Most US states require a child to turn 5 years old on or before 1 September to start kindergarten that fall. A child born on 1 September 2020 can start in fall 2025, but a child born on 2 September 2020 cannot, and must wait until fall 2026. The exact cutoff varies by state and sometimes by district.
If your child’s birthday falls near the cutoff, this is the most important date on your calendar. One day decides whether your child starts school this year or next, whether they are the oldest or the youngest in their class, and when they will graduate high school. This guide gives you the cutoff dates, shows you how to check your child’s exact age on the cutoff date, and explains your options if you miss it.
What Age Do You Have to Be for Kindergarten?
In most of the United States, the answer is 5 years old by the cutoff date. There is no federal standard — each state sets its own rule, and in some states each school district sets its own. But the pattern is clear: the majority of states use 1 September, and the rest cluster between late July and mid-December.
Kindergarten itself is not mandatory in every state. In states such as California, Texas, and Florida, kindergarten is offered but not legally required — though nearly all children attend, and compulsory school attendance begins at age 6. In states such as New York, children must be enrolled by age 6. The cutoff still matters everywhere, because it decides when a child can start, even where starting is optional.
Kindergarten Cutoff Dates by State
The table below gives the most common cutoff for each state. Where districts set their own date, that is noted. Cutoff rules change occasionally, so confirm the current rule with your state education agency or your school district before enrolling.
| Cutoff date | States |
|---|---|
| July 31 | Hawaii, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota |
| August 1 | Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky |
| August 15 | Tennessee |
| August 31 | Arizona, Delaware, Kansas, North Carolina, Washington, West Virginia |
| September 1 | Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin |
| September 10 | Montana |
| September 15 | Iowa, Wyoming |
| September 30 | District of Columbia, Louisiana, Nevada, Virginia |
| October 1 | Colorado (district option), New Jersey (district option) |
| October 15 | Maine |
| December 1 | New York (most districts; districts set their own date) |
| District decides | Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Ohio (varies by district) |
The most important thing this table shows is how much the answer depends on where you live. A child born on 15 October is eligible in Maine, but not in Kentucky, Texas or Florida. A family that moves across a state line can find their child’s start date changes by a full year.
How to Check Your Child’s Exact Age on the Cutoff Date
Checking eligibility is a chronological-age calculation with the cutoff date as the reference date. Our step-by-step guide to how to calculate chronological age explains the borrowing method; here is the shortcut:
- Find your state’s cutoff date in the table above, or from your school district.
- Take the cutoff date as the “test date” and your child’s birth date as the birth date.
- Calculate the age in years, months, and days. If the result is 5 years, 0 months, 0 days or more, your child is eligible.
- If the result is less than 5 years — even by a single day — your child is not eligible that year.
The fastest way is to use Calcrio’s free chronological age calculator: enter your child’s birth date, enter the cutoff date as the reference date, and it returns the exact age in years, months, and days. No sign-up, no cost.
Worked Example: Missing the Cutoff by One Day
A child born on 2 September 2020, in Texas, where the cutoff is 1 September 2025:
- Years: 2025 − 2020 = 5, but the months go negative, so borrow: 5 − 1 = 4 years.
- Months: September (9) − September (9) = 0, minus the 1 borrowed for the days = −1, so borrow 12 months: 11 months.
- Days: 1 − 2 = −1, so borrow the 31 days of August: 1 + 31 − 2 = 30 days.
Result: 4 years, 11 months, 30 days. The child misses the cutoff by exactly one day and must wait until September 2026, when they will start kindergarten at 6 years, 0 months, 0 days — the oldest child in the class instead of one of the youngest.
Compare a child born one day earlier, on 1 September 2020: on 1 September 2025 that child is exactly 5 years, 0 months, 0 days old, and is eligible. Two children born 24 hours apart start school a full year apart. This is why the days part of chronological age matters — and why our guide to chronological age in years, months and days explains the format in detail.
What Happens If Your Child Misses the Cutoff?
Missing the cutoff is common — roughly a quarter of children have birthdays near it — and you have several options:
- Wait a year. The most common choice. Your child starts kindergarten the following fall, usually as one of the oldest in the class. Research on the “relative age effect” finds older children in a class tend to do better academically and athletically in the early years, though the advantage fades by middle school.
- Transitional kindergarten (California). California offers Transitional Kindergarten (TK), a free public-school program for 4-year-olds who turn 5 between 2 September and 2 December. It bridges preschool and kindergarten for children who miss the 1 September cutoff.
- Early entry. Some states and districts allow early admission if the child passes a readiness assessment. Policies vary widely — some districts test, some require a psychologist’s recommendation, and some do not allow it at all. Ask your district’s enrollment office.
- Private school. Private schools set their own age rules and are often more flexible than public schools on cutoffs.
- Another year of preschool. Many parents use the extra year for another year of preschool, which builds social and academic readiness without any stigma.
There is no single right answer. The research is genuinely mixed: some studies find that starting later helps, others find the advantage disappears by third grade. What matters most is your child’s readiness, not the calendar.
Should You Hold Your Child Back a Year (Redshirting)?
“Redshirting” means voluntarily delaying kindergarten entry by a year even when the child is eligible. It is most common for children with summer birthdays — boys in particular — whose parents worry they will be the youngest and least mature in the class.
The evidence is nuanced. Children who start a year later do tend to score higher in the early grades, but much of that advantage comes from being older, not from the extra year itself, and it narrows over time. Meanwhile, the child spends an extra year out of formal schooling and graduates a year later. Most educators advise deciding on readiness — can the child sit, listen, follow instructions, and separate from parents? — rather than on age alone. And remember that chronological age is only one measure; the difference between chronological and developmental age is often what actually decides whether a child thrives.
Why Do Cutoff Dates Differ So Much Between States?
There is no scientific consensus on the ideal cutoff, so each state legislature has made its own choice — and many have not revisited it in decades. States that set early cutoffs, such as Hawaii (31 July) and Indiana (1 August), effectively make their kindergarten classes older on average. States with late cutoffs, such as New York (districts commonly use 1 December) and Maine (15 October), let younger children in.
Some states have changed recently: Connecticut moved its cutoff from 1 January to 1 September starting in the 2024–25 school year, and Ohio has moved toward standardizing its cutoff for the 2026–27 year, with the exact date varying by district. If your information is more than a year old, check again — and always confirm with the district, because in several states the district can set a different date than the state default.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age do you have to be to start kindergarten?
In most US states, a child must turn 5 on or before the state’s cutoff date — most commonly 1 September. The exact date varies by state and sometimes by district, so check your local rule.
Can my child start kindergarten if they turn 5 after the cutoff?
Usually no, not in public school that year. Some districts allow early entry after a readiness assessment, and California offers Transitional Kindergarten for children who turn 5 between 2 September and 2 December.
What if my child is born on September 2 and the cutoff is September 1?
Your child misses the cutoff by one day and must wait until the following school year. On the next 1 September they will be 6 years old and eligible.
Which states have the earliest kindergarten cutoff?
Hawaii, Missouri, Nebraska, and North Dakota use 31 July, and Arkansas, Indiana, and Kentucky use 1 August. These are among the earliest cutoffs in the country.
Which states have the latest kindergarten cutoff?
Maine uses 15 October, and most New York districts use 1 December. Connecticut changed from 1 January to 1 September in 2024–25.
How do I calculate my child’s age on the cutoff date?
Use Calcrio’s free chronological age calculator: enter the birth date and the cutoff date, and it returns the exact age in years, months, and days. If the result is 5 years, 0 months, 0 days or more, your child is eligible.