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Twelve was also my last go-round. At 5'6" at that time, I was also tall and got some weird looks although 12 seems like trick-or-treating infancy these days. I'm not an old woman but I've had moments of ire when I open the door and the "youngsters" confronting me with outstretched hands look like college kids. Smart aleck college kids.

So...I guess 14 would be my answer. I look forward to my dotage when I can give the overgrown trick-or-treaters a piece of my mind though. You know, when I have my hair in a bun and an aged cat tucked under my arm as I answer the door. ;0

if you're a young man and your voice has changed, you're already too old. Unless you're Peter Brady, and it's "time to change
then its time to change..sha na na na na na na sha na na na na na"

A couple of years ago two boys rang our doorbell about 10:15pm they were wearing jeans, gloves and hoodies, with the hoods up. I wasn't in the mood for a home invasion, so I just let them take what they wanted from the bowl and wished them well on their candy journey... then I triple locked the door and turned on the alarm, and turned off the porch light.

so if you're old enough to be mistaken for robbers... you're already too old. too.

:P

Maybe 12--unless you're the older sibling required to take the younger ones trick or treating. Then you're entitled to a "finder's fee."

If an older kid is escorting younger kids, then I have no problem with giving the older kid some treats, too. Might as well get something without needing to extort the toddlers for the good stuff.

And if there's a little kid/baby/toddler in tow along with a bunch of grade-schoolers and a mom, that's fine, too. But yeah, if the parents are trick-or-treating with an infant and no other kids, it's odd unless they're visiting friends' homes and showing off the kiddie.

And kids in high school seem to old for trick or treat, too. It's funny, but it seems like the girls give it up younger than the boys. I've had guys show up in previous years that seemed a bit old, but never the older girls. I guess the girls are more worried about zits and calories.

It's almost 9 pm here, and I think we've set a new record. The first doorbell ring was 2 kids, and the second doorbell ring was four kids. That's it.

Good think I stocked up on fun-size candy bars. They'll be just perfect for chocolate chunk cookies.

I'm 16 and I went trick-or-treating with my younger brother. Didn't get any weird looks but a lot of compliments on my costume. I plan to go next year too, since it's my last year of officially being a kid.

I don't care if you're 100 as long as you are wearing a cool costume that you put some thought into .

We had over 350 tort's tonight and most of them had really thought out their costumes. We passed out giant pixie stix to the older crowd. They loved it!

When I was offered beer instead of candy I hung up my cape.

High schoolers? Really? My mom made me stop when I was 11 because I'd hit 5'6 and kept getting "aren't you too old to be trick or treating?" I didn't feel too old but it was awkward. Halloween wasn't/isn't fair to tall kids.

I don't care how old a trick-or-treater is, as long as he or she is wearing a costume.

I passed out candy this year, (full sized candy bars!), for the first time because I usually go out trick or treating, and I'm twenty. I love trick or treating! To me, it's not about the candy, it's about the experience. Heck, I passed out candy to 40-50 year old parents tonight. I don't think it's ever too old to have a little fun. I'm pretty short so I've only experienced being told that I was too old once.

Sorry, but if you've got a D-cup and a naughty nurse costume making all of the 10 year old boys wonder what that funny feeling in their tummy is, you are too old. I saw that last night and commented to my wife.

Well, I last night I kind of figured that if you've got the boldness to walk up to my door and say "Trick-or-Treat" regardless of age, you got a treat. My only regret was that I'd made little packages with Play-Doh and a few candies inside, and had I really thought about it, I would have put together an older bowl of chocolates or something like that for the older kids- and of course the parents, they should get a little something now and then too!

This thread reminds me of helping my mom dole out candy when I was home one Halloween from university. It was getting later in the evening and the hoards had reduced to a trickle. Door bell rings and my mom opens it and looks at the young man on the step, dressed as a hobo. My mom is a teacher and as such, knows a lot of the kids in her town. She says "Jimmy, don't you think you are a bit old for trick or treating!" in her best school teacher voice. The lad, who was probably about 17, reverts right back into little Jimmy and says "But Madame (all female French teachers in my town went by Madame), my niece!" He points down to a darling little 2 year old dressed up as a bunny. His single older sister's child. Mom and I both burst out laughing and loaded them up with loot.

I think 15 or 16 is old enough to quit trick or treating.....

The last time I went I was 12 or 13. I didn't have a proper costume and just wore my pajamas. I felt pretty lame and too old by then so decided that night that that was the last time I trick or treated. Last year I was handing out candy and some 17 year old with facial hair and no costume was came by. If you have facial hair and no costume, that's not trick or treating, that's just begging for food. Loser.

mmm i'm with the contingent that says as long as you put effort into a costume, there's no real age limit.

i'm not gonna lie, i went out with friends through sophomore year of college! but we always had pretty awesome costumes. plus, our dorm was in boston's beacon hill neighborhood, and in 2004 theresa heinz-kerry was sitting outside the kerry brownstone with security guards handing out candy. i got a bag of m&ms! so we thought that was too cool to pass up. these days i'm more into halloween parties, though.

I don't think you're ever too old. I just hate it when I see older kids skulking around with no costumes going door to door for candy when they're not even dressed up. Or when older kids dart out in front of little kids to get to the doors first for candy. I trick or treated until I was 27, but mostly, it was to walk around the neighborhood and see everyone else's costumes. I rarely took any candy after I was like 12, I'd just go along in my costume with my friends. We always all dressed up and went all out on the costumes, so the neighbors always liked seeing what we'd come up with.

I was 12 in grade 9, and that's the last time I went. Once you have boobs, it's just not the same.

The age limit for trick-or-treating? Umm..

32 or 33 i guess...?

I last trick or treated for myself when I was 15. I knew I was too old for it and I didn't give a damn, I was at a party and we all decided it would be a brilliant idea to run around the neighborhood for one last hurrah. We got denied at a few homes for being too old though, heh.

Honestly, after 8th grade you're too old. If you really want to trick or treat, take your younger siblings out or something (that's what I did!).

My Mom made my siblings and I stop when at 12.

I think there should be no age limit, I think even grannies should show up, we could give them baby food for their dentures, you know? It's only one day out of the entire 365 days that we get to meet our neighbors? Why some people are rude about giving out candy to others is beyond me. But like someone mentioned, definitely come dressed as something, not just your regular clothes/uniform, at least put some effort into it. :)