Age of candidacy laws in the United States

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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.

Contents

Federal government

State government

StateGovernorUpper HouseLower HouseLieutenant GovernorAttorney GeneralSecretary of StateTreasurer
Alabama 30252130252525
Alaska 3025213018*N.A.18*
Arizona 252525N.A.252525
Arkansas 3025213018*18*18
California 18*18*18*18*18*18*18*
Colorado 30252530252525
Connecticut 3018*18*3018None18*
Delaware 30272430NoneNoneNone
Florida 3021213030None25
Georgia 30252130252518*
Hawaii 30251830NoneN.A.None
Idaho 3018*18*30302525
Illinois 25 [3] 212125 [3] 252525
Indiana 30252130None18*
Iowa 302521301818*
Kansas 25 [4] 18*18*25 [4] NoneNone
Kentucky 30 [5] 3024 [5] 30303030
Louisiana 30301825252525
Maine 30 [6] 25*21*N.A.NoneNone
Maryland 30 [7] 25 [7] 21 [7] 30 [7] 18*18*
Massachusetts 25 [8] 251818*181818
Michigan 30 [9] 21 [9] 21 [9] 30 [9] None18*
Minnesota 25212125 [10] 2121
Mississippi 30252120262525
Missouri 30302430NoneNone
Montana 30NoneNone252525
Nebraska 3021N.A.30NoneNone
Nevada 2521212518*18*18*
New Hampshire 30 [11] 30 [11] 18 [11] N.A.18*18*
New Jersey 30 [12] 30 [12] 2130NoneNone
New Mexico 30252130303030
New York 30 [13] 18 [13] 18 [13] 30 [13] 30None30
North Carolina 30 [14] 25 [15] 21 [16] 30 [14] None2121
North Dakota 3019*18*30252525
Ohio 181818None181818
Oklahoma 31 [17] 25 [17] 21 [17] 31313131
Oregon 302121N.A.1818
Pennsylvania 3025213030NoneNone
Rhode Island 18181818181818
South Carolina 30 [18] 25 [19] 21 [19] 3018*18*
South Dakota 21212121NoneNone
Tennessee 303021 [20] 30†18None
Texas 302621301818*18*
Utah 3025253025N.A.25
Vermont 18 [21] NoneNoneNoneNoneNone
Virginia 30 [22] 21 [23] 21 [23] 303018*18*
Washington 18*18*18*18*18*18*18*
West Virginia 301818N.A.2518*18
Wisconsin 18181818*18*18*18
Wyoming 302521N.A.18*2525

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

Alaska

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

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

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

Wyoming

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:


Baltimore

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