Age of candidacy laws in the United States

This article delineates the age of candidacy laws of the federal government and individual states of the United States. The US has historically had minimum age requirements for many positions, ranging from President to local members of city council. While there is no maximum age limit or point of forced retirement—other countries like Canada enforce retirement ages on judges[1] and senators[2]—there are term limits in some cases, most notably a limit of two full terms for the President of the United States.

Federal government

Under the Constitution of the United States, a person must be aged 35 or over to serve as president. To be a senator, a person must be aged 30 or over. To be a Representative, a person must be aged 25 or older. This is specified in the U.S. Constitution. Most states in the U.S. also have age requirements for the offices of Governor, State Senator, and State Representative.[74] Some states have a minimum age requirement to hold any elected office (usually 21 or 18).

State government

State Governor Upper house Lower house Lieutenant governor Attorney general Secretary of state Treasurer
Alabama 30 25 21 30 25 25 25
Alaska 30 25 21 30 18* N.A. 18*
Arizona 25 25 25 N.A. 25 25 25
Arkansas 30 25 21 30 18* 18* 18
California 18* 18* 18* 18* 18* 18* 18*
Colorado 30 25 25 30 25 25 25
Connecticut 30 18* 18* 30 18 None 18*
Delaware 30 27 24 30 None None None
Florida 30 21 21 30 30 None 25
Georgia 30 25 21 30 25 25 18*
Hawaii 30 25 18 30 None N.A. None
Idaho 30 18* 18* 30 30 25 25
Illinois 25[3] 21 21 25[3] 25 25 25
Indiana 30 25 21 30 None 18*
Iowa 30 25 21 30 18 18*
Kansas 25[4] 18* 18* 25[4] None None
Kentucky 30[5] 30 24[5] 30 30 30 30
Louisiana 30 30 18 25 25 25 25
Maine 30 [6] 25* 21* N.A. None None
Maryland 30[7] 25[7] 21[7] 30[7] 18* 18*
Massachusetts 25[8] 25 18 18* 18 18 18
Michigan 30[9] 21[9] 21[9] 30[9] None 18*
Minnesota 25 21 21 25[10] 21 21
Mississippi 30 25 21 20 26 25 25
Missouri 30 30 24 30 None None
Montana 30 None None 25 25 25
Nebraska 30 21 N.A. 30 None None
Nevada 25 21 21 25 18* 18* 18*
New Hampshire 30[11] 30[11] 18[11] N.A. 18* 18*
New Jersey 30[12] 30[12] 21 30 None None
New Mexico 30 25 21 30 30 30 30
New York 30[13] 18[13] 18[13] 30[13] 30 None 30
North Carolina 30[14] 25[15] 21[16] 30[14] None 21 21
North Dakota 30 19* 18* 30 25 25 25
Ohio 18 18 18 None 18 18 18
Oklahoma 31[17] 25[17] 21[17] 31 31 31 31
Oregon 30 21 21 N.A. 18 18
Pennsylvania 30 25 21 30 30 None None
Rhode Island 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
South Carolina 30[18] 25[19] 21[19] 30 18* 18*
South Dakota 21 21 21 21 None None
Tennessee 30 30 21[20] 30† 18 None
Texas 30 26 21 30 18 18* 18*
Utah 30 25 25 30 25 N.A. 25
Vermont 18 [21] None None None None None
Virginia 30[22] 21[23] 21[23] 30 30 18* 18*
Washington 18* 18* 18* 18* 18* 18* 18*
West Virginia 30 18 18 N.A. 25 18* 18
Wisconsin 18 18 18 18* 18* 18* 18
Wyoming 30 25 21 N.A. 18* 25 25

* Qualified elector/registered voter requirement.
† State Senate membership requirement.
N.A. implies that such a position does not exist in that state.

Alaska

  • Any public office: at least 30 (qualified voter requirement)[24]

Arizona

  • Any public office: at least 18[25]

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Georgia

  • Any public office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[31]

Hawaii

  • Neighborhood Board Member: 18

Idaho

Illinois

  • Comptroller: 25[3]
  • School Board Member: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[33]

Indiana

  • Mayor: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[34]

Iowa

  • Any elected office: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[35]

Louisiana

  • Treasurer: 25
  • School Board Member: 18 (qualified voter requirement) [36]

Maryland

  • Circuit Court Judge: 30[7]
  • County Sheriff: 25[7]
  • Other county offices: vary according to local law[7]
  • Any public office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[37]

Massachusetts

  • Most offices: 18

Michigan

Governor or Lieutenant Governor: 30

State Senate or State House: 21

Judge: Licensed to practice law

All other offices: 18 (must be a registered and qualified elector)

Minnesota

  • Many offices: 21[38]

Montana

  • Mayor: at least 21[39]

Nebraska

Nevada

  • Any public office: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[40]

New Mexico

  • Most offices: 18 (qualified elector requirement)[41]

New York

  • Comptroller: 30[13]
  • State Senator: 18[42]
  • State Assembly:18[42]

North Carolina

North Dakota

  • Mayor/council: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[44]

Oklahoma

  • State, county, and municipal public offices: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[45]

Oregon

  • Sheriff: 21
  • Other county and local offices: 18[46]
  • Justice of the Peace: 18

Pennsylvania

  • Mayors of Third-Class Cities: 18[47]

Rhode Island

  • Any elected office: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[48]

South Carolina

South Dakota

  • Public Utilities Commissioner: 25
  • Mayor/alderman: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[50]

Tennessee

  • Supreme Court Judge: 35
  • Other state judges: 30
  • County mayor/county executive: 30
  • Sheriff: 25
  • Constable: 21
  • County School Board Member: 18 (registered voter requirement)
  • State House of Representatives: 21
  • State Senate: 30
  • Governor: 30

Texas

  • Any public office: at least 19 (qualified voter requirement) [51]

Vermont

  • Town officials: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[52][53]

Virginia

  • Any office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[54]

Washington

  • Any office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[55]

Wisconsin

  • Any city office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[56]

Wyoming

  • Any municipal office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[57]

Local government

Many states require elected municipal officers to be over 18 years of age or be a registered voter in the city thereof. Montana requires mayors to be at least 21 years of age.

As of November 2016, most U.S. cities with populations exceeding 200,000 required their mayor to be a registered voter in the city thereof or at least 18 years of age. Here are the following exceptions:

  • 30 Years: Denver, CO; Honolulu, HI; Memphis, TN; Nashville, TN; St. Louis, MO
  • 25 Years: Baltimore, MD; Colorado Springs, CO; Columbus, GA; Glendale, AZ; Kansas City, MO; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC; Westminster, MD
  • 21 Years: Louisville, KY, Oklahoma City, OK; Aurora, CO; Minneapolis, MN;[58] Saint Paul, MN[59]


  • 19 Years: Hialeah, FL (qualified voter requirement + 1 year of residence)
  • No age minimum listed or implied: Pittsburgh, PA; Wichita, KS; Jersey City, NJ; Buffalo, NY; Yonkers, NY; Troy, NC
  • Data unavailable: Birmingham, AL; Newark, NJ

Baltimore

  • City Comptroller, and City Council President: 25[7]
  • City Council Member: 21[7]

References

  1. ^ Payton, Laura (October 4, 2011). "Court closes judge retirement age loophole". CBC News.
  2. ^ Nixon, Geoff (July 30, 2023). "The U.S. Senate is steadily aging — but members leave on their own terms". CBC News.
  3. ^ a b c "Article V, Section 3". Constitution of the State of Illinois. Illinois General Assembly. December 15, 1970. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  4. ^ a b KWCH (May 18, 2018). "New law sets minimum age for Kansas governor candidates". KWCH.
  5. ^ a b "072". Archived from the original on 2010-12-21. Retrieved 2011-03-03.
  6. ^ Maine Constitution Article IV, Part 1.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Qualifications for Filing Candidacy".
  8. ^ Galvin, William Francis (March 2017). "How to Run for Office in Massachusetts" (PDF). Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 27, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d "Article V, Section 22" (PDF). Michigan Constitution. State of Michigan. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  10. ^ Archived copy Archived 2010-07-29 at the Wayback Machine, Section 2
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  22. ^ "Constitution of Virginia - Article V. Executive".
  23. ^ a b "Constitution of Virginia - Article IV. Legislature".
  24. ^ "Alaska Statutes Title 15. Elections § 15.25.180". Findlaw. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
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  28. ^ "California Constitution Article V Sec. 9". California Office of Legislative Counsel. November 5, 1974. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  29. ^ "California Government Code § 24001". California Office of Legislative Counsel. January 1, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  30. ^ "California Government Code § 34904". California Office of Legislative Counsel. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  31. ^ "2015 Georgia Code :: Title 21 - ELECTIONS :: Chapter 2 - ELECTIONS AND PRIMARIES GENERALLY :: Article 4 - SELECTION AND QUALIFICATION OF CANDIDATES AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS :: Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS :: § 21-2-132 - Filing notice of candidacy, nomination petition, and affidavit; payment of qualifying fee; pauper's affidavit and qualifying petition for exemption from qualifying fee; military service". Justia Law. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  32. ^ "2016 Idaho Statutes :: Title 50 - MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS :: Chapter 6 - MAYOR :: Section 50-601 - QUALIFICATIONS".
  33. ^ "Your School Board and You" (PDF).
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