Nobody knows yet, because neither has ever been tried on Congress. Term limits cap how long someone can serve, age limits cap how old they can be, and voters strongly back both.
Both are very popular. In an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll of 1,322 adults conducted April 27 to 30, 2026, 83% of Americans said they support limiting the number of times candidates can run for Congress, and 80% said they support a maximum age limit for congressional candidates. Support crossed party lines. For term limits, it was 78% among Democrats, 89% among Republicans, and 84% among independents. For age limits, it was 78%, 83%, and 79%. Younger and older voters were about equally likely to back both.
Sources: NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll, April 27 to 30, 2026, national survey of 1,322 adults.
A term limit counts years in office. It would affect anyone who stays long enough, whether they are 45 or 75. An age limit counts birthdays. It would affect only members past a certain age, regardless of how long they have served. A first-term lawmaker in their 80s would be blocked by an age cap but not by a term limit, and a 20-year veteran in their 50s would be blocked by a term limit but not by an age cap.
The evidence doesn't settle it, because neither has been applied to Congress. What can be said is that they reach different groups. Reporting on North Dakota's proposed cutoff at age 81 estimated that about two dozen current members of Congress would be affected. A term limit would reach every member who stays past a set number of years, which is a much larger group, since the average House member has served 8.6 years and the average senator 11.2.
Supporters of age limits argue that they address concerns about health and generational representation. Critics say age is a blunt stand-in for ability, and that voters can already judge a candidate's fitness. The arguments over term limits are covered in our explainer on whether Congress has term limits.
They also share the same legal hurdle. Because of the Supreme Court's 1995 Thornton decision, either would almost certainly require a constitutional amendment, which means two-thirds of Congress or a convention called by two-thirds of the states, followed by ratification by three-fourths of the states.
Sources: Congressional Research Service, Membership of the 119th Congress: A Profile (R48535); Straight Arrow News reporting on North Dakota's age-limit measure (May 2026); U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, 514 U.S. 779 (1995).
Do voters support term limits for Congress?
Yes. An April 2026 NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found 83% support, including 84% of independents.
Do voters support age limits for Congress?
Yes. The same poll found 80% support for a maximum age limit, including 79% of independents.
What's the difference between a term limit and an age limit?
A term limit caps how long someone can serve. An age limit caps how old a candidate can be.
Would either require a constitutional amendment?
Almost certainly. The Supreme Court's 1995 Thornton decision says qualifications for Congress can only be changed by amending the Constitution.
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