Objectives. Individual relationships to the state are shaped through encounters with a variety of institutions. Little scholarly attention has been devoted to how citizenship is shaped through everyday interactions with the social service arm of the state through local "welfare" offices. In Washington State, one-third of all residents are served by the state's primary social service agency. Does this state agency send different messages about citizenship to individuals according to race? We examine this question through encounters of individuals with front-line welfare office staff. Methods. Using a systematic audit method, we collected data from 54 Community Service Offices in Washington State to explore messages sent to individuals. Results. We find consistent relationships between race and the quantity of information received and the quality of the interaction with the representatives of the state. Conclusions. Our findings provide evidence that the state reinforces notions of both belonging and marginalization through patterns of racialized encounters with the state.As the popular media hails the advent of a postracial society in the United States, there is an urgent need to reexamine the ways in which the state shapes racial dimensions of citizenship. Indicators of wealth, education, and health demonstrate that we are clearly living in a society where racial disparities not only remain intact, but are also growing, despite movements to eliminate them. This article explores a different angle on questions of institutionalized racism. How does the state communicate the parameters of citizenship? 1 How might these perceptions shape our understandings of politics, community, claims making, and participation? While these questions are beyond the immediate * Direct correspondence to Rose Ernst,