State K-3 Policies
What is the state’s kindergarten entrance date cutoff?
September 2020
At least 47 states plus the District of Columbia articulated a specific entrance age in statutes or regulations. At least two states left the entrance age determination to specific district resolution, and one state did not identify any guidance on kindergarten entrance age.
The following information was gathered from state statutes and regulations only.
To view other data points, click here.
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STATE
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What is the state's kindergarten entrance date cut off?
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Source
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| Alabama | Age 5 on or before September 1 | Ala. Code § 16-28-4 |
| Alaska | Age 5 on or before September 1 | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 14.03.080 |
| Arizona | Age 5 before September 1 | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 15-821 |
| Arkansas | Age 5 on or before August 1 | Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-207 |
| California | Age 5 on or before September 1 | Cal. Educ. Code § 48000 |
| Colorado | Age 5 on or before October 1 | 1 Colo. Code Regs. § 301-39:2254-R-5.00 |
| Connecticut | Age 5 on or before January | Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 10-15c |
| Delaware | Age 5 on or before August 31 | Del. Code Ann. tit. 14, § 2702 |
| District of Columbia | Age 5 on or before September 30 | D.C. Code Ann. § 38-202 |
| Florida | Age 5 on or before September 1 | Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1003.21 |
| Georgia | Age 5 by September 1 | Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-151 |
| Hawaii | Age 5 on or before July 31 | Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 302A-411 |
| Idaho | Age 5 on or before September 1 | Idaho Code Ann. §33-201 |
| Illinois | Age 5 on or before September 1 | 105 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 5/10-20.12 |
| Indiana | Age 5 on August 1 | Ind. Code Ann. § 20-33-2-7 |
| Iowa | Age 5 by September 15 | Iowa Code Ann. § 282.3 |
| Kansas | Age 5 on or before August 31 | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 72-3118 |
| Kentucky | Age 5 before August 1 | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 158.030 |
| Louisiana | Age 5 by September 30 | La. Stat. Ann. § 17:151.3 La. Stat. Ann. § 17:222 |
| Maine | Age 5 on or before October 15 | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 20-A, § 5201 |
| Maryland | Age 5 by September 1 |
Md. Code Regs. 13A.08.01.02 |
| Massachusetts | Each district may establish its own minimum permissible age for school attendance | 603 Mass. Code Regs. 8.02 |
| Michigan | Age 5 by September 1 | M.C.L.A. 380.1147 |
| Minnesota | Age 5 on or before September 1 | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.20 |
| Mississippi | Age 5 on or before September 1 | Miss. Code. Ann. § 37-15-9 |
| Missouri | Age 5 before August 1. Metropolitan districts can establish a policy that a child must be 5 on or before any date between August 1 and October 1. | Mo. Ann. Stat. § 160.051 Mo. Ann. Stat. § 160.054 |
| Montana | Age 5 on or before September 10 | Mont. Code Ann. § 20-7-117 |
| Nebraska | Age 5 on or before September 30 | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 392.040 |
| Nevada | Age 5 on or before September 30 | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 392.040 |
| New Hampshire | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| New Jersey | Districts may admit children aged 4 & 5, must admit children aged 5 to 6. The cutoff date must be after October 1. | N.J. Admin. Code § 18A:38-5 N.J. Admin. Code § 18A:38-5.1 |
| New Mexico | Age 5 on or before September 1 | Not specified in statute, rules, or regulations |
| New York | Districts shared that students must be between the ages of 4 and 6 | N.Y. Educ. Law § 2514 N.Y. Educ. Law § 1712 |
| North Carolina | Age 5 on or before August 31 | N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 115C-364 |
| North Dakota | Age 5 before August 1 | N.D. Cent. Code Ann. § 15.1-06-01 |
| Ohio | Districts may adopt a resolution establishing August 1 as the required date by which students must have attained the specified age specified by that district, instead of September 30 required date. | Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3321.01 |
| Oklahoma | Age 5 on or before September 1 | Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 70, § 18-108 |
| Oregon | Age 5 on or before September 1 | Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 336.092 |
| Pennsylvania | District decision: between the age of 4 and 6. Minimum age for kindergarten entrance is 4 years 7 months before the first day of the school year. | 24 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 5-503 22 Pa. Code § 53.1 |
| Rhode Island | Age 5 on or before September 1 | 16 R.I. Gen. Laws Ann. § 16-2-27 |
| South Carolina | Age 5 on or before September 1 | S.C. Code Ann. § 59-63-20 |
| South Dakota | Age 5 on or before September 1 | S.D. Codified Laws § 13-28-2 |
| Tennessee | Age 5 on or before August 15 | Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-201 |
| Texas | Age 5 on or before September 1 | Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 29.151 |
| Utah | Age 5 before September 2 | Utah Code Ann. § 53A-3-402 |
| Vermont | Age 5, school district may require students admitted to kindergarten to attain the age of 5 on or before August 31 and January 1 | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 16, § 1073 |
| Virginia | Age 5 on or before September 30 | Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-199 |
| Washington | Age 5 on or before August 31 | Wash. Admin. Code 392-335-010 |
| West Virginia | Age 5 prior to September 1. Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year districts must offer Pre-Kindergarten to all children who are age 4 before July 1. | W. Va. Code Ann. § 18-5-18 W. Va. Code Ann. § 18-5-44 |
| Wisconsin | 4-year-old Kindergarten: Age 4 on or before September 1. 5-year-old Kindergarten: Age 5 on or before September 1. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 118.14 |
| Wyoming | Age 5 on or before September 15 | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 21-4-302 |