Paperwork Requirements to Run for the State Legislature

Elections

Every state requires candidates for office to file paperwork notifying the state that the filer intends to run and is completing or has completed the necessary steps to have their name placed on the ballot. The paperwork also notifies the state campaign finance regulator that the new candidate will be submitting finance reports.

Each state’s paperwork requirements are different. Most states require potential candidates to file a declaration of candidacy signaling the intent to run for office. Other common requirements include statements of financial interest/disclosure, statements on criminal convictions and pledges of allegiance to either the state or the candidate’s political party when running as a party candidate.

Party affiliation affects paperwork requirements, too. Candidates typically affiliate with a major or minor party or run as independent or unaffiliated candidates. Party or nonparty choice can determine the regulations that govern the candidacy and campaign. Some states have different guidelines for minor parties; please visit your election official’s website for additional information.

Many states also require petitions or filing fees, or both. For more information, see Petition Requirements to Run for the State Legislature and Filing Fees to Run for the State Legislature.

The table below details the documents each state requires potential candidates to file, including requirements for both independent/unaffiliated candidates and major-party candidates.

Note: In some states, an individual automatically becomes a candidate when spending or fundraising efforts cross a predetermined threshold, whether the proper paperwork has been filed or not. This page does not detail those thresholds. For that information, contact your state election officials.

This page is part of NCSL’s Toolkit for Primary Elections, which provides information on many different aspects of party nomination systems.

Paperwork Requirements to Run for the State Legislature

State	State Requirements for All Candidates	Additional Independent/Unaffiliated Candidate Requirements	Additional Major-Party Requirements	Statute(s)
Alabama	Appointment of principal campaign committee File financial disclosure reports Statement of dissolution and termination report Statement of economic interest	No additional requirements	Declaration of candidacy Party filing fee	Ala. Code § 17-5-8 Ala. Code § 17-13-5 Candidate Resources, Alabama Secretary of State
Alaska	Declaration of candidacy Pay filing fee Financial disclosure statement	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	Alaska Stat. § 15.25.030 Alaska Stat. § 15.25.050 Alaksa State Senator or Representative Packet
Arizona	Statement of interest Nomination paper Financial disclosure statement Nomination petitions	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16-311
Arkansas	Political practices pledge Affidavit of eligibility Signature collection affidavit	Signature collection affidavit Notice of candidacy	Pay party filing fee Party pledge Obtain and file party certificate	Ark. Stat. Ann. § 7-6-102 Ark. Stat. Ann. § 7-7-301 Candidate Information, Arkansas Secretary of State
California	Candidate intention statement Establish campaign contribution account and file a statement of organization Pay filing fee OR submit signatures in lieu of filing fee Nomination papers Statement of economic interest	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	Cal. Gov Code § 85200 Cal. Gov Code § 85201 Cal. Gov Code § 87200 Cal. Elec. Code § 8106
Colorado	Public announcement of candidacy Establish candidate or stand-alone committee File candidate affidavit form Personal financial disclosure statement	No additional requirements	Notice of candidacy to party Certificate of designation Candidate acceptance of assembly designation form	Colo. Rev. Stat. § 1-45-109 Colo. Rev. Stat. § 1-45-110 Colo. Rev. Stat. § 1-4-601 State Candidates, Colorado Secretary of State
Connecticut	Write-in application OR Application for nominating petition	No additional requirements	Parties choose candidates	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-373a Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-453b Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-382
Delaware	Candidate filing form Candidate ballot name form	Unaffiliated candidate declaration	Notice of candidacy Pay party filing fee	Del. Code Ann. tit. 15, § 3002
District of Columbia	Declaration of candidacy Receipt of ballot access documents Receipt for completed ballot access documents	No additional requirements	Party nomination though primary election	D.C. Code Ann. § 1-1001.8
Florida	Qualification papers Candidate oath Appointment of campaign treasurer Statement of financial interest	Petition paperwork Statement of no party affiliation	Statement of political party affiliation Party filing fees	Fla. Stat. § 99.021 Fla. Stat. § 99.061
Georgia	Filing fees Pauper’s affidavit (if not paying filing fee)	Notice of candidacy and affidavit Nomination petition (if not paying filing fee)	Declaration of candidacy	Ga. Code § 21-2-132
Hawaii	Application for nomination paper Ballot name Nomination paper Filing fee	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	Hawaii Rev. Stat. § 12-3
Idaho	Declaration of candidacy Declaration of intent	Petition of candidacy	Declaration of candidacy (filed under party name)	Idaho Code § 34-704 Idaho Code § 34-708
Illinois	Statement of candidacy Oath (optional) Statement of economic interest	Independent or new party petition	Certificate of nomination	Ill. Rev. Stat. ch. 10, § 5/7-10 Ill. Rev. Stat. ch. 10, § 5/10-5 Ill. Rev. Stat. ch. 10, § 5/10-1
Indiana	Statement of economic interest Declaration of candidacy	Petition of nomination	Party affiliation (in declaration of candidacy)	Ind. Code § 3-8-1-33 Ind. Code § 3-8-2-2 Ind. Code § 3-8-2-11 Ind. Code § 3-8-2-7
Iowa	Affidavit of candidacy Nomination petition	No additional requirements	Political party convention certificate	Iowa Code § 43.18 Iowa Code § 45.1 Iowa Code § 43.88
Kansas	Nomination petition Declaration Filing fees	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25-208
Kentucky	Appoint campaign treasurer Filing fees	Statement of candidacy Nominating petition	Major party notification and declaration	Ky. Rev. Stat. § 118.125 Ky. Rev. Stat. § 118.315
Louisiana	Notice of candidacy Nomination petition OR Filing fees	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:461 La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:465 La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:464
Maine	Candidate consent form	Non-party candidate petition	Primary party candidate petition	Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A, § 336 Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A, § 355
Maryland	Statement of organization Financial disclosure form Filing fee	Declaration of Intent Certificate of nomination (minor party only) Petition	Certificate of candidacy	Md. Election Code Ann. § 5-301 Md. Election Code Ann. § 5-705 Md. Election Code Ann. § 5-703
Massachusetts	Nomination papers Statement of financial interest	No additional requirements	Certificate of nomination	Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 53, § 46 Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 53, § 3
Michigan	Affidavit of identity	Qualifying petition	Partisan nominating petition OR Filing fee	Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.558 Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.542
Minnesota	Affidavit of candidacy Nominating petition	No additional requirements	Party nomination	Minn. Stat. § 204B.03
Mississippi	Filing fee	Independent candidate statement of intent Petition	Party candidate statement of intent	Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-296 Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-297
Missouri	Filing fee (or declaration of inability to pay) Proof of identity Affidavit of tax payments and bonding requirements	Nomination petition	No additional requirements	Mo. Rev. Stat. § 115.357 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 115.306
Montana	Oath of candidacy candidate declaration	Petition for nomination	Nomination declaration	Mont. Code Ann. § 13-10-201 Mont. Code Ann. § 13-10-501
Nebraska	Candidate filing form Statement of financial interest Filing fee	Petition	No additional requirements	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 32-624 Neb. Rev. Stat. § 32-616 Neb. Rev. Stat. § 49-1493
Nevada	Declaration of candidacy Filing fee Financial disclosure statement	Petition of candidacy	No additional requirements	Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293.177 Nev. Rev. Stat. § 281.561 Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293.200
New Hampshire	Statement of financial interest	Declaration of intent Administrative assessment fee AND Nomination papers	Declaration of candidacy Administrative assessment fee OR Primary petition	N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 655:17 N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 655:17-c N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 655:14-a N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 655:19-c
New Jersey	Petition Oath of allegiance Certificate of acceptance to be signed by candidate Disclosure statement of criminal conviction	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	N.J. Rev. Stat. § 19:23-15
New Mexico	Declaration of candidacy Candidate information for campaign reporting form Financial disclosure statement	Independent nominating petition	Major party nominating petition	N.M. Stat. Ann. § 1-8-21 N.M. Stat. Ann. § 1-8-33
New York	No additional requirements	Independent nominating petition	Party designation petition	N.Y. Election Law § 6-140 N.Y. Election Law § 6-132
North Carolina	Notice of candidacy Felony disclosure form Filing fee	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-106 N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-107
North Dakota	Affidavit of candidacy Statement of interest	Petition/certificate of nomination	Certificate of endorsement	N.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-11-11 N.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-11-06
Ohio	Declaration of candidacy	#3-G form	#2-F form	Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3513.05 Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3513.257
Oklahoma	Declaration of candidacy Petition OR Filing fee	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	Okla. Stat. tit. 26, § 5-111 Okla. Stat. tit. 26, § 5-112
Oregon	No additional requirements	Petition	Filing fee OR Petition	Or. Rev. Stat. § 249.068 Or. Rev. Stat. § 249.740
Pennsylvania	Filing fee Nomination petition Candidate affidavit Statement of financial interest	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	Pa. Stat. tit. 25, § 2867 Pa. Stat. tit. 25, § 2873 Pa. Stat. tit. 25, § 2870 Pa. Stat. tit. 65, § 1104
Puerto Rico	Intention to aspire to be a candidate Tax returns Drug test Certification of no criminal record	Petition	Party nomination	P.R. Code Ann. tit. 16, § 4612 P.R. Code Ann. tit. 16, § 4625 P.R. Code Ann. tit. 16, 4619
Rhode Island	Declaration of candidacy Nomination papers	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-14-1 R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-14-7
South Carolina	Statement of intention of candidacy Nomination petition Filing fee	No additional requirements	Party pledge form	S.C. Code Ann. § 7-11-70 S.C. Code Ann. § 7-11-15
South Dakota	Declaration of candidacy	Independent nominating petition	Party nomination petition	S.D. Codified Laws Ann. § 7-8-2.2 S.D. Codified Laws Ann. § 12-6-7
Tennessee	Nominating petition Financial disclosure	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-5-101 Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-10-105
Texas	Candidate application	Declaration of intent to run as an independent candidate Nomination petition	Filing fee OR Petition	Tex. Election Code Ann. § 142.002 Tex. Election Code Ann. § 141.031 Tex. Election Code Ann. § 181.0311
Utah	Declaration of candidacy	Certificate of nomination petition	Signatures for nomination of party	Utah Code Ann. § 20A-9-201 Utah Code Ann. § 20A-9-502
Vermont	Consent of candidate Financial disclosure	Statement of nomination (petition)	Petition	Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 17, § 2356 Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 17, § 2403 Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 17, § 2385 Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 17, § 2414
Virgin Islands	Campaign disclosure report form Campaign committee appointment form Candidate information sheet	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	V.I. Code Ann. tit. 18, § 906 Elections System of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Virginia	Certificate of candidate qualification Statement of economic interest Statement of organization for a candidate	Declaration of candidacy Petitions of qualified voters	Filing fee	Va. Code § 24.2-501 Va. Code § 24.2-502 Va. Code § 24.2-506 Va. Code § 24.2-947.1 Va. Code § 24.2-523
Washington	Declaration of candidacy Filing fee OR Petition	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	Wash. Rev. Code § 29A.24.070 Wash. Rev. Code § 29A.24.091
West Virginia	Pre-candidacy form Certificate of announcement	Official credentials from Candidate nomination petition	No additional requirements	W. Va. Code § 3-8-5e W. Va. Code § 3-5-7 W. Va. Code § 3-5-23
Wisconsin	Declaration of candidacy Nomination papers Campaign registration statement Statement of economic interest	No additional requirements	No additional requirements	Wis. Stat. § 8.21 Wis. Stat. § 8.15 Wis. Stat. § 11.0202 Wis. Stat. § 19.43
Wyoming	No additional requirements	Petition for nomination	Application for nomination by party	Wyo. Stat. § 22-5-301 Wyo. Stat. § 22-4-101

Note: This information on this page is not intended to be a guide for potential candidates. To obtain instructions on how to run for office, please consult your local or state election officials, state election regulation authority or an attorney.

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