diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/27175-AL.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/27175-AL.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3fce05765a59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/27175-AL.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Mixing positional and keyword arguments for ``legend`` handles and labels
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+This previously only raised a warning, but is now formally deprecated.  If
+passing *handles* and *labels*, they must be passed either both positionally or
+both as keyword.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/legend.py b/lib/matplotlib/legend.py
index 58e5dfcfe3b8..c46770974567 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/legend.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/legend.py
@@ -1301,7 +1301,7 @@ def _parse_legend_args(axs, *args, handles=None, labels=None, **kwargs):
         legend(handles=handles, labels=labels)
 
     The behavior for a mixture of positional and keyword handles and labels
-    is undefined and issues a warning.
+    is undefined and issues a warning; it will be an error in the future.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
@@ -1334,8 +1334,10 @@ def _parse_legend_args(axs, *args, handles=None, labels=None, **kwargs):
     handlers = kwargs.get('handler_map')
 
     if (handles is not None or labels is not None) and args:
-        _api.warn_external("You have mixed positional and keyword arguments, "
-                           "some input may be discarded.")
+        _api.warn_deprecated("3.9", message=(
+            "You have mixed positional and keyword arguments, some input may "
+            "be discarded.  This is deprecated since %(since)s and will "
+            "become an error %(removal)s."))
 
     if (hasattr(handles, "__len__") and
             hasattr(labels, "__len__") and
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_legend.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_legend.py
index 3a35b4051c71..90b0a3f38999 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_legend.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_legend.py
@@ -405,10 +405,10 @@ def test_warn_mixed_args_and_kwargs(self):
         th = np.linspace(0, 2*np.pi, 1024)
         lns, = ax.plot(th, np.sin(th), label='sin')
         lnc, = ax.plot(th, np.cos(th), label='cos')
-        with pytest.warns(UserWarning) as record:
+        with pytest.warns(DeprecationWarning) as record:
             ax.legend((lnc, lns), labels=('a', 'b'))
         assert len(record) == 1
-        assert str(record[0].message) == (
+        assert str(record[0].message).startswith(
             "You have mixed positional and keyword arguments, some input may "
             "be discarded.")
 
@@ -474,10 +474,10 @@ def test_warn_args_kwargs(self):
         fig, axs = plt.subplots(1, 2)
         lines = axs[0].plot(range(10))
         lines2 = axs[1].plot(np.arange(10) * 2.)
-        with pytest.warns(UserWarning) as record:
+        with pytest.warns(DeprecationWarning) as record:
             fig.legend((lines, lines2), labels=('a', 'b'))
         assert len(record) == 1
-        assert str(record[0].message) == (
+        assert str(record[0].message).startswith(
             "You have mixed positional and keyword arguments, some input may "
             "be discarded.")