Eligibility

ABLEnow accounts are available to eligible U.S. citizens and legal residents, regardless of state residency.

To open an ABLEnow account, the ABLE Act requires an Eligible Individual to have a qualifying disability that began before age 46. The disability must be long-term or terminal and must result in marked and severe functional limitations.

In addition, the individual must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) based on blindness or disability; or
• Self-certify a qualifying disability with a written, signed diagnosis from a licensed physician.

View potentially eligible disabilities and conditions in the Social Security Administration (SSA) Compassionate Allowances or Listing of Impairments, also known as the Blue Book.

"Self-certification" requires an individual to certify and agree to the following statements during enrollment:

• The individual has a written, signed disability diagnosis from a qualified, licensed physician. Do not submit your written diagnosis; keep this documentation for your records.
• The individual is either:
  • Blind, as defined by the Social Security Act (SSA), or
  • Has a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that results in marked and severe functional limitations lasting for a continuous period of 12 months or longer, or which can be expected to result in death.
• The blindness or disability started before the age of 46.

View potentially eligible disabilities and conditions in the Social Security Administration (SSA) Compassionate Allowances or Listing of Impairments, also known as the Blue Book.

Enrollment is completed entirely online, and you self‑certify that you meet the eligibility requirements.

You may use the optional Physician Diagnosis Form to obtain a written diagnosis for your records. Do not submit your written diagnosis; keep this documentation for your records.

To qualify for an ABLE account, an individual must have a disability that began before their 46th birthday. However, an individual older than age 46 may open an ABLEnow account if their disability began before age 46.

No. ABLEnow accounts are available to eligible U.S. citizens and legal residents, regardless of state residency.

The ABLE Age Adjustment Act is a federal law that took effect in 2026. It expanded eligibility for ABLE accounts to individuals with a qualifying disability that began before age 46. Previously, ABLE eligibility was limited to those whose disability began before age 26.