This article features the 2003 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament qualifying stage.
Caribbean and Central American teams entered in separate tournaments.
The North American teams Canada and Mexico automatically qualified, as well as main tournament hosts Panama (Central America) and the United States (North America).
Saint Lucia received a bye because Anguilla withdrew.
Antigua and Barbuda were disqualified, they were supposed to be group host but were too late informing that their field was unavailable for play.