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Public Domain Bible Translations: What You Can Copy and Share

By Shahzaib Malik · Updated October 2026

If you run a blog, print a church bulletin or build a website, you will eventually ask whether you are allowed to copy a Bible verse. The answer depends on the translation. Some are free for anyone to reproduce; others are protected by copyright, and their publishers set rules about how much you may quote. This guide explains the difference in plain terms. It is general information, not legal advice, and rules vary between countries.

What "Public Domain" Means

A work in the public domain is not protected by copyright, so anyone may copy, print, adapt and share it without asking permission or paying. Works enter the public domain when their copyright expires, or when the creator deliberately dedicates them to the public. A translation of the Bible is a creative work in its own right, because translators choose each word. So a modern translation has its own copyright, even though the original Hebrew and Greek texts are ancient.

Translations That Are Public Domain in the United States

King James Version (KJV). Published in 1611 and long out of copyright in the United States. The commonly used text today is the Cambridge-style edition revised over the centuries.
American Standard Version (ASV). Published in 1901, so its copyright has expired in the US.
World English Bible (WEB). A modern-English update of the ASV, produced by volunteers who dedicated it to the public domain. It is one of the few contemporary-sounding translations that you can use freely.

Other older translations, such as the Young's Literal Translation and the Douay-Rheims, are also in the public domain in the US. Check the edition you are using, because a recent edition with new notes or modernized spelling can carry its own copyright on those additions.

The KJV Exception in the United Kingdom

The KJV needs a careful note. In the United Kingdom, the text is held under Crown letters patent, a form of royal privilege that is not the same as ordinary copyright. The right to print the KJV there belongs to the Crown and is administered through the King's Printer, with Cambridge University Press holding a patent for it. This does not stop people quoting the KJV in everyday ways, and the Crown has indicated that limited quotation is acceptable, but if you plan to print and sell copies in the UK you should check the current terms. Readers elsewhere may be subject to local rules too.

Copyrighted Translations

Most widely used modern Bibles are copyrighted. These include the New International Version (NIV), English Standard Version (ESV), New Living Translation (NLT), New American Standard Bible (NASB), Christian Standard Bible (CSB) and the New King James Version (NKJV). Their publishers, such as Biblica, Crossway and Tyndale House, license them for use and publish quotation policies.

These policies commonly allow a limited amount of text to be quoted without written permission, often a few hundred to around a thousand verses, provided the quoted text is not more than a set percentage of the total work you are producing and does not include a complete book. They usually require a specific copyright notice, such as a credit line with the translation abbreviation. The exact limits differ by publisher and change over time, so always read the current policy on the publisher's website. Selling products, such as devotional books, calendars or merchandise, normally needs a license rather than just following the quotation policy.

Why This Site Uses the KJV and WEB

This site offers the KJV and WEB because they let us show full verses, generate shareable verse images and provide free text without licensing barriers. The KJV gives the traditional wording that many readers know by heart. The WEB provides a modern alternative that is easier to follow. Together they cover both preferences, and visitors can copy and reuse the verses as they like within the legal rules of their own country. You can try both on the Bible verse randomizer, or see how each handles a familiar passage on the random verse from Psalms page.

Practical Tips for Bloggers

Name the translation every time. Write "(KJV)" or "(WEB)" after the reference. It prevents confusion and satisfies attribution rules for copyrighted versions.
Keep a note of your sources. Record which translation each quote came from, and which edition if you copied from a printed Bible.
Quote the verse, then add your own thoughts. Short quotes with commentary are safer than long extracts, and they make better posts.
Do not mix translations without saying so. A quotation that blends two versions is a new text and may breach the copyright of either.
Check images and fonts separately. The verse may be free while a background photo or font is not.

Practical Tips for Churches

Churches have extra needs: bulletins, projection slides, printed Bibles and recorded sermons. For one-off use, public domain versions remove any doubt, and the WEB works well on slides because it reads like modern speech. If your congregation prefers a copyrighted translation, look for the publisher's church-use policy, which is often more generous than its general policy, and include the required notice on printed material. For anything sold, such as a printed devotional, contact the publisher about a license. Many publishers respond quickly to small ministries.

It is also worth checking tools you already use. Some presentation and Bible apps include licensed text under their own terms, which may not cover reproduction in your own materials.

When in Doubt

If you are unsure, use a public domain translation, or ask the publisher in writing. Keep their reply with your records. For a commercial project, a short consultation with a lawyer familiar with copyright is worth the cost. For everyday quoting, the simple rule holds: use KJV, ASV or WEB freely in the US, follow the posted limits for everything else, and always give credit.

This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Copyright and quotation rules differ by country and change over time.