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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.
In 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 | 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)
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