State Legislative Term Limits
| State | Year | Limited: terms (total years allowed) |
Year law takes effect |
Percent Voting Yes |
| Arizona | 1992 | House: 4 terms (8 years) Senate: 4 terms (8 years) |
House: 2000 Senate: 2000 |
74% |
| Arkansas | 1992 | House: 3 terms (6 years) Senate: 2 terms (8 years) |
House: 1998 Senate: 2000 |
60% |
| California | 1990 | Assembly: 3 terms (6 years) Senate: 2 terms (8 years) |
House: 1996 Senate: 1998 |
52% |
| Colorado | 1990 | House: 4 terms (8 years) Senate: 2 terms (8 years) |
House: 1998 Senate: 1998 |
71% |
| Florida | 1992 | House: 4 terms (8 years) Senate: 2 terms (8 years) |
House: 2000 Senate: 2000 |
77% |
| Louisiana ** | 1995 | House: 3 terms (12 years) Senate: 3 terms (12 years) |
House: 2007 Senate: 2007 |
76% |
| Maine * | 1993 | House: 4 terms (8 years) Senate: 4 terms (8 years) |
House: 1996 Senate: 1996 |
68% |
| Michigan | 1992 | House: 3 terms (6 years) Senate: 2 terms (8 years) |
House: 1998 Senate: 2002 |
59% |
| Missouri | 1992 | House: 4 terms (8 years) Senate: 2 terms (8 years) |
House: 2002 Senate: 2002 |
75% |
| Montana | 1992 | House: 4 terms (8 years) Senate: 2 terms (8 years) |
House: 2000 Senate: 2000 |
67% |
| Nebraska | 2000 | Unicameral: 2 terms (8 years) | Senate: 2008 | 56% |
| Nevada | 1994 | Assembly: 6 terms (12 years) Senate: 3 terms (12 years) |
House: 2006 Senate: 2006 |
70% |
| Ohio | 1992 | House: 4 terms (8 years) Senate: 2 terms (8 years) |
House: 2000 Senate: 2000 |
66% |
| Oklahoma | 1990 | 12 year combined total for both houses | State Legislature: 2004 | 67% |
| South Dakota | 1992 | House: 4 terms (8 years) Senate: 2 terms (8 years) |
House: 2000 Senate: 2000 |
64% |
| Wyoming *** | 1992 | House: 6 terms (12 years) Senate: 3 terms (12 years) |
House: 2004 Senate: 2004 |
77% |
| AVERAGE % of Vote | 67% | |||
All of the above have gubernatorial limits in addition to 20 other states.
Alaska, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Washington — in addition to all of the states listed above (excluding Louisiana) — passed federal congressional term limits before the 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision in U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton declared the necessity of a constitutional amendment to limit the terms of Congress.
Oregon voters passed term limits on their legislature and statewide officeholders in 1992 by 70% of the vote. Two termed out legislators sued the voters of Oregon in a case that made its way to the Oregon State Supreme Court. In December 2001, the court ruled that the term limits law violated single amendment requirements and threw the law out.
Idaho voters passed term limits on their legislature, statewide officeholders and local officeholders in 1994 by 59% of the vote. In 1998, the legislature placed an "advisory" question on the ballot, asking voters to reaffirm their support of term limits. Voters did so. In 2001, state and local office holders sued Idaho voters in a case that made its way to the Idaho Supreme Court, where the court ruled term limits constitutional. In February 2002, the Idaho Legislature ignored the vote of the people and became the first state in the nation to repeal their term limits law.
In an effort to block stricter legislative limits, Utah's legislature placed 12-year limits on its members, a law that was to go into effect in 2006. In March 2003, the legislature repealed their limits. Like, Idaho, Maine, and Wyoming, Utah is a statute-only state, where voters cannot pass constitutional amendments.
| The following state's term limits are consecutive: | Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Ohio, South Dakota. |
| The following state's term limits are lifetime: | Arkansas, California, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada and Oklahoma. |
| The following state's term limits are a time-out four years or longer: | Colorado, Montana and Wyoming |
