• How to become a Miss Ohio & Miss Ohio's Teen Local Contestant

    How to become a Miss Ohio & Miss Ohio's Teen Local Contestant

    For Locals July 2025 to March 2026
  • Potential Miss Ohio & Miss Ohio Teen Local Contestant!

    Please read the following information to understand the requirements to participate in a Miss Ohio or Miss Ohio's Teen Local Competition.

    This site contains links to documents and various resources required by ALL Miss Ohio Local programs.  

    If you have any questions, please email ContestantHelp@missohio.org.  

    • COMPETITION SEASON 
    • THE COMPETITION SEASON

      This information is for ALL Miss Ohio Local Competitions for the 2025-2026 Season, also known as the Miss America 2027 Competition Cycle.

      Miss Ohio Locals start July 2025 and end March 7, 2026. These locals will lead to the Miss Ohio 2026 State Competition in June 2026, which will then lead to the Miss America 2027 National Competition in September 2026.

      While the competition process remains the same as last season, the registration and information submission process has changed.

       

    • ELIGIBILITY 
    • AGE ELIGIBILITY 

      The Miss America Organization has recently changed the AGE Eligibility for this season as follows.

      MISS CONTESTANTS - 18-28
      Must be NO OLDER than 28 on September 30, 2026, and no younger than 18 on Sept 1, 2026.

      TEEN CONTESTANTS 14-18
      Must be no YOUNGER than 14 by September 1 and no older than 18 on Sept 30, 2026.

      Therefore...

      If you were born on/between October 1, 1997, and September 1, 2007, you will compete as a MISS Contestant.  

      If you were born on/between October 1, 2008, and September 1, 2012, you will compete as a TEEN Contestant.

      If you were born on/between September 2, 2007, and September 30, 2008, you may CHOOSE to compete as either a MISS or TEEN during the season.  We HIGHLY recommend you choose to compete as a TEEN contestant.  Once chosen, you may NOT switch during the Season.

      If you were born after September 1, 2012, you will be eligible to start competing in July 2026.


      CITIZENSHIP ELIGIBILITY

      You must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible. 


      GEOGRAPHICAL ELIGIBILITY

      For MISS Contestants, YOU must meet one of the following...

      • Lived in the state of Ohio for the past 120 days.
      • Be a full-time student attending (in person) college or a university in Ohio.
      • Been employed full-time (40 hours a week) here in Ohio for the past 120 days.

      For TEEN Contestants, your PARENT must meet one of the following...

      • Lived in the state of Ohio for the past 120 days.
      • Be employed full-time (40 hours a week) here in Ohio for the past 120 days.


      NOT HOLD ANOTHER TITLE

      To enter a Miss America/Miss Ohio LOCAL Competition, you may NOT be a title holder of another pageant system, fair, or festival.  

       

       

    • PHASES OF COMPETITION 
    • PHASES OF COMPETITION

      All MISS and TEEN Contestants will compete in the following FIVE phases of competition.

      • Private Interview
      • On-Stage Conversation
      • Health & Fitness
      • Talent/HERStory
      • Evening Gown


      PRIVATE INTERVIEW

      The Private Interview with 5-7 judges will last TEN(10) minutes.  You will be required to submit a one-page fact sheet, a one-page Community Service Initiative Statement, and a Headshot photo.  The specific details, samples, and templates will be provided.


      ON-STAGE CONVERSATION

      Each contestant will be asked one question about their Community Service Initiative and will have 30 seconds to answer.


      HEALTH & FITNESS

      The Miss America Organization has partnered with the American Heart Association and Rebel Athletic for the Health & Fitness Phase of Competition.

      ALL Contestants are required to wear an approved outfit from the Rebel Athletic Miss America Collection for the Health & Fitness competition. A variety of outfit combinations are available, starting at $80 for the set.

      Contestants will move to a pre-blocked pattern for 20 to 30 seconds. 


      TALENT / HERSTORY

      Contestants will need to perform a Talent or HerStory presentation live on stage for up to 90 seconds.  Talent choices must be on the Miss America-approved talent list.


      EVENING GOWN

      The evening gown is the contestant's choice.  Everyone will walk a pre-blocked pattern for 30-45 seconds.


      COMPETITION RULES AND EVALUATION PROCESS

      Click the link below to download the Competition Rules and Evaluation Process details. The document outlines the process and specific requirements for each phase of competition, as well as what the judges are looking for.

      DOWNLOAD - Full Competition Rules and Evaluation Process

       

    • MISS AMERICA REQUIREMENTS 
    • MISS AMERICA REQUIREMENTS

      The Miss America Organization requires all contestants to complete the following steps.


      STEP 1 - REGISTER FOR THE SEASON

      Each contestant must register with the Miss America Organization before competing in their first local competition for the 2025-2026 season.  There is a once-per-season fee of $49.99. 

      After you FULLY understand the competition process and requirements, use the following link to complete the once-per-season registration process. 

      MISS AMERICA REGISTRATION


      STEP 2 - DELEGATE AGREEMENT

      Once you register, you will need to complete and electronically sign the online Delegate Agreement.  

      For contestants under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian will be required to complete and sign the online contract.

      As part of the contract, you will need to provide proof of age, citizenship, and geographical eligibility by either residing in, attending school (college/university, not high school), or working full-time in Ohio.

      A copy of the completed Delegate Agreement will be emailed to you. Save this email, because you will need to submit the completed Agreement to the Miss Ohio Scholarship Program.  

      If you don't receive an email with the link to complete the Delegate Agreement, use the appropriate link below to complete the Delegate Agreement.

      MISS AGREEMENT - Miss Contestants at least 18 years of age as of today

      TEEN AGREEMENT - Teen Contestants at least 18 years of age as of today

      TEEN AGREEMENT - Teen Contestants under 18 years of age as of today
      Must be completed by a parent!




      STEP 3 - REGISTER FOR A LOCAL COMPETITION

      You will receive an email with a link to "Join a Local Competition".   Once you have decided which local to enter, you will need to use the link to register for the specific Local Competition.  You may also use the link below.

      MISS AMERICA - OHIO LOCAL REGISTRATION

       


      STEP 4 - GO RED FOR WOMEN INITIATIVE

      The Miss America Organization and the American Heart Association have partnered to raise awareness and funds for Women’s Health and Scholarships.  Each contestant is required to raise $30 through online donations for each local competition entered.

      Once you complete the Delegate Agreement, you will receive an email with instructions to create a SpotFund Campaign. WAIT until you register for a Local Competition before creating the SpotFund Campaign.

      This email contains a unique link specifically for you, so DO NOT delete the email!  You will need the link to create SpotFund Campaigns.

      All funds raised for the American Heart Association must be raised through the specific Spotfund fundraising process.  Any funds raised outside the specific Spofund campaign will not count toward the $30 per Local requirement. 

      Also, you will need to create a separate campaign for each local you enter.  

      Save the link for future use.

       

       

    • MISS OHIO REQUIREMENTS 
    • REGISTERING TO COMPETE IN OHIO

      Once you have completed the Miss America Requirements, you will need to complete the following one-time steps to be eligible to compete in your first Local Competition this season. 


      SCHOLARSHIP RULES & REGULATIONS

      Local programs will award scholarships to the new MISS and TEEN Titleholders.  In many cases, the local may also award scholarships for runner-up positions, phase-of-competition scholarships, etc. 

      Contestants are required to complete and electronically sign the online Scholarship Rules and Regulations document.  You only need to submit the signed Scholarship Rules and Regulations once, and it will apply to all local scholarships awarded during the 2025-2026 Local Season.

      If you are under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian will be required to sign on your behalf.


      MANDATORY DATES ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

      Local Titleholders will advance to the Miss Ohio and Miss Ohio's Teen State Competition in June 2026.  Contestants are required to acknowledge the Mandatory Dates and Events that will require their attendance should they become Local Titleholders to participate in the State Competition.


      NO-SHOW RULES ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

      Contestants who register and submit paperwork for Local Competitions but fail to show up twice will be prohibited from competing for one year.  Exceptions will be for unforeseen circumstances on a case-by-case basis. 


      MISS OHIO REGISTRATION FORM

      AFTER you have registered with the Miss America (registration link above) AND completed the Delegate Agreement, you may proceed to complete the one-time Miss Ohio Local Competition requirements using the link below.

      MISS OHIO ONCE-PER-SEASON REGISTRATION

       

       

    • LOCAL COMPETITIONS 2025-2026  
    • LOCAL COMPETITIONS 2025-2026

      The following is a list of the Local Competitions, including their scheduled dates, the Titles planned to be awarded, and the city where each competition takes place. 

      Almost all the locals will accept contestants from All of Ohio.


      DATE
       
       COMPETITION/TITLES
       
      LOCATION
        CONTESTANTS
      ACCEPTED FROM
                   
      JULY 20th


        MISS LAKE FESTIVAL
      MISS LAKE FESTIVAL'S TEEN

        Celina


        Mercer County & Surrounding Area
       
      SEPTEMBER 20th

        MISS CLAYLAND

        Urichsville

         All of Ohio

      OCTOBER 4th


        MISS NORTH COAST
      MISS NORTH COAST'S TEEN

        Brunswick


         All of Ohio


      OCTOBER 25th





        MISS NORTHERN OHIO
      MISS NORTHERN OHIO'S TEEN
      MISS LAKE ERIE
      MISS LAKE ERIE'S TEEN
      MISS COLUMBIA HOMECOMING

        Columbia
      Station




         All of Ohio





      NOVEMBER 1st


        MISS MAPLE CITY
      MISS MAPLE CITY'S TEEN

        Norwalk
       

         All of Ohio


      JANUARY - TBD




        MISS SHAWNEE
      MISS SHAWNEE'S TEEN
      MISS PORTSMOUTH
      MISS PORTSMOUTH'S TEEN

        Portsmouth




        All of Ohio




      FEBRUARY 7th




        MISS GREATER COLUMBUS
      MISS GREATER COLUMBUS' TEEN
      MISS CENTRAL OHIO
      MISS CENTRAL OHIO'S TEEN

        Columbus
       



         All of Ohio




      FEBRUARY - TBD





        MISS CHILLICOTHE
      MISS CHILLICOTHE'S TEEN
      MISS SOUTH CENTRAL
      MISS SOUTH CENTRAL'S TEEN

        Chillicothe





        All of Ohio





      FEBRUARY 28th




        MISS GREATER CLEVELAND
      MISS GREATER CLEVELAND'S TEEN
      MISS SPIRIT OF OHIO
      MISS SPIRIT OF OHIO'S TEEN

         Sandusky




         All of Ohio




      MARCH 7th


        MISS OXFORD
      MISS OXFORD'S TEEN

        Oxford 


         All of Ohio


      For more information on each local, please visit the Miss Ohio website

      MISS OHIO WEBSITE LIST OF LOCALS  

       

    • READY TO ENTER A LOCAL COMPETITION 
    • READY TO ENTER A LOCAL COMPETITION

      After you have completed the Miss America requirements and the Miss Ohio Scholarship Program's once-per-season requirements, you will be notified that you are eligible to compete in OHIO!

      You may then proceed to choose the local you wish to enter and complete the online Entry Form. 

      LOCAL CONTESTANT ENTRY FORM

    •  
    •  - -
    •  - -
    •  - -
    • Since you will be 18 years old on June 17, 2026, you may choose to compete at a TEEN or a MISS for the 2025-2026 .

      We highly recommend competing as a Teen Contestant.

      Once you choose, you cannot change during the season.

    • Since you would be 28 years old or older as of June 17, 2026, you are not eligible to compete.  

    • Since you would be 13 years old or younger as of June 17, 2026, you are not eligible to compete this year.

    • CONGRATULATIONS!  You are eligible to compete as a MISS Contestant!

      Since you are 18 or older, you may complete all paperwork yourself. 

    • CONGRATULATIONS!  You are eligible to compete as a MISS Contestant!

      Since you are under 18 years old, you will need a parent or guardian to sign documents that require a signature until you turn 18 years old. 

    • CONGRATULATIONS!  You are eligible to compete as a TEEN Contestant!

      Since you are under 18 years old, you will need a parent or guardian to sign documents that require a signature until you turn 18 years old. 

    • CONGRATULATIONS!  You are eligible to compete as a TEEN Contestant!

      Since you are 18 years old, you may complete all paperwork yourself.

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