State rankings
Assisted Suicide States
California has the highest Minimum Age (18), followed by New Jersey (18) and Washington (18). Vermont has the lowest (18).
Minimum AgeBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
11 of 51 statesMinimum Age
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All 11 ranked
Highest first.
Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →
Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.
Median
18
Middle half 18 – 18
Average
18
11 states
Highest
18
California
Lowest
18
Vermont
Data
Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.
12 states · # = rank by Minimum Age
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  California | 18 | Terminal illness | Two oral (48 hours apart) and and a written request | Self-administration |
| 1 |  New Jersey | 18 | Terminal illness | Two oral (at least 15 days apart) and one written, with one witnesses, Waiting period can be waived to a minimum of 48 hours | Self-administration |
| 1 |  Washington | 18 | Terminal illness | Two oral requests (at least 7 days apart) and one written request, signed and witnessed by two individuals | Self-administration |
| 1 |  Colorado | 18 | Terminal illness | Two oral (at least 7 days apart) and one written, witnessed by at least 2 individuals, Waiting period can be entirely waived if the patient is unlikely to survive the wait | Self-administration |
| 1 |  Oregon | 18 | Terminal illness | Two oral (at least 15 days apart) and one written, witnessed by at least 2 individuals, Waiting period can be waived entirely if the patient is unlikely to survive the wait | Self-administration |
| 1 |  New Mexico | 18 | Terminal illness | One written request (state-provided form), 48 hours must pass before the prescription can be filled+1 | Self-administration |
| 1 |  Hawaii | 18 | Terminal illness | Two oral (at least 5 days apart) and one written, witnessed by at least 2 individuals, Waiting period can be waived entirely if the patient is unlikely to survive the wait. | Self-administration |
| 1 |  Maine | 18 | Terminal illness | Two oral (at least 17 days apart) and one written, witnessed by at least 2 individuals who, in the presence of the patient, Up to 10 of the 17 days can be waived if needed | Self-administration |
| — |  Montana | no legal protocol | Terminal illness | no legal protocol | Self-administration |
| 1 |  Delaware | 18 | Terminal illness | Two oral (at least 15 days apart) and one written | Self-administration |
| 1 |  District of Columbia | 18 | Terminal illness | Two oral (at least 15 days apart) and one written, witnessed by at least 2 individuals, Waiting period: at least 48 hours after written request before prescription can be filled | Self-administration |
| 1 |  Vermont | 18 | Terminal illness | Two oral (at least 15 days apart) and one written, witnessed by at least 2 individuals, with at least two doctor visits in between, Waiting period can be waived entirely if the patient is unlikely to survive the wait | Self-administration |
What correlates with Minimum Age?
Pearson r against 1,777 other state metrics sharing at least 10 states. Correlation is not causation.
No metric overlaps enough
No other state metric shares enough states with this one to measure a relationship.
Quick answers
- Which state has the highest Minimum Age?
- California has the highest Minimum Age, at 18, followed by New Jersey (18) and Washington (18).
- Which state has the lowest Minimum Age?
- Vermont has the lowest Minimum Age, at 18.
- What is the median Minimum Age across US states?
- The median is 18 across the 11 US states with data.
- Where does this assisted suicide states data come from?
- Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: State Statute Navigator - Death With Dignity; Medical aid in dying - Compassion & Choices; MAID: Medical Aid in Dying - Britannica ProCon.