The following schedule has been adopted for the refund of fees associated with the filing of the registration form, an application to take the California Bar Examination, an application to take the First-Year Law Students' Examination, an application for Determination of Moral Character, or an application for extension of Determination of Moral Character. Applicants must be registered prior to submitting any application. The registration form may be filed simultaneously with the application; however, the application and fees will be returned if the registration is not approved within ten days of receipt of the application.
The transfer of fees from one examination to another is prohibited.
In order for a refund to be processed according to the schedule, an express withdrawal must be in writing and actually received in the State Bar’s Office of Admissions no later than the established deadlines. Stopping payment on a check, or dishonoring a check or disputing a credit card charge, does not constitute withdrawing from an examination.
1. Withdrawal of applications and requests for refunds received within 30 days after the deadline for timely filing, both by first time and repeater applicants, will be honored with a 60 percent refund of all fees paid in conjunction with the subject examination.
2. Withdrawal of applications and requests for refunds received within 45 days after the deadline for timely filing, by first-time applicants, will be honored with a 30 percent refund of all fees paid in conjunction with the subject examination. This deadline also applies to those applicants who have previously taken an examination but who did not take the most recent examination. Withdrawal of applications and requests for refunds received within 35 days after the deadline for timely filing by applicants seeking to repeat the examination having been unsuccessful on the examination last administered preceding the examination into which current admission was sought will be honored with a 30 percent refund of all fees paid in conjunction with the subject examination.
3. Requests for refunds filed in excess of 45 days after the deadline for timely filing, by first-time applicants, and applicants who have previously taken an examination but who did not take the most recent examination, will not be considered.
Requests for refunds filed in excess of 35 days after the deadline for timely filing by applicants seeking to repeat the examination, having been unsuccessful on the examination last administered preceding the examination into which current admission was sought, will not be considered.
Withdrawal of applications for determination of moral character and requests for refunds received within 30 days of the online submission date, for online applications, or the received date, for paper form applications, will be honored with a 60 percent refund of all fees paid in conjunction with the Application for Determination of Moral Character.
Applicants for registration found to be ineligible due to a lack of pre-legal education will qualify for a 100 percent refund of all fees paid in conjunction with registration.
1. In order for an examination ineligibility refund to be processed according to the schedule, certified transcripts or certificate(s) of good standing for attorney applicants to the Attorneys’ Examination must be received in the State Bar’s Office of Admissions no later than the established deadlines, which are published as part of the application materials.
2. Applicants who applied to take the General Bar Examination found to be ineligible due to a lack of the requisite legal education will qualify for a 60 percent refund of qualifying fees paid in conjunction with the subject examination.
3. Attorney applicants who applied to take the Attorneys’ Examination found to be ineligible due to a lack of the requisite qualifications will qualify for a 60 percent refund of qualifying fees paid in conjunction with the subject examination.
Applicants who applied to take to the First-Year Law Students' Examination found to be ineligible due to a lack of the requisite legal education will qualify for a 60 percent refund of qualifying fees paid in conjunction with the subject examination.
Refunds in the amount of 95 percent of all fees paid in conjunction with the subject examination will be made according to the following schedule for those situations wherein any of the following prevents an applicant from taking the First-Year Law Students’ Examination or the California Bar Examination. In the case of physical incapacity, the refund will be made only in instances of severe unavoidable and incapacitating circumstances. Documentation relative to death or physical incapacity must accompany any request for refund according to the following schedule.
1. Death, serious or disabling injury of a member of the applicant’s immediate family that occurred after submittal of an application for the examination but prior to the administration of the subject examination and which death, illness or injury is certified on the Committee’s form or verified through the provision of a copy of the death certificate;
2. Applicant’s serious disabling illness or injury or debilitating condition that occurred after submittal of an application for the examination but prior to the administration of the subject examination and which illness or injury or condition is certified on the Committee’s form under penalty of perjury; and,
3. Calamitous occurrences involving the applicant such as loss of freedom due to terrorist acts or disorientation due to fire, flood or other severe disaster over which the applicant had no control and the existence of which had not terminated 30 days or less prior to the administration of the subject examination.
Refunds in the amount of 95 percent of all fees paid in conjunction with the subject examination will be made according to the following schedule for those situations wherein either of the following prevents an applicant from preparing for or taking the First-Year Law Students’
Examination or the California Bar Examination. Refunds will be made only upon presentation of appropriate documentation, which must accompany any request for a refund according to the following schedule:
1. An unanticipated call to active duty in the armed forces; or
2. An unanticipated change in military orders.
Registrations that are not brought to a complete and approved status within 60 days of receipt will be abandoned. A registration will be deemed approved when the requisite fees, signature, properly executed declaration, and all required documentation verifying eligibility have been provided.
First-Year Law Students’ Examination and California Bar Examination applications not brought to a complete and filed status by the final filing deadline will be abandoned. This includes: (1) applications not signed, (2) application declarations not received, (3) application fees not received or incomplete, (4) applications incomplete, and (5) approved registrations not on file. Applications with fee payments found to be invalid after the final filing deadline will be abandoned.
First-Year Law Students’ Examination and California Bar Examination applications without eligibility determinations by the final eligibility deadline will be abandoned.
Moral character determination applications that are not brought to a complete and filed status within 60 days of the online submittal date, for online applications, or the received date, for paper form applications, will be abandoned. This includes the lack of requisite fees, signature, or required information/documentation. Once the moral character determination application is in filed status, if the applicant receives notice to provide information, but does not provide such information within 90 days of the request, the application will be abandoned.
No refund of fees will be paid in the event a registration or application is abandoned. If the registration or application has an outstanding balance at the time of the abandonment, the outstanding balance must be paid before any future registration or application is processed.
If an applicant qualifies for a refund in accordance with this Refund of Fees Policy for a registration or application, but has an outstanding balance due for subject registration or application, the net refund amount will be the qualifying refund amount minus the corresponding portion of the fees owed.
If an applicant qualifies for a refund in accordance with this Refund of Fees Policy for a registration or application, but has an outstanding balance due for other transactions, the net refund amount will be the qualifying refund amount minus the balance due for the other transactions.