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 and senators—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.
The US Constitution does not specify an age requirements for one to serve on the Supreme Court.
There are no specified age requirements to serve in a presidential cabinet.
State government Most states in the U.S. have age requirements for the offices of Governor, State Senator, and State Representative. Some states have a minimum age requirement to hold any elected office (usually 21 or 18). StateGovernorUpper houseLower houseLieutenant governorAttorney generalSecretary of stateTreasurerAlabama30252130252525 Alaska3025213018*N.A.18*Arizona252525N.A.252525Arkansas3025213018*18*18California18*18*18*18*18*18*18*Colorado30252530252525Connecticut3018*18*3018None18*Delaware30272430NoneNoneNoneFlorida3021213030None25Georgia30252130252518*Hawaii30251830NoneN.A.NoneIdaho3018*18*30302525Illinois25212125252525Indiana302521301818*Iowa302521301818*Kansas2518*18*25NoneNoneKentucky30302430303030Louisiana30301825252525Maine30 25*21*N.A.NoneNoneMaryland3025213018*18*Massachusetts25251818*181818Michigan302121302118*Minnesota25212125Archived copy , Section 22121Mississippi30252120262525Missouri30302430NoneNoneMontana25NoneNone252525Nebraska3021N.A.3018NoneNevada2521212518*18*18*New Hampshire303018N.A.18*18*New Jersey30302130NoneNoneNew Mexico30252130303030New York3018183030None30North Carolina30252130212121North Dakota3019*18*30252525Ohio181818None181818Oklahoma31252131313131Oregon302121N.A.1818Pennsylvania3025213030NoneNoneRhode Island18181818181818South Carolina3025213018*18*South Dakota21212121NoneNoneTennessee30302130†18NoneTexas302621301818*18*Utah3025253025N.A.25VermontNoneNoneNoneNone18NoneVirginia302121303018*18*Washington18*18*18*18*18*18*18*West Virginia301818N.A.2518*18Wisconsin18181818*18*18*18Wyoming302521N.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 30 (qualified voter requirement)
Arizona Any public office: at least 18
California Any public office: 18
Colorado Any public office: at least 21
Georgia Any public office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)
Hawaii Neighborhood Board Member: 18
Idaho Mayor: at 18
Illinois Comptroller: 25 School Board Member: 18 (qualified voter requirement)
Indiana Mayor: 18 (qualified voter requirement)
Iowa Any elected office: 18 (qualified voter requirement)
Louisiana Treasurer: 25 School Board Member: 18 (qualified voter requirement)
Maryland Circuit Court Judge: 30 County Sheriff: 25 Other county offices: vary according to local law Any public office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)
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
Montana Mayor: at least 21
Nebraska
Nevada Any public office: 18 (qualified voter requirement)
New Mexico Most offices: 18 (qualified elector requirement)
New York Comptroller: 30 State Senator: 18 State Assembly:18
North Carolina Many offices: 30, 25, 21 Nonpartisan municipal offices: 60 (qualified voter requirement) https://www.ncsbe.gov/candidates/filing-candidacy/general-candidate-requirements
North Dakota Mayor/council: 18 (qualified voter requirement)
Oklahoma State, county, and municipal public offices: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)
Oregon Sheriff: 21 Other county and local offices: 18 Justice of the Peace: 18
Pennsylvania Mayors of Third-Class Cities: 18
Rhode Island Any elected office: 18 (qualified voter requirement)
South Carolina Judicial: 32
South Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner: 25 Mayor/alderman: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)
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)
Vermont Town officials: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)
Virginia Any office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)
Washington Any office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)
Wisconsin Any city office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)
Wyoming Any municipal office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)
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; Saint Paul, MN 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 City Council Member: 21
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