What Are Three Qualifications to Be a Representative?

United States Capitol, Where Representatives Serve.

The United States House of Representatives is comprised of 435 members of the House, sometimes called "Congressmen," as of 2010. Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution lists three qualifications in order to seek election as a U.S. Representative.

Age

The Constitution states that one of the qualifications to run for U.S. Representative is that you must be at least 25 years old.

Citizenship

You must also have been a United States citizen for the past seven years that you have lived in the United States. Unlike the office of the President of the United States, you do not need to be a natural-born citizen.

Live in State

Finally, at the time of the election, you must live in the state that you are running to represent.

References

• The United States Constitution Online