To serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, a person must meet the following constitutional requirements:
- Be at least 25 years old
- Have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years
- Be a resident of the state they wish to represent at the time of election
These requirements are specified in the U.S. Constitution and have been in place since the founding of the House. The age minimum of 25 was set to balance youthful energy with sufficient maturity for governance