Table 4.2

The Governors: Qualifications for Office


FIPS State or other
jurisdiction
Minimum Age State citizen
(years)
U.S. citizen
(years) (a)
State resident
(years) (b)
Qualified voter
years
01Alabama*307107

02Alaska3077

04Arizona255105

05Arkansas307

06California1855

08Colorado302

09Connecticut306 months

10Delaware*30126

12Florida*307

7

13Georgia*30156

15Hawaii3055

16Idaho*3022

17Illinois*253

18Indiana3055

19Iowa*3022

20Kansas*

21Kentucky3022

22Louisiana*25555

23Maine30155

24Maryland*30

25Massachusetts*7

26Michigan*30

4

27Minnesota251

28Mississippi*30205

29Missouri301510

30Montana252

31Nebraska3055

32Nevada*2522

33New Hampshire307

34New Jersey*30207

35New Mexico305

36New York*305

37North Carolina*3052

38North Dakota305

39Ohio18

40Oklahoma*311010

(c)

41Oregon303

42Pennsylvania*307

44Rhode Island*1830 days30 days30 days

30 days

45South Carolina*3055

46South Dakota212

47Tennessee307

48Texas*305

49Utah30535

50Vermont*184

51Virginia*305

1

53Washington18

54West Virginia*305

55Wisconsin18

56Wyoming305

60American Samoa*355

66Guam*3055

69CNMI* **3510

72Puerto Rico*35555

78U.S. Virgin Islands*3055


Source:

The Council of State Governments' survey of governors' offices, 2023.

Key:

* Responses carried forward due to state nonresponse.
** Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.
Formal provision; number of years not specified.
No formal provision.

Footnotes:

(a)

In some states you must be a U.S. citizen to be an elector, and must be an elector to run.

(b)

In some states you must be a state resident to be an elector, and must be an elector to run.

(c)

In order to file as a candidate for nomination by a political party to any state or county office, a person must have been a registered voter of that party for the six month period preceding the first day of the filing period.