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 2 full terms for the President of the United States.
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.
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)
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: