Thanksgiving Sweepstakes Age Minimums: What States Require
Learn whether you must be 18, 19, or 21 to enter Thanksgiving sweepstakes in your state this year.
Thanksgiving sweepstakes, which are chance-to-win promotions tied to the holiday season, usually require entrants to be 18 or older. Alabama and Nebraska set the cutoff at 19, and Mississippi sets it at 21. That higher cutoff reflects contract law.
Winners must accept rules and sign releases, so sponsors set age limits that match state adult status. Readers should check the residency-specific age clause before entering.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 06, 2026.
Why 18 Is the Usual Minimum
Sponsors often require entrants to be 18 or older so a winner can accept the rules and sign contracts and releases. Verrill Law explains this contract reason in its analysis from Verrill Law. The 18-year baseline covers most states.
It lets sponsors award a chance-to-win prize without dealing with a minor's limited ability to sign binding forms.
Which States Require 19 or 21?
Alabama sets full adult contract status at 19 under Ala. Code 26-1-1, according to the Alabama Legislature. Nebraska declares all persons under 19 to be minors under Neb.
Rev. Stat. 43-2101, according to the Nebraska Legislature.
Mississippi generally defines minor as a person under 21, according to the Mississippi Legislature. That is the highest general majority age in the country. Hunt the West states in its Hunt the West sweepstakes rules that entry is limited to legal U.S.
residents age 18 or older, 19 in Alabama and Nebraska and 21 in Mississippi.
What About Children Under 13?
Federal privacy protection applies to children under 13. The Federal Trade Commission explains the parental-consent requirement in consumer guidance from the Federal Trade Commission. Covered sites must obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from a child.
That rule makes most Thanksgiving entry forms adult-only in practice. Parents should not enter a child's details unless the sponsor's rules allow it.
How to Check Eligibility Before You Enter
No federal sweepstakes law mandates 18, 19, or 21. The practical limit comes from state majority age plus sponsor terms, so 18-year-olds in Alabama and Nebraska and 18-to-20-year-olds in Mississippi remain excluded from many national offers. Use these checks before you submit an entry:
- Read the age and residency clause for your state, not only the headline age.
- Confirm U.S. residency, age minimum, entry dates, and any purchase or account limit.
- Remember entry buys a chance to win, not a prize for every entrant.
- Skip forms that ask for a child's personal information without clear parental-consent terms.