What are the rules for staying home alone in Minnesota?

Supervision Guidelines Children 7 and under may not be left alone for any period of time . Children 8 - 10 may not be left alone for more than three hours. Children 11 - 13 may not be left alone for more than 12 hours. Children 14 - 15 may not be left alone for more than 24 hours.

What age can a child stay home alone in Washington state?

How old does my child have to be to stay home alone? Washington State does not have any laws or rules that say at what age a child can be left home alone . In general, children under 10 should not be left on their own.

What age can a child stay home alone in Michigan?

Michigan law has no minimum age at which children may be left alone without supervision.

How long can a 12 year old stay home alone in Texas?

Answer: Texas law doesn't say what age is old enough for a child to stay at home alone . However, adequate supervision is critical to keeping kids safe. An adult caregiver is accountable for the child's care and inadequate supervision can be a type of neglect (neglectful supervision).

Home Alone Rules by State

Ages + Stages, Elementary Kids

Many parents are faced with the dilemma of at what age can children stay home alone,especially during after-school hours or the summertime. Before you consider leaving your child without supervision, be sure they are reasonably mature, able to take care of themselves, and completely prepared for emergency situations. Set ground rules, review basic safety guidelines, and establish routines that are designed to keep your child healthy and safe.Our iMom printable with 10 Home Alone Rules is a good start.

We have some great tools to get you started. First up, just because they meet the age requirement, it doesn’t mean they are mature enough to stay home alone. So here are 5 ways to know if your child is ready. If you decide that yep, we’re good to go, here are 6 ways to train your child to stay home alone and conversation starters to get talking about your expectations and their concerns. And chances are, you’ve got one kiddo who is going to assume the role of babysitter, so check out our Babysitter Checklist printable to make sure all the important details are covered.

The following table lists the minimum age at which children may be left at home alone, categorized by state, within the United States. Please note that city and county ordinances within each state may have more definitive and restrictive laws. Call your State DHS or local child welfare agency to learn about age guidelines in your area.

The National SAFEKIDS Campaign recommends that no child under the age of 12 be left home alone.

State	Minimum Age	Reference
Alabama	None	Alabama’s Child Neglect Law
Alaska	None	Alaska Office of Children’s Services
Arizona	None	Arizona Department of Child Safety
Arkansas	None	University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service
California	None	California Department of Education
Colorado	12*	CO4 Kids
Connecticut	None	Connecticut Department of Children and Families
Delaware	12*	Delaware Division of Family Services
Florida	None	Florida Department of Children and Families
Georgia	9*	Georgia Department of Human Services
Hawaii	None	Hawaii Department of the Attorney General
Idaho	None	No resource found
Illinois	14	Illinois Compiled Statutes
Indiana	None	Prevent Child Abuse Indiana
Iowa	None	Iowa Department of Human Services
Kansas	6*	Kansas Department for Children and Families
Kentucky	11*	WeHaveKids.com
Louisiana	None	Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services
Maine	None	Maine Department of Health and Human Services
Maryland	8	Baltimore County, Maryland FAQ
Massachusetts	None	Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries
Michigan	10*	The Michigan Child Protection Law
Minnesota	8*	Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare
Mississippi	None	Mississippi State University Extension
Missouri	None	Missouri Department of Social Services
Montana	None	Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services
Nebraska	7*	WOWT
Nevada	None	Las Vegas Review-Journal
New Hampshire	10*	WOKQ
New Jersey	None	New Jersey Department of Children and Families
New Mexico	None**	City of Albuquerque Child Safetyat Home
New York	None	New York Office of Children and Family Services
North Carolina	8	North Carolina Fire Code G.S. 14-318
North Dakota	9*	North Dakota Department of Human Services
Ohio	None	Ohio Children’s Trust Fund
Oklahoma	7*	Oklahoma Department of Human Services
Oregon	None	Oregon Legal Research
Pennsylvania	None	Legal Zoom Info
Rhode Island	None	No resource found
South Carolina	None	Coastal Law
South Dakota	10*	South Dakota Safety Council
Tennessee	None	Tennessee Juvenile & Family Courts
Texas	None	Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Utah	None	Utah Valley Pediatrics
Vermont	None	Town of Williston, Vermont
Virginia	None	Virginia Department of Social Services
Washington	10*	Seattle’s Child
West Virginia	None	TEAM for West Virginia Children
Wisconsin	None	City of Madison Fire Department
Wyoming	None	No resource found

Some information taken with permission fromhttp://www.latchkey-kids.com.

*Age is recommended, but not legally required.
**While New Mexico does not have a state law mandating the minimum age required for a child to stay home alone, a City of Albuquerque Ordinance states that children under the age of 11 may not be left home alone.