Louisiana Increase Judicial Retirement Age to 75 Years Amendment (April 2026)

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Louisiana Increase Judicial Retirement Age to 75 Years Amendment

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Election date

April 18, 2026

Topic
Age limits for officials
Status

On the ballot

Type
Legislatively referred constitutional amendment 		Origin

State legislature


The Louisiana Increase Judicial Retirement Age to 75 Years Amendment is on the ballot in Louisiana as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on April 18, 2026.[1]

A "yes" vote supports increasing the judicial retirement age from 70 to 75.

A "no" vote opposes increasing the judicial retirement age from 70 to 75.


Overview

What would this amendment do?

See also: Text of measure

This amendment would increase the mandatory judicial retirement age from 70 to 75. A mandatory retirement age requires judges to retire either upon reaching a specified age or at the end of the term during which they reach that age.[1]

Is there a judicial mandatory retirement age in other states?

See also: Map of states by judicial mandatory retirement age

Currently, 31 states and the District of Columbia have mandatory retirement ages for judges. These laws require judges to retire either upon reaching a specified age or at the end of the term during which they reach that age. Of the 31 states with mandatory judicial retirement ages, 16 states, including Louisiana, set the age at 70, which is the lowest. Vermont has the highest, with a retirement age of 90, which voters approved in 2003. Eight states have the retirement age set at 75—Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Washington (additionally, Missouri requires municipal judges to retire at 75, while all other judges must retire at 70).

The state to most recently decide on a judicial mandatory retirement age was New Hampshire, which had an amendment on the 2024 ballot that would have increased the mandatory judicial retirement age from 70 to 75. However, it failed because 66% voted to approve it and 34% voted to reject it; in New Hampshire, constitutional amendments require at least two-thirds approval to pass. The last state to approve an amendment addressing judicial retirement age was in Pennsylvania, when voters approved a measure by 51% that changed the judicial age from 70 to 75.

How did this amendment get on the ballot?

See also: Path to the ballot

In Louisiana, for the state legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is needed from each chamber during one legislative session. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

On March 28, 2025, the amendment, House Bill 63 (HB 63) was introduced to the Louisiana State Legislature. The House passed HB 63 by 61-16 on May 28, and the Senate voted to pass the amendment by 26-13 on June 6. The House then voted to pass the final conference report by 95-1 on June 11, and the Senate concurred and passed the final conference report by 31-3 on June 12.[1]

Text of measure

Ballot question

The ballot question for the amendment is as follows:[1]

“ Do you support an amendment to change the mandatory retirement age for judges from seventy to seventy-five, provided that a judge may continue to serve to complete a term of office? (Amends Article V, Section 23(B))[2] ”

Constitutional changes

See also: Louisiana Constitution

The ballot measure would amend Article V, Section 13 of the Louisiana Constitution. The following underlined text would be added and struck-through text would be deleted:[1]

Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.

(A) Retirement System. Within two years after the effective date of this constitution, the legislature shall provide for a retirement system for judges which shall apply to a judge taking office after the effective date of the law enacting the system and in which a judge in office at that time may elect to become a member, with credit for all prior years of judicial service and without contribution therefor. The retirement benefits and judicial service rights of a judge in office or retired on the effective date of this constitution shall not be diminished, nor shall the benefits to which a surviving spouse is entitled be reduced.

(B) Mandatory Retirement. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, a judge shall not remain in office beyond his seventieth birthday seventy-fifth birthday. A judge who attains seventy-five years of age. A judge who attains seventy years of age while serving a term of office shall be allowed to complete that term of office. [2]

Support

Supporters

Officials

Arguments

  • Sen. Gregory Miller (R): "People who are 75 are vigorous. We have no other term limit like that for age on any other office in all of Louisiana … Texas has a 75 year old mandatory retiring age. Florida has a 75 year retirement age. Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky have no mandatory retirement age."

Opposition

Opponents

Officials

Arguments

  • Sen. Alan Seabaugh (R): "We put this on the ballot before. It failed in 62 out of 64 parishes. Your constituents voted no."


Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Louisiana ballot measures

Ballotpedia did not identify ballot measure committees registered to support or oppose the ballot measure.[3]

Cash Contributions In-Kind Contributions Total Contributions Cash Expenditures Total Expenditures
Support $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Oppose $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Total $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Background

Mandatory retirement

Mandatory retirement is the compulsory retirement of judges who have reached a specific age determined by a state's constitution. As of 2025, 31 states and the District of Columbia have mandatory retirement ages for judges. Of the 31 states with mandatory judicial retirement ages, 16 states, including Louisiana, set the age at 70, which is the lowest. Vermont has the highest, with a retirement age of 90, which voters approved in 2003. At the federal level, federal judges have no mandatory retirement date, and are appointed for life by the president of the United States with confirmation by the United States Senate.

List of states

State Mandatory retirement age Additional information
Alabama 70[4] Judges may finish the final term during which they turn 70.[4]
Alaska 70[5]
Arizona 70[6][7]
Arkansas Judges who do not retire at 70 lose all earned retirement benefits.[8] No retirement age; however, judges lose their earned retirement benefits if they choose to seek re-election past age 70.[9]
California - No retirement age
Colorado 72[10]
Connecticut 70[11]
Delaware - No retirement age
District of Columbia 74[12]
Florida 75[13] Judges may finish the final term if more than one-half has been served at age 75.[13]
Georgia - No retirement age
Hawaii 70[14]
Idaho - No retirement age
Illinois - Used to be 75, but law was struck down by Illinois Supreme Court in 2009[15][16]
Indiana 75[17] No limit for superior court and county court judges.[18]
Iowa 72[19]
Kansas 75[20] Judges may finish the final term during which they turn 75[20]
Kentucky - No retirement age
Louisiana 70[21] Judges may finish the final term during which they turn 70[21]
Maine - No retirement age
Maryland 70[22]
Massachusetts 70[23]
Michigan 70[24] Judges may finish the final term during which they turn 70.[24]
Minnesota 70[25] Judges must retire the last day of the month in which they have turned 70[25]
Mississippi - No retirement age
Missouri 70/75[26][27] Judges other than municipal judges must retire at 70.[26] Municipal judges must retire at 75.[27]
Montana - No retirement age
Nebraska - No retirement age
Nevada - No retirement age
New Hampshire 70[28]
New Jersey 70[29] Judges serving as Administrative Director of the Courts may apply to defer retirement.[30]
New Mexico - No retirement age
New York 70[31] Judges may finish out year they turn 70. There is no retirement limit for Town and Village Courts.
North Carolina 72[32] Judges must retire the last day of the month in which they have turned 72[32]
North Dakota Judges who do not retire at 73 lose all earned retirement benefits.[33] No retirement age; however, judges lose their earned retirement benefits if they do not apply for retirement before turning 73.[34]
Ohio 70[35] Judges may finish the final term during which they turn 70[35]
Oklahoma - No retirement age; limit may be established by statute.[36]
Oregon 75[37] Limit may be reduced to as low as 70 by statute or initiative.[37]
Pennsylvania 75[38] Judges may finish out year they turn 75.[38]
Rhode Island - No retirement age[39]
South Carolina 72[40] No limit for Probate or Municipal Court judges.[40]
South Dakota 70[41] Judges that turn 70 may serve until the first Tuesday following a Monday of the year following the next state legislature election.[41]
Tennessee - No retirement age
Texas 75[42][43] Conditions may vary. See Article 5 for more information[42]
Utah 75[44]
Vermont 90[45]Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title Judges may finish out year they turn 90.[45]
Virginia 73[46] Judge will be retired 20 days after the regular session of the General Assembly following birthday.[46]
Washington 75[47] Judges may finish out year they turn 75.[47]
West Virginia - No retirement age
Wisconsin - The Wisconsin Blue Book 2005-2006 states: "Wisconsin used to have a mandatory retirement age for judges and justices. From 1955 to 1978, judges and justices had to retire at age 70. Since 1977, the Wisconsin Constitution has authorized the legislature to impose a maximum age of no less than 70, but the legislature has not done so."[48]
Wyoming 70[49]

Louisiana statewide ballot measures regarding judicial retirement age

Statewide ballot measures regarding judicial retirement age in Louisiana
Measure Description Election Date Yes Votes No Votes Status
Amendment 4 Increase mandatory retirement age from 70 to 75. October 21, 1995 413,392 (38%) 683,332 (62%) Defeatedd
Ballot Measure 15 Provide that a judge who has reached mandatory retirement age while in office could complete his or her term in office October 4, 2003 572,690 (53%) 501,829 (47%) Approveda
Amendment 5 Eliminate mandatory age-based retirement requirements for state judges November 4, 2014 783,402 (58%) 562,780 (42%) Defeatedd

Path to the ballot

Amending the Louisiana Constitution

See also: Amending the Louisiana Constitution

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one session of the Louisiana State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 70 votes in the Louisiana House of Representatives and 26 votes in the Louisiana State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. Amendments can be referred to the ballot in odd-numbered years and even-numbered years in Louisiana.

House Bill 63 (2025)

The following is the timeline of the constitutional amendment in the state legislature:[50]

  • May 28, 2025: The House voted to pass the amendment by 81-16.
  • June 6, 2025: The Senate voted to pass the amendment by 26-13.
  • June 11, 2025: The House voted to pass the final conference report by 95-1.
  • June 12, 2025: The Senate voted to pass the final conference report by 31-3.


Partisan Direction Index = -8.5% (Bipartisan)
Democratic Support
95%
Republican Support
86.5%
Louisiana House of Representatives
Voted on June 11, 2025
Votes Required to Pass: 70
YesNoNV
Total9519
Total %90.4%0.9%8.6%
Democratic (D)2804
Republican (R)6715
Louisiana State Senate
Voted on June 12, 2025
Votes Required to Pass: 23
YesNoNV
Total3135
Total %79.4%7.6%13%
Democratic (D)1000
Republican (R)2134

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Louisiana

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Louisiana.

How to vote in Louisiana


See also

  • Ballot measure lawsuits
  • Ballot measure readability
  • Ballot measure polls

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Louisiana State Legislature, "House Bill 63," accessed May 29, 2025
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ Louisiana Ethics Administration Program, "Search," accessed June 20, 2025
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Justia, "Amendment 328 Ratified," accessed Jan. 26, 2022
  5. ↑ Alaskan Constitution Art. IV, Sec. 11
  6. ↑ Arizona Constitution Art. VI Sec. 20
  7. ↑ Arizona Constitution Art. VI Sec. 39
  8. ↑ Arkansas Code, "Title 24 - Retirement And Pensions," accessed Jan. 11, 2022
  9. ↑ Arkansas Times, "Arkansas judges want age limit removed," Jan. 19, 2022
  10. ↑ Colorado Constitution Art. VI Sec. 23
  11. ↑ Connecticut Constitution Art. V, Sec. 6
  12. ↑ Council of the District of Columbia, "§ 1–204.31. Judicial powers." accessed Jan. 19, 2022
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Florida Constitution Art. V, Sec. 8
  14. ↑ Hawaii Constitution Art. VI, Sec. 3
  15. ↑ 705 ILCS 55/1 "Compulsory Retirement of Judges Act."
  16. ↑ ABA Journal, "Top Illinois Court Axes Mandatory Retirement Law for State Judges," June 18, 2009
  17. ↑ Chapter 13: The Commission on Judicial Qualifications and the Retirement, Discipline, and Removal of Justices and Judges Section "§ 33-38-13-8 Age; Temporary Judicial Duties" accessed Jan. 19, 2022
  18. ↑ LegiScan.com "Indiana Senate Bill 463" accessed Jan. 19, 2022
  19. ↑ Chapter 602: Judicial Branch "602.1610 Mandatory retirement" accessed Jan. 19, 2022
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Chapter 20: Courts Article 26: Retirement System For Justices And Judges, "Statute: 20-2608(a)" accessed Jan 19, 2022
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Louisiana Constitution Art. V, Sec. 23
  22. ↑ Maryland Constitution Art. IV, Sec. 3
  23. ↑ Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Chapter III: Judiciary Power - Art. XCVII" accessed Jan. 19, 2022
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Michigan Constitution Art. VI, Sec. 19
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Minnesota Statutes, "Statute: 490.121(21d) & 490.125," accessed Jan 19, 2022
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Missouri Constitution Art. V, Sec. 26
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Missouri Revised Statutes, "Statute: 479.020(7)," accessed Jan. 19, 2022
  28. ↑ New Hampshire Constitution Art. 78
  29. ↑ New Jersey Constitution Art. XI, Sec. IV
  30. ↑ LegiScan "New Jersey Senate Bill 4098" accessed Jan. 19, 2022
  31. ↑ New York Constitution Art. VI, Sec. 25
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 ncga.state.nc.us, "Article 1B: Age Limits for Service as Justice or Judge."
  33. ↑ North Dakota Century Code "Chapter 27-17: Retirement of Judges" accessed Jan 19, 2022
  34. ↑ North Dakota Century Code "Chapter 27-17: Retirement of Judges" accessed Jan 19, 2022
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Ohio Constitution Art. IV, Sec. 6
  36. ↑ Oklahoma Constitution Art. VII, Sec. 11
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Oregon Constitution Art. VII, Sec. 1a
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Pennsylvania Constitution Art. V, Sec. 16
  39. ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Rhode Island," archived October 6, 2014
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 South Carolina Legislature, "Title 9 - Retirement Systems"
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 South Dakota Legislature, "Statute: 16-1-4.1" accessed Jan. 21, 2022
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Texas Constitution Art. 5, Sec. 1-a
  43. ↑ Texas Lawyer, "Chief Justice’s Election Bid Puts Spotlight on Texas’ Mandatory Judicial Retirement," Jan. 6, 2020
  44. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "Statute: 49-18-701: Judges' mandatory retirement age." accessed Jan. 21, 2022
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 Vermont State Legislature, "Statute: 4-609 - Judicial retirement" accessed Jan. 21, 2022
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Virginia State Law "§ 51.1-305. Service retirement generally (B1)" accessed Jan. 21, 2022
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 Art. IV, Sec. 3.28a.29
  48. ↑ Wisconsin Blue Book 2005-2006
  49. ↑ Wyoming Constitution, Art. V, Sec. 5
  50. ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "House Bill 63," accessed May 29, 2025
  51. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "FAQ: Voting on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
  52. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 53.2 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed August 15, 2024
  54. ↑ WWNO, "Louisiana now requires proof of citizenship to vote, but hasn’t issued any guidance," January 15, 2025
  55. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Louisiana Voter Registration Application," accessed June 30, 2025
  56. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
  58. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Louisiana voters' bill of rights and voting information," accessed August 15, 2024
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