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.

Federal government

State government

StateGovernorUpper HouseLower HouseLieutenant GovernorAttorney GeneralSecretary of StateTreasurer
Alabama30252130252525
Alaska3025213018*N.A.18*
Arizona252525N.A.252525
Arkansas3025213018*18*18
California18*18*18*18*18*18*18*
Colorado30252530252525
Connecticut3018*18*3018None18*
Delaware30272430NoneNoneNone
Florida3021213030None25
Georgia30252130252518*
Hawaii30251830NoneN.A.None
Idaho3018*18*30302525
Illinois25[1]212125[1]252525
Indiana30252130None18*
Iowa302521301818*
KansasNone18*18*NoneNoneNone
Kentucky30[2]3024[2]30303030
Louisiana25301825252525
Maine3025*21*N.A.NoneNone
Maryland30[3]25[3]21[3]30[3]18*18*
Massachusetts18[4]181818*181818
Michigan30[5]21[5]21[5]30[5]None18*
Minnesota25212125[6]2121
Mississippi30252130262525
Missouri30302430NoneNone
Montana30NoneNone252525
Nebraska3021N.A.30NoneNone
Nevada2521212518*18*18*
New Hampshire30[7]30[7]18[7]N.A.18*18*
New Jersey30302130NoneNone
New Mexico30252130303030
New York30[8]18[8]18[8]30[8]30None30
North Carolina30[9]25[10]21[11]30[9]None2121
North Dakota3018*18*30252525
Ohio181818None181818
Oklahoma31[12]25[12]21[12]31313131
Oregon302121N.A.1818
Pennsylvania3025213030NoneNone
Rhode Island18181818181818
South Carolina30[13]25[14]21[14]3018*18*
South Dakota21212121NoneNone
Tennessee303021[15]30†18None
Texas302621301818*18*
Utah2525253025N.A.25
VermontNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNone
Virginia30[16]21[17]21[17]303018*18*
Washington18*18*18*18*18*18*18
West Virginia301818N.A.2518*18
Wisconsin18181818*18*18*18
Wyoming302521N.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

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

Arizona

  • Any public officer: at least 18[19]

California

  • Mayor: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[20]

Colorado

  • Any public office: at least 18[21]

Connecticut

  • Municipal officer: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[22]

Georgia

  • Any public office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[23]

Hawaii

  • Neighborhood Board Member: 18

Idaho

  • Mayor: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[24]

Illinois

  • Comptroller: 25[1]

Indiana

  • Mayor: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[25]

Iowa

  • Any elected office: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[26]

Louisiana

  • Treasurer: 25
  • School Board Member: 18

Maryland

  • Circuit Court Judge: 30[3]
  • County Sheriff: 25[3]
  • Other county offices: vary according to local law[3]
  • Any public office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[27]

Massachusetts

  • Most offices: 18

Michigan

  • State Court Justice: less than 70[28]
  • Any county or local office: 18

Minnesota

  • Many offices: 21[29]

Montana

  • Mayor: at least 21[30]

Nebraska

  • Mayor: at least 18[31]

Nevada

  • Any public office: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[32]

New Mexico

  • Most offices: 18 (qualified elector requirement)[33]

New York

  • Comptroller: 30[8]

North Carolina

  • Many offices: 21[11]
  • Municipal offices: 18 (qualified voter requirement) [34]

North Dakota

  • Mayor/council: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[35]

Oklahoma

  • State, county, and municipal public offices: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[36]

Oregon

  • Sheriff: 21
  • Other county and local offices: 18[37]
  • Justice of the Peace: 18

Pennsylvania

  • Mayors of Third-Class Cities: 18[38]

Rhode Island

  • Any elected office: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[39]

South Carolina

South Dakota

  • Public Utilities Commissioner: 25
  • Mayor/alderman: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[41]

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)

Texas

  • Comptroller: None
  • Any public office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement) [42]

Vermont

  • Town officials: at least 11 (qualified voter requirement)[43]

Virginia

  • Any office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[44]

Washington

  • Any office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[45]

Wisconsin

  • Any city office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[46]

Wyoming

  • Any municipal office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[47]

Local government

Many states require elected municipal officers to be at least 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
  • 21 Years: Louisville, KY, Oklahoma City, OK; Aurora, CO
  • 19 Years: Hialeah, FL (qualified voter requirement + 1 year of residence)
  • No Age Minimum Listed or Implied: Baton Rouge, LA; Minneapolis, MN; Pittsburgh, PA; Saint Paul, MN; Wichita, KS; Jersey City, NJ; Buffalo, NY; Yonkers, NY
  • Data unavailable: Birmingham, AL; Newark, NJ

Baltimore

  • City Comptroller, and City Council President: 25[3]
  • City Council Member: 21[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Article V, Section 3". Constitution of the State of Illinois. Illinois General Assembly. December 15, 1970. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  2. 1 2 "{title}". Archived from the original on 2010-12-21. Retrieved 2011-03-03.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 http://www.elections.state.md.us/candidacy/qualifications.html
  4. ↑ https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/Candidates-Guide-generic.pdf
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Article V, Section 22" (PDF). Michigan Constitution. State of Michigan. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  6. ↑ http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/Article5.htm, Section 2
  7. 1 2 3 http://www.nh.gov/constitution/governor.html, Article 42
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 http://www.elections.ny.gov/RunningOffice.html
  9. 1 2 "Article III, Section 2". North Carolina Constitution. North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Article II, Section 6". North Carolina Constitution. North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  11. 1 2 "Article VI, Section 6". North Carolina Constitution. North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  12. 1 2 3 http://oklegal.onenet.net/okcon/VI-3.html
  13. ↑ "Article IV, Section 2". South Carolina Constitution. South Carolina Legislature. Archived from the original on 2012-04-27. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  14. 1 2 "Article III, Section 7". South Carolina Constitution. South Carolina Legislature. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  15. ↑ http://www.state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/05-06/46-tnconst.pdf
  16. ↑ http://law.lis.virginia.gov/constitution/article5/section3/
  17. 1 2 http://law.lis.virginia.gov/constitution/article4/section4/
  18. ↑ http://codes.findlaw.com/ak/title-15-elections/ak-st-sect-15-25-180.html, Title 15
  19. ↑ http://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.azleg.gov%2Fars%2F38%2F00201.htm
  20. ↑ http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=34904.&article=3.&highlight=true&keyword=mayor+elector+voter, Article 3. Elective Mayor
  21. ↑ http://web.lexisnexis.com/research/retrieve?_m=9e9836b085fa7b5a93b79ba47973ff6a&csvc=toc2doc&cform=searchForm&_fmtstr=FULL&docnum=1&_startdoc=1&wchp=dGLbVzk-zSkAb&_md5=2a867ad9288cad190ba5e150c582f536
  22. ↑ "Candidate Qualifications". portal.ct.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  23. ↑ http://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2015/title-21/chapter-2/article-4/part-1/section-21-2-132/, 21-2-132f
  24. ↑ http://law.justia.com/codes/idaho/2016/title-50/chapter-6/section-50-601
  25. ↑ http://iga.in.gov/legislative/laws/2013/ic/titles/003/articles/008/chapters/001/pdf, Article 8. Candidates
  26. ↑ https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2017/39.27.pdf
  27. ↑ http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2017RS/Statute_Web/gel/gel.pdf, Maryland Election Law 5-301
  28. ↑ "Article VI, Section 21" (PDF). Michigan Constitution. State of Michigan. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  29. ↑ http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/become-a-candidate/candidate-qualifications/, Candidate Qualifications
  30. ↑ http://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0070/chapter_0040/part_0430/section_0010/0070-0040-0430-0010.html
  31. ↑ http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=17-107
  32. ↑ https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-281.html#NRS281Sec010, NRS 281.040
  33. ↑ http://public.nmcompcomm.us/nmpublic/gateway.dll/?f=templates&fn=default.htm
  34. ↑ http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_163/GS_163-294.2.pdf, North Carolina Statutes Chapter 163
  35. ↑ http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t40c08.pdf#nameddest=40-08-14
  36. ↑ https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=438654
  37. ↑ https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors249.html, Chapter 249
  38. ↑ http://codes.findlaw.com/pa/title-11-pacsa-cities/pa-csa-sect-11-11201.html, Title 11
  39. ↑ http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE17/17-14/17-14-1.HTM, Rhode Island 17-14-1
  40. ↑ "Article V, Section 15". South Carolina Constitution. South Carolina Legislature. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  41. ↑ http://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=9-8-1.1
  42. ↑ http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/DocViewer.aspx?DocKey=GV%2fGV.601&Phrases=qualified%7cvoter&HighlightType=1&ExactPhrase=False&QueryText=qualified+voter
  43. ↑ http://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/17/055/02646
  44. ↑ http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/24.2-500/
  45. ↑ http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=29A.24.075
  46. ↑ https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/62
  47. ↑ http://legisweb.state.wy.us/NXT/gateway.dll/2016%20Wyoming%20Statutes/2016%20Titles/1195/1234/1237?f=templates$fn=document-frameset.htm$q=%5Brank%3A%5Bsum%3A%5Bstem%3Aqualified%5D%5Bstem%3Avoter%5D%5D%5D$x=server$3.0#LPHit1, Article 3 - Nominations
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