Qualifications for All Public Offices
Public Office Sought |
U.S. Citizen | Texas Resident |
District Resident |
Registered to Vote in Area of Office Sought | Minimum Age |
Practicing Lawyer or Judge |
Source Law | Term of Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Senator | 9 yrs. | Yesa | not req’d | not req’d | 30b | _ | I § 3 n | 6 yrs. |
| United States Representative | 7 yrs. | Yesa | not req'd | not req’d | 25b | - | I § 2 n | 2 yrs. |
| Governor | Yes | 5 yrs. | - | not req’d | 30b | - | IV § 4 i | 4 yrs. |
| Lieutenant Governor | Yes | 5 yrs. | - | not req’d | 30b | - | IV § 16 i | 4 yrs. |
| Attorney General | Yes | 12 mo.c | - | Yesc | 18h | not req’d | IV § 22 i | 4 yrs. |
| Comptroller of Public Accounts | Yes | 12 mo.c | - | Yesc | 18h | - | IV § 23 i | 4 yrs. |
| Commission of General Land Office | Yes | 12 mo.c | - | Yesc | 18h | - | IV § 23 i | 4 yrs. |
| Commissioner of Agriculture | Yes | 12 mo.c | - | Yesc | 18h | - | IV § 23 i | 4 yrs. |
| Railroad Commissioner | Yes | 12 mo.c | - | Yesc | 25h | - | § 81.01003, 81.01004 j | 6 yrs. |
| Chief Justice & Justice, Supreme Court | Yes | 12 mo.c | - | Yesc | 35b | 10 yrs.b | V § 2 i | 6 yrs. |
| Presiding Judge and Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals | Yes | 12 mo.c | - | Yesc | 35b | 10 yrs.b | V § 4 i | 6 yrs. |
| State Senator | Yes | 5 yrs.b | 12 mo.b | not req’dd | 26b | - | III § 6 i | 4 yrs./2 yrs.o |
| State Representative | Yes | 2 yrs.b | 12 mo.b | not req’dd | 21b | - | III § 7 i | 2 yrs. |
| Member, State Board of Education | Yes | 12 mo.b | 12 mo.b | Yesc | 26b | - | § 7.103 k | 4 yrs./2 yrs.p |
| Chief Justice and Justice, Court of Appeals | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 35b | 10 yrsb | V § 6 i | 6 yrs. |
| District Judge | Yes | 2 yrs.b | 2 yrs.b | Yesc | 25b | 4 yrs.b | V § 7§ 24.001 l | 4 yrs. |
| Criminal District Judge | Yes | 2 yrs.b | 2 yrs.b | Yesc | 25b | 4 yrs.b | V § 7§ 24.001 l | 4 yrs. |
| Family District Judge | Yes | 2 yrs.b | 2 yrs.b | Yesc | 25b | 4 yrs.b | V § 7§ 24.001 l | 4 yrs. |
| District Attorney e | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | Yes | V § 21, 30§ 41.001 l | 4 yrs. |
| Criminal District Attorney | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | Yes | V § 30, Ch. 44,§ 41.001 l | 4 yrs. |
| County Judge | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | not req’d | V § 15 i | 4 yrs. |
| Judge, County Court-at-Law e | Yes | 2 yrs.e | 6 mo.c, e | Yesc | 25e | 4 yrs.e | V § 30§ 25.0014 l | 4 yrs. |
| Judge, County Criminal Courte | Yes | 2 yrs.e | 6 mo.c, e | Yesc | 25e | 4 yrs.e | V § 30§ 25.0014 l | 4 yrs. |
| Judge, County Probate Courte | Yes | 2 yrs.e | 6 mo.c, e | Yesc | 25e | 4 yrs.e | V § 30§ 25.0014 l | 4 yrs. |
| District Clerk | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | - | V § 9 i | 4 yrs. |
| District & County Clerk | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | - | V § 20 i | 4 yrs. |
| County Clerk | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | - | V § 20 i | 4 yrs. |
| County Treasurer | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | - | XVI § 44 i | 4 yrs. |
| County Surveyor | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | - | XVI § 44 i | 4 yrs. |
| County Attorney | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | Yes | V § 21 § 41.001 l | 4 yrs. |
| Sherifff | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | - | V § 23§ 85.0011 m | 4 yrs. |
| Tax Assessor-Collector | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | - | VIII § 14 i | 4 yrs. |
| County Commissioner | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | - | V § 18 i | 4 yrs. |
| Constableg | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | - | V § 18 § 86.0021 m | 4 yrs. |
| Justice of the Peace | Yes | 12 mo.c | 6 mo.c | Yesc | 18h | - | V § 18 i | 4 yrs. |
- No duration specified but before date of general election.
- Before date of general election.
- As of December 13, 2021, if candidate for Democratic or Republican Party nomination. As of the date of nomination, if other party nominee for statewide, multi-county district, single-county district, county or precinct office. As of June 23, 2022, if independent candidate. As of November 8, 2022, if declared write-in candidate.
- The offices of state senator and state representative must be qualified voters as defined by Tex. Const. Art. VI, Sec 2. This definition provides that an individual must be eligible to register to vote but need not actually be a registered voter.
- Statutory qualifications may vary; contact your local party chair or the Secretary of State.
- Additional qualifications for sheriff: must have a high school diploma or high school equivalency degree and be eligible to be licensed under sections 1701.309, 1701.312, and 1701.502 of the Texas Occupations Code.
- Additional qualifications for constable: must be either (1) eligible to be licensed under sections 1701.309, 1701.312, and 1701.502 of the Texas Occupations Code AND (a) has at least an associate’s degree, (b) is a special investigator under Article 2.122(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, or (c) is an honorably retired peace officer or honorably retired federal criminal investigator who holds a certificate of proficiency issued under Section 1701.357, Texas Occupations Code OR (2) an active or inactive licensed peace officer under Chapter 1701 of the Texas Occupations Code.
- On first day of term to be filled at election. Note: A candidate might need to be age 18 at an earlier date than the first day of the term to be filled at election if the candidate is required to be a registered voter. See offices requiring voter registration.
- Citation refers to an article and section number of the Texas Constitution. For general qualifications for public office, please see Section 141.001, Texas Election Code.
- Citation refers to section number of the Texas Natural Resources Code.
- Citation refers to section number of the Texas Education Code.
- Citation refers to an article of the Texas Constitution and a section number of the Texas Government Code.
- Citation refers to an article and section number of the Texas Constitution and a section number of the Texas Local Government Code.
- Citation refers to an article and section number of the United States Constitution.
- All State Board of Education positions are up for election in 2022 following redistricting in 2021. In the first post-redistricting election seven members shall serve two-year terms and eight members shall serve four-year terms. Members shall draw lots to determine who serves which terms. [Educ. Code § 7.104]
- All State Senate seats are up for election in 2022 following redistricting in 2021. In the first post-redistricting election members are divided into two classes; one class shall serve a 2-year term and the other class shall serve a 4-year term. Members shall draw lots to determine who serves which terms. [Tex. Const. art. 3, § 3].
Special Note 1: Please be advised that due to the removal of the staggering schedule from Article XVI, Section 65 of the Texas Constitution, there are various local offices which may have been created by your county commissioners court or the Texas Legislature but are not listed in this guide. For further information on filing for county offices not listed, please contact the county clerk’s/elections administrator’s office or the office of the Secretary of State.
Special Note 2: Please be advised that executive and judicial officers elected in a statewide election, state appellate and district judges, members of the State Board of Education, and district or criminal district attorneys (among others) are subject to the provisions of Chapter 572 of the Texas Government Code, which relates to personal financial disclosure, standards of conduct, and conflicts of interest issues. For further information on the applicability and requirements of Chapter 572, candidates should contact the Texas Ethics Commission.
