Spelling Bee Rules and Eligibility
- Scripps Registration Opens: August 19, 2025 (Register at www.spellingbee.com)
- School Registration Deadline: December 31, 2025
Any Arizona school that wishes to participate in the Spelling Bee must enroll and pay the required enrollment fee to Scripps before the December 31, 2025 deadline.
The Arizona State Spelling Bee is an in-person competition that follows all rules and procedures set by the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Schools may establish their own rules and procedures for local spelling bees; however, they must ensure compliance with both the Scripps Spelling Bee Rules and the Arizona Spelling Bee Rules.
- Spelling Bee 101 (PDF)
- 2026 Scripps Suggested Rules for Spelling Bees (PDF)
- 2026 Scripps Suggested Rules for Spelling Bees (Spanish version, PDF)
- AEF Arizona Spelling Bee Rules 2025-2026 (For AZ schools, districts, and county’s; PDF)
Competition Recording Policy
Per Scripps National Spelling Bee rules, recording, livestreaming, or publicly posting any part of school, district, or county-level spelling bees is not permitted. Doing so creates an unfair advantage for students who have not yet competed by exposing them to words that may still be in use. To maintain the integrity and fairness of the competition, all bees must be conducted without recording or public sharing of the event.