Babysitting and Home-Alone Age by State
The age a child can stay home alone or babysit in every US state we could check, labelled law, guidance or none, because most states set no age at all.
Most US states set no legal age for staying home alone or babysitting. Of 49 states and DC checked on 18 October 2026, only Maryland (8, with a sitter at least 13), Oregon (10) and North Carolina (8, a fire rule) put an age in law; 7 publish guidance, such as Georgia (9) and DC (11).
Babysitting and Home-Alone Age by State
Frequently asked
Is there a legal age to babysit in the US?
Not in most states. Maryland law says a person left in charge of a child under 8 must be at least 13. Agency guidance says 13 in Georgia and DC, and 12 in Colorado and North Dakota (with a childcare course recommended in North Dakota).
What age can a child stay home alone in Oregon?
Oregon law makes it child neglect to leave a child under 10 unattended for a time likely to endanger their health or welfare (ORS 163.545). Oregon sets no age above that.
Which states publish home-alone age guidelines?
Among the states checked: Georgia (8 and under should not be left alone), DC (10 and under never unsupervised), North Dakota (8 and under always supervised), New Hampshire (under 7 never alone), Oklahoma (under 6 never), Colorado (10 for short periods) and Tennessee's courts (under 10 not without supervision). These are guidance, not law.
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