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. 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 2 full terms for the President of the United States. Federal government President of the United States and Vice President of the United States: Minimum age: 35 Per: Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution and Amendment XII of the United States Constitution United States Senator: Minimum age: 30 Per: Article I, Section 3, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution United States Representative: Minimum age: 25 Per: Article I, Section 2, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution State government * 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 Connecticut 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: 21 (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: 35 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