributed, and redistributed without any payment of royalties.
Is the Bible copyright protected?
Thus, religious works are copyrighted in the same manner as any other type of work. Since most of the world's major religions have been practiced for over a thousand years, their original scriptures are in public domain. This includes scriptures such as the Torah, the Bible, the Quran, and the Bhagavad Gita.Who owns the copyright to the Bible?
The crown has a perpetual copyright on the King James Bible, through "letters patent" originally issued to stop unofficial editions and then to protect the country from ranters, shakers, Quakers, nonconformity and popery.Do you need permission to quote the Bible?
Commercial use over 1000 words, or more than 50% of a work, or using an entire biblical book require permission.Are Bible stories public domain?
The Bible: While the actual text is in the public domain and many versions of the Bible are free of copyright, certain versions of it are copyrighted in some jurisdictions (e.g., the King James Bible is under perpetual copyright in the United Kingdom).Want to Understand the Bible? Order Your Free Study Bible Today.
Can I quote the Bible in my book?
So, yes, you can quote the Bible or other holy books in your commercial work, but there are a truckload of caveats to that. Consider the version, what book, what country you want to publish the novel in, how much of the book you're quoting, and a bunch of other things.Is the New King James Bible public domain?
Finally, this Note concludes that the printed KJV Bible is not sufficiently original from the public domain version, but that the NKJV Bible is sufficiently original. The NKJV Bible likely has a "thin" copyright ascribed to it, however, and will only be protected against verbatim copying.Can I use Bible verses commercially?
The answer is "it depends." The New American Standard Bible, the New International Version, and the New King James Version have been copyrighted, as have many versions of the Bible since 1881, based on new translations. So quotes from long passages of their content may constitute infringement.Can I quote the Bible on my website?
And just in case it helps, the King James Version of the Bible is in public domain, so that means that there are no copyright restriction and permission is not needed to quote it at all.Can the Bible be cited?
You do not need to include the Bible in your bibliography. When citing a passage of scripture, include the abbreviated name of the book, the chapter number, and the verse number—never a page number. Chapter and verse are separated by a colon.Why does the KJV not have a copyright?
When quotations from the KJV text are used in materials not being made available for sale, such as church bulletins, orders of service, posters, presentation materials, or similar media, a complete copyright notice is not required but the initials KJV must appear at the end of the quotation.Can you copyright Jesus?
Some words and symbols are so commonplace it seems impossible a company could claim exclusive rights to them. Christianity's central figure might be one of them. But according to the U.S. Patent And Trademark Office, Jesus Jeans has owned the word “Jesus” since 2007.Can I put a Bible verse on a shirt?
Reaffirm Your Faith with Bible Verse ShirtsEqually appropriate for groups or individuals, custom t-shirts with scriptures offer inspiration and support on daily basis. When it's time to demonstrate your love and support, bible verse shirts are a wonderful way to do it.