Legal Babysitting Age By State

Legal Babysitting Age
Minimum Age
Legal Babysitting Age
AlabamaAlabamaNo Minimum Age
AlaskaAlaskaNo Minimum Age
ArizonaArizonaNo Minimum Age
ArkansasArkansasNo Minimum Age
CaliforniaCaliforniaNo Minimum Age
ColoradoColoradoNo Minimum Age
ConnecticutConnecticutNo Minimum Age
DelawareDelawareNo Minimum Age
FloridaFloridaNo Minimum Age
GeorgiaGeorgiaNo Minimum Age
HawaiiHawaiiNo Minimum Age
IdahoIdahoNo Minimum Age
IllinoisIllinois14 Years Old
IndianaIndianaNo Minimum Age
IowaIowaNo Minimum Age
KansasKansasNo Minimum Age
KentuckyKentuckyNo Minimum Age
LouisianaLouisianaNo Minimum Age
MaineMaineNo Minimum Age
MarylandMaryland13 Years Old
MassachusettsMassachusettsNo Minimum Age
MichiganMichiganNo Minimum Age
MinnesotaMinnesotaNo Minimum Age
MississippiMississippiNo Minimum Age
MissouriMissouriNo Minimum Age
MontanaMontanaNo Minimum Age
NebraskaNebraskaNo Minimum Age
NevadaNevadaNo Minimum Age
New HampshireNew HampshireNo Minimum Age
New JerseyNew JerseyNo Minimum Age
New MexicoNew MexicoNo Minimum Age
New YorkNew YorkNo Minimum Age
North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNo Minimum Age
North DakotaNorth DakotaNo Minimum Age
OhioOhioNo Minimum Age
OklahomaOklahomaNo Minimum Age
OregonOregonNo Minimum Age
PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaNo Minimum Age
Rhode IslandRhode IslandNo Minimum Age
South CarolinaSouth CarolinaNo Minimum Age
South DakotaSouth DakotaNo Minimum Age
TennesseeTennesseeNo Minimum Age
TexasTexasNo Minimum Age
UtahUtahNo Minimum Age
VermontVermontNo Minimum Age
VirginiaVirginiaNo Minimum Age
WashingtonWashingtonNo Minimum Age
West VirginiaWest VirginiaNo Minimum Age
WisconsinWisconsinNo Minimum Age
WyomingWyomingNo Minimum Age

Introduction

Babysitting - a common practice in our societies and often the first job for many teenagers - serves as an essential method of childcare for countless families across the United States. However, identifying an appropriate age to allow someone to babysit is a complex and subjective matter influenced by a host of factors. These include the age and maturity of the child/ren requiring care, the maturity and readiness of the potential babysitter, and the extent and nature of the care needed, among others.

  • Remarkably, the vast majority of states, 47 to be precise, do not mandate a minimum age for babysitting. These include populous states such as California, New York, and Texas.
  • A deviation from this norm is seen in Maryland and Illinois, where the state law sets a minimum babysitting age at 13 and 14 years old, respectively.
  • A number of states recommend guidelines rather than enforce regulations for the age at which children can be left alone, with an array of ages varying from 6 to 14.
  • While New Mexico does not have a state law delineating a minimum age for a child to be home alone, a local ordinance in Albuquerque stipulates that children under 11 may not be left unattended.

By Region

Alabama

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Alabama

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Alaska

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Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Arizona

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Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Arkansas

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Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

California

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California

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Colorado

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Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Connecticut

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Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Delaware

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Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Florida

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Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Georgia

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Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Hawaii

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Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Idaho

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Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Illinois

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Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

14 Years Old

Indiana

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Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Iowa

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Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Kansas

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Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Kentucky

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Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Louisiana

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Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Maine

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Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Maryland

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Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

13 Years Old

Massachusetts

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Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Michigan

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Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Minnesota

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Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Mississippi

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Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Missouri

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Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Montana

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Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Nebraska

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Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Nevada

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Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

New Hampshire

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New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

New Jersey

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New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

New Mexico

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New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

New York

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New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

North Carolina

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North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

North Dakota

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North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Ohio

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Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Oklahoma

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Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Oregon

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Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Rhode Island

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Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

South Carolina

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South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

South Dakota

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South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Tennessee

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Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Texas

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Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Utah

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Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Vermont

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Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Virginia

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Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Washington

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Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

West Virginia

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West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age

Wyoming

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Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Legal Babysitting Age

No Minimum Age