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

• President of the United States and Vice President of the United States: 35 (Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution)
• United States Senator: 30 (Article I, Section 3, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution)
• United States Representative: 25 (Article I, Section 2, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution)

State government

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	None	N.A.	None
Arizona	25	25	25	N.A.	25	25	25
Arkansas	30	25	21	30	18*	18*	18
California	18*	30*	18*	18*	18*	18*	18*
Colorado	30	25	25	30	25	25	25
Connecticut	30	None	None	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	None
Hawaii	30	25	18	30	None	N.A.	None
Idaho	30	18*	18*	30	30	25	25
Illinois	25[1]	21	21	25[1]	25	25	25
Indiana	30	25	21	30	None	18*
Iowa	30	25	21	30	18	None
Kansas	None	18*	18*	None	None	None
Kentucky	30[2]	30	24[2]	30	30	30	30
Louisiana	25	30	18	25	25	25	25
Maine	30	25*	21*	N.A.	None	None
Maryland	30[3]	25[3]	21[3]	30[3]	18*	None
Massachusetts	30	18	None	18*	18	None
Michigan	30[4]	21[4]	21[4]	30[4]	None	18*
Minnesota	25	21	21	25[5]	None	21
Mississippi	30	25	21	30	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	None	None	None
New Hampshire	30[6]	30[6]	18[6]	N.A.	None	None
New Jersey	30	30	21	30	None	None
New Mexico	30	25	21	30	30	30	30
New York	30[7]	18[7]	18[7]	30[7]	30	None	30
North Carolina	30[8]	21[9]	21[10]	30[8]	None	21	21
North Dakota	30	18*	18*	30	25	25	25
Ohio	18	18	18	None	18	18	18
Oklahoma	31[11]	25[11]	21[11]	31	31	31	31
Oregon	30	21	21	N.A.	None	None
Pennsylvania	30	25	21	30	30	None	None
Rhode Island	18	18	18	18	18	18	18
South Carolina	30[12]	25[13]	21[13]	30	18*	18*
South Dakota	21	21	21	21	None	None
Tennessee	30	30	21[14]	30†	None	None
Texas	30	26	21	30	18	None	None
Utah	25	25	25	30	25	N.A.	25
Vermont	None	None	None	None	None	None
Virginia	30[15]	21[16]	21[16]	30	30	None	None
Washington	18*	18*	18*	18*	18*	18*	18
West Virginia	30	18	18	N.A.	25	18*	18
Wisconsin	18	18	18	18*	None	None	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.

Hawaii

• Neighborhood Board Member: 18

Illinois

• Comptroller: 25^[1]

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]

Massachusetts

• Most offices: 18

Michigan

• State Court Justice: less than 70^[17]
• Any county or local office: 18

Minnesota

• Many offices: 21^[18]

New York

• Comptroller: 30^[7]

North Carolina

• Many offices: 21^[10]

Oregon

• Sheriff: 21
• Other county offices: 18
• Justice of the Peace: 18

South Carolina

• Judicial: 32^[19]

South Dakota

• Public Utilities Commissioner: 25

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 county or local office: Usually 18

Wisconsin

• Any office: 18^[20]

Local government

As of November 2016, most U.S. cities with populations exceeding 300,000 required their mayor to be a registered voter in the city thereof or at least 18. 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; Kansas City, MO; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC
• 21 Years: Louisville, KY, Oklahoma City, OK; Aurora, CO
• No Age Minimum: Albuquerque, NM; Bakersfield, CA; Fresno, CA; Indianapolis, IN; Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Pittsburgh, PA; Saint Paul, MN; Raleigh, NC; Virginia Beach, VA; Wichita, KS

Baltimore

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

References

1. "Article V, Section 3". Constitution of the State of Illinois. Illinois General Assembly. December 15, 1970. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
2. http://www.lrc.ky.gov/legresou/constitu/072.htm
3. http://www.elections.state.md.us/candidacy/qualifications.html
4. "Article V, Section 22" (PDF). Michigan Constitution. State of Michigan. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
5. http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/Article5.htm, Section 2
6. http://www.nh.gov/constitution/governor.html, Article 42
7. http://www.elections.ny.gov/RunningOffice.html
8. "Article III, Section 2". North Carolina Constitution. North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
9. "Article II, Section 6". North Carolina Constitution. North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
10. "Article VI, Section 6". North Carolina Constitution. North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
11. http://oklegal.onenet.net/okcon/VI-3.html
12. "Article IV, Section 2". South Carolina Constitution. South Carolina Legislature. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
13. "Article III, Section 7". South Carolina Constitution. South Carolina Legislature. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
14. http://www.state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/05-06/46-tnconst.pdf
15. http://law.lis.virginia.gov/constitution/article5/section3/
16. http://law.lis.virginia.gov/constitution/article4/section4/
17. "Article VI, Section 21" (PDF). Michigan Constitution. State of Michigan. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
18. http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/Article7.htm, Section 6
19. "Article V, Section 15". South Carolina Constitution. South Carolina Legislature. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
20. http://www.youthrights.net/index.php?title=Age_of_candidacy