States with gubernatorial term limits
From Ballotpedia
In 36 states, governors are subject to some type of term limits. Some term limits were initially within state
constitutions, while others were created through initiatives.
Lifetime versus consecutive
Gubernatorial term limits can be either lifetime or consecutive, and may be based on years or terms served.
In the 28 states where the limits are consecutive, once a governor has served the maximum number of years
or terms, he or she must leave the governor's office. In most cases the person may be able to run for another
elected position. After a period of time out of office, usually four years, the person is allowed to run for
governor again.
In eight states, the term limit for the governor is a lifetime limit. Once a governor has served the maximum
allowable number of terms in office, that person may never again run for or hold the office of governor.
Gubernatorial term limits
Color Key
No term
limits
No term limits (but
two year terms)
2 consecutive
term limit
8 out of 12
year limit
8 out of 16 No consecutive
year limit
terms
2 lifetime
term limit
Gubernatorial
office
Simple
Explanation
Alabama
Alabama
"[The Governor] shall be eligible to succeed himself Constitution of
2 consecutive
in office, but no person shall be eligible to succeed 1901, Amendment
term limit
himself for more than one additional term."
282 (to Section
116)
Alaska
"No person who has been elected governor for two
2 consecutive
full successive terms shall be again eligible to hold
term limit
that office until one full term has intervened."
Arizona
Constitutional Law
Source
Alaska
Constitution,
Article III, Section
5
2 consecutive "No member of the executive department shall hold Arizona
that office for more than two consecutive terms.
Constitution,
term limit
This limitation on the number of terms of
Article 5 Section 1
consecutive service shall apply to terms of office
Version 2
beginning on or after January 1, 1993. No member
of the executive department after serving the
maximum number of terms, which shall include any
part of a term served, may serve in the same office
until out of office for no less than one full term."
Arkansas
Arkansas
"No elected officials of the Executive Department of
2 lifetime term
Constitution of
this State may serve in the same office more than
limit
1874, Amendment
two such four year terms."
73
California
2 lifetime term
"No Governor may serve more than 2 terms."
limit
California
Constitution,
Article V, Section 2
Colorado
"(2) In order to broaden the opportunities for public
service and to guard against excessive
concentrations of power, no governor ... shall serve
more than two consecutive terms in such office. This
limitation on the number of terms shall apply to
terms of office beginning on or after January 1,
2 consecutive 1991. Any person who succeeds to the office of
term limit
governor or is appointed or elected to fill a vacancy
in one of the other offices named in this section, and
who serves at least one-half of a term of office, shall
be considered to have served a term in that office for
purposes of this subsection (2). Terms are
considered consecutive unless they are at least four
years apart."
Colorado
Constitution,
Article IV, Section
1
Connecticut
No term limits
Connecticut
Constitution,
Article IV
Delaware
"The Governor shall hold his office during four
2 lifetime term years from the third Tuesday in January next
limit
ensuing his election; and shall not be elected a third
time to said office."
Delaware
Constitution,
Article III, Section
5
Florida
"No person who has, or but for resignation would
2 consecutive have, served as governor or acting governor for
term limit
more than six years in two consecutive terms shall
be elected governor for the succeeding term."
Florida
Constitution,
Article IV, Section
5
Georgia
"Persons holding the office of Governor may
succeed themselves for one four-year term of office.
Persons who have held the office of Governor and
2 consecutive
have succeeded themselves as herein before
term limit
provided shall not again be eligible to be elected to
that office until after the expiration of four years
from the conclusion of their term as Governor."
Hawaii
Hawaii
2 consecutive "No person shall be elected to the office of governor Constitution,
term limit
for more than two consecutive full terms."
Section V, Section
1
Idaho
No term limits
Idaho Constitution,
Article IV, Section
1
Illinois
No term limits
Illinois Article V,
Section 2
Indiana
8 out of 12
year limit
Georgia
Constitution,
Article V, Section
1, Paragraph 1
"The executive power of the State shall be vested in
Indiana
a Governor. He shall hold his office during four
Constitution,
years, and shall not be eligible more than eight years
Article 5, Section 1
in any period of twelve years."
Iowa
No term limits
Iowa Constitution,
Article IV, Section
2
Kansas
2 consecutive "No person may be elected to more than two
term limit
successive terms as governor..."
Kansas
Constitution,
Article I, Section 1
Kentucky
"The Governor shall be ineligible for the succeeding
Kentucky
2 consecutive four years after the expiration of any second
Constitution,
term limit
consecutive term for which he shall have been
Section 71
elected."
Louisiana
"A person who has served as governor for more than
2 consecutive one and one-half terms in two consecutive terms
term limit
shall not be elected governor for the succeeding
term."
Louisiana
Constitution,
Section IV, Section
3b
Maine
"The person who has served 2 consecutive popular
2 consecutive
elective 4-year terms of office as Governor shall be
term limit
ineligible to succeed himself or herself."
Maine Constitution,
Article V. -- Part
First, Section 2
Maryland
"a person who has served two consecutive popular
elective terms of office as Governor shall be
2 consecutive
ineligible to succeed himself as Governor for the
term limit
term immediately following the second of said two
consecutive popular elective terms"
Maryland
Constitution,
Article II, Section 1
No term limits
Massachusetts
Constitution,
Chapter II
Massachusetts
Michigan
"No person shall be elected more than two times to
each office of the executive branch of government:
governor ... Any person appointed or elected to fill a
vacancy in the office of governor ... for a period
2 lifetime term greater than one half of a term of such office, shall
limit
be considered to have been elected to serve one time
in that office for purposes of this section. This
limitation on the number of times a person shall be
elected to office shall apply to terms of office
beginning on or after January 1, 1993."
Michigan
Constitution,
Article V, Section
30
Minnesota
No term limits
Minnesota
Constitution,
Article V
Mississippi
"Any person elected to the office of Governor shall
be eligible to succeed himself in office. However, no
person shall be elected to the office of Governor
2 lifetime term more than twice, and no person who has held the
limit
office of Governor or has acted as Governor for
more than two (2) years of a term to which another
person was elected shall be elected to the office of
Governor more than once."
Mississippi
Constitution,
Article 5, Section
116
Missouri
"No person shall be elected governor...more than
twice, and no person who has held the office of
2 lifetime term governor..., or acted as governor..., for more than
limit
two years of a term to which some other person was
elected to the office of governor or treasurer shall be
elected to the office of governor...more than once."
Missouri
Constitution,
Article IV, Section
17
Montana
"(1) The secretary of state or other authorized
official shall not certify a candidate's nomination or
election to, or print or cause to be printed on any
ballot the name of a candidate for, one of the
following offices if, at the end of the current term of
that office, the candidate will have served in that
office or had he not resigned or been recalled would
have served in that office:
(a) 8 or more years in any 16-year period as
governor..."
Montana
Constitution,
Article IV, Section
8
8 out of 16
year limit
Nebraska
"The Governor shall be ineligible to the office of
2 consecutive Governor for four years next after the expiration of
term limit
two consecutive terms for which he or she was
elected."
Nebraska
Constitution,
Article IV-1
Nevada
"nor shall any person be elected to the Office of
Governor more than twice; and no person who has
2 lifetime term held the Office of Governor, or acted as Governor
limit
for more than two years of a term to which some
other person was elected Governor shall be elected
to the Office of Governor more than once."
Nevada
Constitution,
Article 5, Section 3
New
Hampshire
No term limits
(but two year
terms)
New Hampshire
Constitution,
Article 42
New Jersey
"No person who has been elected Governor for two
successive terms, including an unexpired term, shall
2 consecutive
again be eligible for that office until the third
term limit
Tuesday in January of the fourth year following the
expiration of the second successive term."
New Jersey
Constitution,
Article V, Section
1, Paragraph 5
New Mexico
"[The Governor] shall, after having served two
New Mexico
2 consecutive
terms in a state office, be ineligible to hold that state Constitution,
term limit
office until one full term has intervened."
Article V, Section 1
New York
Constitution,
Article IV, Section
1
New York
No term limits
North Carolina
North Carolina
"No person elected to the office of Governor ... shall
2 consecutive
Constitution,
be eligible for election to more than two consecutive
term limit
Article III, Section
terms of the same office."
2, Paragraph 2
North Dakota
No term limits
North Dakota
Constitution,
Article V
Ohio
"No person shall hold the office of governor for a
2 consecutive
period longer than two successive terms of four
term limit
years."
Ohio Constitution,
Article III, Section
2
Oklahoma
"No person shall be eligible to serve as Governor for
a period of time in excess of eight (8) years. Such
2 lifetime term years need not be consecutive. Any years served by
limit
a person serving as Governor for less than full term
to fill a vacancy in such office shall not be included
in eight-year limitation set forth herein."
Oklahoma
Constitution,
Article VI, Section
4
Oregon
8 out of 12
year limit
"The cheif [sic] executive power of the State, shall
be vested in a Governor, who shall hold his office
Oregon
for the term of four years; and no person shall be
Constitution,
eligible to such office more than Eight, in any period Article V, Section 1
of twelve years."
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
"Except for the Governor who may be in office
2 consecutive
Constitution,
when this amendment is adopted, he shall be eligible
term limit
Article IV, Section
to succeed himself for one additional term."
3
Rhode Island
"No person shall serve consecutively in the same
2 consecutive general office for more than two (2) full terms,
term limit
excluding any partial term of less than two (2) years
previously served."
South Carolina
2 consecutive "No person shall be elected Governor for more than South Carolina
Rhode Island
Constitution,
Article IV, Section
1
term limit
two successive terms."
Constitution,
Article IV, Section
3
South Dakota
South Dakota
"Commencing with the 1974 general election, no
2 consecutive
Constitution,
person shall be elected to more than two consecutive
term limit
Article IV, Section
terms as Governor..."
2
Tennessee
"A person may be eligible to succeed in office for
additional four year terms, provided that no person
2 consecutive presently serving or elected hereafter shall be
term limit
eligible for election to more than two terms
consecutively, including an election to a partial
term."
Tennessee
Constitution,
Article III, Section
4
Texas
No term limits
Texas Constitution,
Article 4, Section 4
Utah
No term limits
Utah Constitution,
Article VII, Section
1
Vermont
No term limits
(but two year
terms)
Vermont
Constitution,
Chapter II, Section
43 and 49
Virginia
"[The Governor] shall be ineligible to the same
Virginia
No consecutive
office for the term next succeeding that for which he Constitution,
terms
was elected"
Article V, Section 1
Washington
No term limits
Washington
Constitution,
Article III, Section
2
West Virginia
"A person who has been elected or who has served
as governor during all or any part of two consecutive
2 consecutive
terms shall be ineligible for the office of governor
term limit
during any part of the term immediately following
the second of the two consecutive terms."
West Virginia
Constitution,
Article VII, Section
4
Wisconsin
No term limits
Wisconsin
Constitution,
Article V, Section 1
Wyoming
8 out of 16
year limit
"The person, by the end of the current term of office
will have served, or but for resignation, would have
served eight (8) or more years in any sixteen (16)
Wyoming Statutes §
year period in the office for which the candidate is
22-5-103 (See note
seeking nomination or election, except, that any time
below)
served in that particular office prior to January 1,
1993, shall not be counted for purposes of this term
limit. This provision shall apply to the offices of
governor..."

Note on Wyoming: Wyoming has no constitutional term limits. The statute imposing term limits on
state elected officials was adopted in a 1992 ballot measure. On February 1, 2013, the Wyoming
Supreme Court overturned the voter-approved initiative as it applies to the offices of secretary of
state, auditor, treasurer and superintendent of public instruction, but not governor. The court's ruling
stated that the "qualifications for state offices are spelled out in the Wyoming Constitution and
requirements can only be changed by constitutional amendment, not state statute."[1]