Kindergarten cutoff dates by state
The cutoff date is the birthday deadline by which a child must turn 5 to start kindergarten in a given school year. Of the 50 states, 18 use September 1 as the cutoff. The remaining states range from July 31 (Hawaii) to January 1 (Connecticut).
Cutoff dates may be changed by state legislation. A handful of states allow individual districts to set earlier dates. Always confirm the exact cutoff with your school district's enrollment office before making any enrollment decisions.
| State | Kindergarten cutoff | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | September 1 | |
| Alaska | October 1 | |
| Arizona | September 1 | |
| Arkansas | September 15 | |
| California | September 1 | |
| Colorado | October 1 | |
| Connecticut | January 1 | Child must turn 5 within the calendar year |
| Delaware | August 31 | |
| District of Columbia | September 30 | |
| Florida | September 1 | |
| Georgia | September 1 | |
| Hawaii | July 31 | One of the earliest cutoffs in the US |
| Idaho | September 1 | |
| Illinois | September 1 | |
| Indiana | August 1 | |
| Iowa | September 15 | |
| Kansas | August 31 | |
| Kentucky | October 1 | |
| Louisiana | September 30 | |
| Maine | October 15 | |
| Maryland | September 1 | |
| Massachusetts | Varies by district | No uniform state cutoff; confirm with your district |
| Michigan | December 1 | One of the latest cutoffs in the US |
| Minnesota | September 1 | |
| Mississippi | September 1 | |
| Missouri | August 1 | |
| Montana | September 10 | |
| Nebraska | October 15 | |
| Nevada | September 30 | |
| New Hampshire | Varies by district | |
| New Jersey | October 1 | |
| New Mexico | September 1 | |
| New York | December 1 | State sets Dec 1; many NYC and suburban districts use earlier dates |
| North Carolina | August 31 | |
| North Dakota | August 1 | |
| Ohio | First day of school (district varies) | HB114 signed Dec 2025, effective 2026–27. Previously August 1. Check your district calendar. |
| Oklahoma | November 1 | |
| Oregon | September 1 | |
| Pennsylvania | Varies by district | |
| Rhode Island | September 1 | |
| South Carolina | September 1 | |
| South Dakota | September 1 | |
| Tennessee | September 30 | |
| Texas | September 1 | |
| Utah | September 1 | |
| Vermont | Varies by district | |
| Virginia | September 30 | |
| Washington | August 31 | |
| West Virginia | August 31 | |
| Wisconsin | September 1 | |
| Wyoming | September 15 |
How to use this table
Find your state's cutoff date, then open the school age calculator, select the United States, and choose your state. The calculator automatically applies your state's cutoff and tells you whether your child is eligible for kindergarten this year or next, what grade they are currently in, their exact age in years and months, and their full K–12 timeline through graduation.
If your state shows "Varies by district," use the cutoff override field in the calculator — enter the month and day of your district's specific cutoff date. For example, a Massachusetts district that uses October 1 would use month 10, day 1.
States with the earliest and latest cutoffs
The range of cutoff dates across states is wider than most people expect:
- Earliest cutoff: Hawaii (July 31). A child born August 1 must wait a full year to start kindergarten. Hawaii kindergarteners are typically the oldest in the country on their first day.
- August cutoffs: Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio (August 1); Delaware, Kansas, North Carolina, Washington, West Virginia (August 31). In these states, a September birthday always means waiting until the following year.
- Latest cutoffs: Michigan (December 1), Connecticut (January 1). Children born in October and November can still qualify for kindergarten that fall in Michigan. Connecticut uses the calendar year — any child who turns 5 in 2026 can start in fall 2026.
- District-variable states: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Vermont. In these states, the state sets only a minimum; districts can require an earlier cutoff. The town next door may have a different deadline than yours.
What the cutoff means for grade placement long-term
The kindergarten cutoff is not just a one-year enrollment question. It determines your child's grade for every year of school from kindergarten through Grade 12 graduation. A child who starts kindergarten in fall 2025 graduates in 2037–2038. A child who misses the cutoff by one day and starts in fall 2026 graduates in 2038–2039.
This matters for college application timelines, athletic recruitment windows (college coaches recruit based on graduation year), FAFSA filing, and many other milestones. The school age calculator generates the complete K–12 timeline so you can see all of these dates at once.