The 2004–05 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the 124th season of competition in England for 'The Football Association Challenge Cup' (FA Cup), the world's oldest association football single knockout competition. A total of 661 clubs were accepted for the competition, up 17 from the previous season’s 644.
The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down (Levels 5 through 11) in the English football pyramid meant that the competition started with six rounds of preliminary (2) and qualifying (4) knockouts for these non-League teams. South Western Football League was the only level 11 league represented in the Cup, five clubs from the South Western Football League were the lowest-ranked clubs in competition. The 32 winning teams from Fourth qualifying round progressed to the First round proper, where League teams tiered at Levels 3 and 4 entered the competition.
| Round | Start date | Leagues entering at this round | New entries this round | Winners from previous round | Number of fixtures | Prize money | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 August 2004 | 146 | none | 73 | £500 | |||
| 4 September 2004 | 291 | 73 | 182 | £1,000 | |||
| 18 September 2004 | 66 | 182 | 124 | £2,250 | |||
| 2 October 2004 | 44 | 124 | 84 | £3,750 | |||
| 16 October 2004 | none | none | 84 | 42 | £5,000 | ||
| 30 October 2004 | 22 | 42 | 32 | £10,000 |
Matches played on Saturday/Sunday 28 to 29 August 2004. 146 clubs from Level 9, Level 10 and Level 11 of English football, entered at this stage of the competition, while other 203 clubs from levels 9-11 get a bye to the preliminary round.
Matches played on weekend of Saturday 4 September 2004. A total of 364 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, including the 73 winners from the extra preliminary round, 203 clubs from Levels 9-11, who get a bye in the extra preliminary round and 88 entering at this stage from the four divisions at Level 8 of English football. The round featured three clubs from Level 11 (all from the South Western Football League) still in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round.
Matches on weekend of Saturday 18 September 2004. A total of 248 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, including the 182 winners from the Preliminary round and 66 entering at this stage from the top division of the three leagues at Level 7 of English football. Bodmin Town and St Blazey from the South Western Football League at Level 11 of English football were the lowest-ranked clubs to qualify for this round of the competition.
Matches played on weekend of Saturday 2 October 2004. A total of 168 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, including the 124 winners from the first qualifying round and 44 Level 6 clubs, from Conference North and Conference South, entering at this stage. The round featured six clubs from Level 10 still in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round.
Matches played on weekend of Saturday 16 October 2004. A total of 84 clubs took part, all having progressed from the second qualifying round. Cammell Laird from Level 10 of English football were the lowest-ranked club to qualify for this round of the competition.
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | ||
| 23 | Maidenhead United (6) | 2–1 | Windsor & Eton (7) | 413 | |
| 24 | Hornchurch (6) | 9–0 | Dulwich Hamlet (8) | 815 | |
| 25 | Tooting & Mitcham United (8) | 2–4 | Cambridge City (6) | 401 | |
| 26 | Slough Town (7) | 4–0 | Cheshunt (7) | 384 | |
| 27 | Histon (7) | 5–0 | Horsham (8) | 432 | |
| 28 | Harrow Borough (7) | 0–1 | Flackwell Heath (9) | 157 | |
| 29 | AFC Wimbledon (8) | 0–2 | Thurrock (6) | 3,007 | |
| 30 | Leatherhead (8) | 2–1 | Maidstone United (9) | 528 | |
| 31 | Braintree Town (7) | 3–1 | Margate (6) | 357 | |
| 32 | Aylesbury United (7) | 0–1 | Ashford Town (Middx) (8) | 324 | |
| 33 | East Preston (9) | 0–2 | Billericay Town (7) | 488 | |
| 34 | Spalding United (8) | 1–0 | Hastings United (8) | 359 | |
| 35 | Brockenhurst (9) | 0–3 | Bath City (7) | 402 | |
| 36 | Tiverton Town (7) | 3–3 | Eastleigh (7) | 673 | |
| Eastleigh (7) | 0–1 | Tiverton Town (7) | 485 | ||
| 37 | Bognor Regis Town (6) | 2–0 | AFC Newbury (9) | 595 | |
| 38 | Hallen (9) | 3–2 | Bishop's Cleeve (9) | 247 | |
| 39 | Merthyr Tydfil (7) | 0–1 | Lymington & New Milton (9) | 349 | |
| 40 | North Leigh (9) | 0–0 | Newport County (6) | 426 | |
| Newport County (6) | 6–2 | North Leigh (9) | 634 | ||
| 41 | Weston-super-Mare (6) | 1–3 | Salisbury City (7) | 543 | |
| 42 | Weymouth (6) | 1–1 | Thame United (8) | 1,149 | |
| Thame United (8) | 2–1 | Weymouth (6) | 411 |
Matches played on weekend of Saturday 30 October 2004. A total of 64 clubs took part, 42 having progressed from the third qualifying round and 22 clubs from Conference Premier, forming Level 5 of English football, entering at this stage. The round featured five clubs from Level 9 still in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round.
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | ||
| 1 | Southport (6) | 3–1 | Hyde United (7) | 1,179 | |
| 2 | Northwich Victoria (5) | 1–2 | Vauxhall Motors (6) | 738 | |
| 3 | Hinckley United (6) | 0–0 | Burton Albion (5) | 1,355 | |
| Burton Albion (5) | Hinckley United (6) | 1,218 | |||
| 4 | Hereford United (5) | 2–1 | Radcliffe Borough (7) | 1,788 | |
| 5 | Brigg Town (8) | 1–4 | Halesowen Town (7) | 588 | |
| 6 | Carlisle United (5) | 3–1 | York City (5) | 5,073 | |
| 7 | Halifax Town (5) | 2–2 | Leek Town (7) | 1,544 | |
| Leek Town (7) | 0–1 | Halifax Town (5) | 1,244 | ||
| 8 | Tamworth (5) | 2–1 | Burscough (7) | 1,006 | |
| 9 | Stafford Rangers (6) | 2–1 | Gateshead (7) | 1,014 | |
| 10 | Morecambe (5) | 5–1 | Hucknall Town (6) | 1,183 | |
| 11 | Worksop Town (6) | 1–1 | Alfreton Town (6) | 1,263 | |
| Alfreton Town (6) | 2–1 | Worksop Town (6) | 1,238 | ||
| 12 | Accrington Stanley (5) | 0–2 | Leigh RMI (5) | 1,121 | |
| 13 | Lancaster City (6) | 1–1 | Scarborough (5) | 600 | |
| Scarborough (5) | 0–1 | Lancaster City (6) | 1,073 | ||
| 14 | Liversedge (9) | 0–0 | Coalville Town (9) | 820 | |
| Coalville Town (9) | 2–0 | Liversedge (9) | 1,378 |
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | ||
| 15 | Billericay Town (7) | 3–0 | Flackwell Heath (9) | 608 | |
| 16 | Barnet (5) | 2–1 | Farnborough Town (5) | 1,822 | |
| 17 | Thame United (8) | 0–5 | Forest Green Rovers (5) | 778 | |
| 18 | Canvey Island (5) | 4–1 | Hallen (9) | 511 | |
| 19 | Lymington & New Milton (9) | 1–1 | Woking (5) | 879 | |
| Woking (5) | 4–2 | Lymington & New Milton (9) | 1,209 | ||
| 20 | Dagenham & Redbridge (5) | 2–1 | Crawley Town (5) | 1,104 | |
| 21 | Hornchurch (6) | 3–2 | Gravesend & Northfleet (5) | 1,644 | |
| 22 | Exeter City (5) | 2–0 | Braintree Town (7) | 2,308 | |
| 23 | Slough Town (7) | 3–2 | Salisbury City (7) | 1,195 | |
| 24 | Bath City (7) | 1–0 | Leatherhead (8) | 938 | |
| 25 | Aldershot Town (5) | 2–1 | Maidenhead United (6) | 2,100 | |
| 26 | Hayes (6) | 4–0 | Ashford Town (Middx) (8) | 649 | |
| 27 | Thurrock (6) | 6–0 | Spalding United (8) | 325 | |
| 28 | Stevenage Borough (5) | 5–0 | Hendon (7) | 1,328 | |
| 29 | Tiverton Town (7) | 4–1 | Newport County (6) | 1,007 | |
| 30 | Wealdstone (7) | 0–2 | Histon (7) | 409 | |
| 31 | Bromley (8) | 0–3 | Cambridge City (6) | 732 | |
| 32 | Bognor Regis Town (6) | 0–2 | Yeading (7) | 786 |
See 2004–05 FA Cup for details of the rounds from the first round proper onwards.