National Civics Bee

Key facts

Eligible grades

Grades 6, 7 and 8, in participating states.

Public, private, charter and home-school students are all eligible. Students may apply to only one local chamber competition.

Source, checked 2026-09-02

Eligible ages

Not confirmed. This organiser may set eligibility by grade rather than age. We do not convert one into the other.

The US Chamber Foundation sets eligibility by grade, not age.

Individual or team

Individual

Where it runs

Online and in person · United States

Entry cost

FreeThe Foundation states it is free for students to participate.

Registration deadline

The 2027 application portal opens Monday 7 September 2026 at 6:01 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time and closes Tuesday 2 February 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. 146 days leftNote the unusual timezone: deadlines are stated in Hawaii Standard Time, which is later than mainland US time, but do not rely on that margin. Some state partners set earlier local deadlines.

Competition dates

Regional competitions run in person in the spring; state finals follow. The 2026 National Championship was 14 October 2026. The 2027 National Championship date was not published at the time of checking.

Difficulty

Open to beginnersNo prior competition experience assumed. If you can do the school-level material, you can enter and score points.

Prizes

Cash prizes at local, state and national levelCash prizes at every level, but amounts are set per round and per state, and the portal notes the published figures are anticipated minimums. As examples of the range, one state's local bee awarded $500, $250 and $125 for the top three, and a state final awarded $1,000, $500 and $250. Reported national prizes include a large 529 education fund award for the national winner, which was not confirmed on the Foundation's own pages. Read your round's Contest Rules for the actual amounts.