Minimum age and time at each adult belt
| Belt | Minimum age | Minimum time before the next belt |
|---|---|---|
| White | Any age | No minimum |
| Blue | 16 | 2 years |
| Purple | 16 | 1.5 years |
| Brown | 18 | 1 year |
| Black | 19 (18 for an Adult World Champion at brown) | See black belt degrees |
Time counts from the day the belt is registered with IBJJF, not the day it's tied on. Age counts by birth year: someone born in 2008 counts as 18 for all of 2026, whatever their birthday.
Exceptions to the minimum time
- Blue belt: 1 year if you were registered as a grey, yellow, or orange belt. No minimum if you were a green belt, registered blue as a juvenile (16 to 17), or are the Adult Blue Belt World Champion.
- Purple belt: 1 year if your blue belt was registered as a juvenile. No minimum if you were an orange or green belt and then a juvenile blue belt, registered purple as a juvenile, or are the Adult Purple Belt World Champion.
- Brown belt: no minimum for the Adult Brown Belt World Champion.
- Juveniles (16 to 17) have no minimum time at white or blue belt. A juvenile purple belt can only move to brown in the adult division, from 18.
IBJJF youth belt system: kids belts and the move to adult belts
| Belt | Ages |
|---|---|
| White | Any age |
| Grey (grey and white, grey, grey and black) | 4 to 15 |
| Yellow (yellow and white, yellow, yellow and black) | 7 to 15 |
| Orange (orange and white, orange, orange and black) | 10 to 15 |
| Green (green and white, green, green and black) | 13 to 15 |
There is no minimum time at each kids belt. In the year a kid turns 16, grey, yellow, and orange belts move to blue, a green belt moves to blue or purple as the professor decides, and a white belt can stay white.
Black belt degrees
| Degree | Years since previous degree | Total years as black belt | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | 3 | - |
| 2nd | 3 | 6 | - |
| 3rd | 3 | 9 | - |
| 4th | 5 | 14 | - |
| 5th | 5 | 19 | - |
| 6th | 5 | 24 | - |
| 7th, red and black belt | 7 | 31 | 49 |
| 8th, red and white belt | 7 | 38 | 56 |
| 9th, red belt | 10 | 48 | 66 |
Only years of proven activity under IBJJF count toward degrees. The 10th degree was given only to the pioneers of the art: Carlos, Oswaldo, George, Gastão, and Helio Gracie.
Stripes and how long it really takes
IBJJF divides white through brown belt into four degrees, which most gyms show as stripes, but up to brown belt using them is at the professor's discretion. There is no IBJJF rule for how long each stripe takes.
Add up the minimums and someone who starts at 16 could in theory be a black belt at 19. In practice most people train for somewhere around 8 to 12 years before their black belt. The minimums only say when IBJJF will recognize a promotion.
What a black belt needs for IBJJF certification
- Be affiliated with IBJJF when the certificate is requested, with no provisional graduation.
- A first aid or CPR course certificate.
- An IBJJF referee course, rules seminar, or rules webinar certificate from the last 12 months.
- Promotion signed by a black belt professor who holds at least 2 IBJJF-certified degrees.
Put the belt requirements on your gym's website
Copy the embed code and paste it into your site builder. Students can check the IBJJF minimum age and time for their next belt right on your page, with nothing to install and no account to create.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a black belt in BJJ?
IBJJF requires at least 2 years at blue, 1.5 years at purple, and 1 year at brown, with no minimum at white, and a minimum age of 19 for black belt. Most people take around 8 to 12 years. Your professor decides when you are promoted.
What is the minimum age for a BJJ black belt?
19, counted by birth year. Since June 2026 IBJJF allows black belt at 18 only for athletes who won the Adult World Championship at brown belt.
How long do you have to be a blue belt before purple?
2 years for an adult. It drops to 1 year if you were registered as a grey, yellow, or orange kids belt, and there is no minimum if you were a green belt, registered blue as a juvenile, or won the Adult Blue Belt World Championship.
Does IBJJF count time from the day I was promoted?
No. Time at a belt counts from the day that belt is registered with IBJJF. If you register late, your clock starts late.
Can a teenager get a blue belt?
Yes, from 16, counted by birth year. Under 16, kids wear the grey, yellow, orange, and green kids belts. In the year a kid turns 16, most kids belts move to blue, and a green belt can move to blue or purple.
Can a 16-year-old compete as a green belt at IBJJF?
No. Kids belts end at 15, counted by birth year. In the year a kid turns 16, a green belt moves to blue or purple, as the professor decides, and competes as a juvenile.
What is the IBJJF youth belt order?
White, then grey and white, grey, grey and black, yellow and white, yellow, yellow and black, orange and white, orange, orange and black, green and white, green, and green and black. Grey belts start at 4, yellow at 7, orange at 10, and green at 13, and all kids belts end at 15.
How long can a kid stay at yellow belt?
IBJJF sets no minimum time at any kids belt, so it's up to the professor. The only limit is age: yellow belts are for ages 7 to 15, and in the year a kid turns 16 the yellow belt moves to blue.
Who can promote someone to black belt?
For IBJJF to certify it, a black belt professor with at least 2 IBJJF-certified degrees signs the promotion. The new black belt also needs IBJJF affiliation, a first aid or CPR certificate, and an IBJJF rules course from the last 12 months.
Are stripes required by IBJJF?
No. Up to brown belt, stripes are up to the professor. IBJJF only regulates black belt degrees.
Sources: IBJJF General System of Graduation, June 2026 (v3.3). Checked September 2026.
Open data: the tables on this page are free to reuse as JSON on GitHub (grapple-flows/bjj-data, CC BY 4.0).