Election Notice:  Monday, October 6, 2025 is the last day to register to vote for the November 4, 2025 Uniform Election  |  Visit VoteTexas.gov for more election information
Apostille/Authentication services available by appointment on Tuesdays and Fridays starting August 5.
EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 2023, OUR LOBBY WALK-IN HOURS WILL BE 9 A.M. - 4 P.M. (CENTRAL), MONDAY - FRIDAY.

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
President Yes;
Natural Born		 - - not req’d 35 - US Const.
Art. II,  1		 4 years
United States Senator 9 yrs.k Yesa not req’d not req’d 30k - US Const.
Art. I,  3		 6 years
United States Representative 7 yrs.k Yesa not req'd not req’d 25k - US Const. Art. I,  2 2 years
Governor Yes 5 yrs. - not req’d 30b - TX Const. Art. IV,  4 4 years
Lieutenant Governor Yes 5 yrs. - not req’d 30b - TX Const. Art. IV  16 4 years
Attorney General Yes 12 mo.c - Yesc 18h not req’d TX Const. Art. IV,  22 4 years
Comptroller of Public Accounts Yes 12 mo.c - Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. IV,  23 4 years
Commissioner of General Land Office Yes 12 mo.c - Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. IV,  23 4 years
Commissioner of Agriculture Yes 12 mo.c - Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. IV,  23 4 years
Railroad Commissioner Yes 12 mo.c - Yesc 25h - Nat. Res. Code
81.01003,
81.01004		 6 years
Chief Justice & Justice, Supreme Court Yes 12 mo.c - Yesc 35b 10 yrs.b i j TX Const. Art. V,  2 6 years
Presiding Judge and Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Yes 12 mo.c - Yesc 35b 10 yrs.b i j TX Const. Art. V,  4 6 years
Chief Justice
and Justice,
15th Court of Appealsl		 Yes 12 mo.c 6 m.c Yesc 35b 10 yrsb i j TX Const. Art. V,  6 6 years
State Senator Yes 5 yrs.b 12 mo.b not req’dd 26b - TX Const. Art. III,  6 4 years
State Representative Yes 2 yrs.b 12 mo.b not req’dd 21b - TX Const. Art. III,  7 2 years
Member, State Board of Education Yes 12 mo.b 12 mo.b Yesc 26b - Educ. Code
7.103		 4 years
Chief Justice and Justice, 
Court of Appeals		 Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 35b 10 yrs.b i j TX Const. Art. V,  6 6 years
District Judge Yes 2 yrs.b 2 yrs.b Yesc 25b 8 yrs.b&j TX Const. Art. V,  7
Gov’t Code  24.001		 4 years
Criminal District Judge Yes 2 yrs.b 2 yrs.b Yesc 25b 8 yrs.b&j TX Const. Art. V,  7
Gov’t Code  24.001		 4 years
Family District Judge Yes 2 yrs.b 2 yrs.b Yesc 25b 8 yrs.b&j TX Const. Art. V,  7
Gov’t Code  24.001		 4 years
District Attorneye Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h Yes TX Const. Art. V,  21, 30
Gov’t Code  41.001		 4 years
Criminal District Attorney Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h Yes TX Const. Art. V,  30
Gov’t Code Ch. 44,
41.001		 4 years
County Judge Yes 12 moc. 6 mo.c Yesc 18h Not req’d TX Const. Art. V,  15 4 years
Judge, County Court-at-Lawe Yes 2 yrs.e 2 yrs.b e Yesc 25e 4 yrs.e TX Const. Art. V,  30
Gov’t Code
25.0014		 4 years
Judge, County Criminal Courte Yes 2 yrs.e 2 yrs.b e Yesc 25e 4 yrs.e TX Const. Art. V,  30
Gov’t Code
25.0014		 4 years
Judge, County Probate Courte Yes 2 yrs.e 2 yrs.b e Yesc 25e 4 yrs.e TX Const. Art. V,  30
Gov’t Code
25.0014		 4 years
District Clerk Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. V,  9 4 years
District & County Clerk Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. V,  20 4 years
County Clerk Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. V,  20 4 years
County Treasurer Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. XVI,  44 4 years
County Surveyor Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. XVI,  44 4 years
County Attorney Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h Yes TX Const. Art. V,  21 
Gov’t Code  41.001		 4 years
Sherifff Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. V,  23
Loc. Gov’t Code  85.0011		 4 years
Tax Assessor-Collector Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. VIII,  14 4 years
County Commissioner Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. V,  18 4 years
Constableg Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. V,  18 
Loc. Gov’t Code
86.0021		 4 years
Justice of the Peace Yes 12 mo.c 6 mo.c Yesc 18h - TX Const. Art. V,  18  4 years

  1. No duration specified.
  2. Before date of general election.
  3. As of December 8, 2025, 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 25, 2026, if independent candidate. As of November 3, 2026, if declared write-in candidate.
  4. 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.
  5. Statutory qualifications may vary; contact your local party chair or the Secretary of State.
  6. Additional qualifications for sheriff: A person must (1) have a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate; and (2) either: (A) hold an active permanent peace officer license; or (B) be eligible to be licensed under Sections 1701.309 and 1701.312 of the Texas Occupations Code and has a minimum of five years of experience as a federal special investigator or is a military veteran with a minimum of 10 years of combined active duty or national guard service experience. [Tex. Loc. Gov’t Code 85.0011]

    7. NOTE:: Per guidance from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), a person would be considered to hold an “active permanent peace officer license” if the person has a peace officer license that is in active status and has not been revoked. For more guidance on the applicable requirements relating to licensure, please contact TCOLE at 512-936-7700, press 4, then 1.

  7. Additional qualifications for constable: A person 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, or (b) is a special investigator under Article 2.122(a) of the 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 of the Texas Occupations Code OR (2) an active or inactive licensed peace officer under Chapter 1701 of the Texas Occupations Code.
  8. 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.

  9. No person shall be eligible to serve in the office of Chief Justice or Justice of the Supreme Court unless the person has been either: (A) a practicing lawyer licensed in the State of Texas for at least ten years; or (B) a practicing lawyer licensed in the State of Texas and judge of a state court or county court established by the Legislature by statute for a combined total of at least ten years. Tex. Const. Art V, Sec. 2(b).
  10. No person shall be eligible to serve in the office of District Judge unless the person has been a practicing lawyer or a Judge of a Court in the State of Texas, or both combined, for eight years next preceding the person’s election, during which time the person’s license to practice law cannot have been revoked, suspended, or subject to a probated suspension. Tex. Const. Art V, Sec. 7(b).
  11. At the time the oath of office is administered. (See S. Rep. No. 904, 74th Congress, 1st sess. (1935), reprinted in 79 Cong. Rec. 9651–9653 (1935))
  12. SB 1045 (2023, R.S.) created the Fifteenth Court of Appeals. While the court is composed of all counties in Texas, the qualifications are the same as the district courts of appeal.

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 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.