MCLE Compliance Information

All attorneys (except those on voluntary inactive status) report MCLE compliance by submitting a statement of compliance to the State Bar. Compliance may be reported online through My State Bar Profile. 

Upcoming fee increases 

MCLE noncompliance late fees and reinstatement fees are increasing. On May 18, 2023, the Board of Trustees approved several administrative fee increases in alignment with recommendations by the State Auditor. These increases will ensure that the State Bar’s overall administrative revenue covers the rising costs of services. 

We are working to make the necessary changes to the forms and systems to implement these increases. Related webpages will be updated as fee changes are implemented. See FAQ for more information. Here are the MCLE Compliance fee changes. The reinstatement fee will be charged to anyone requiring reinstatement after June 30, 2023.

Fee Type Current New
Late Fee Penalty $75 $100
E-mod $75 $100
Reinstatement $200 $300
Credit Request $25 $100

Compliance reporting requirements

Attorneys with last names beginning with N-Z must report their MCLE compliance by February 1, 2023. Find your compliance group.

The following attorneys are subject to the MCLE education requirement and must report compliance:

  • Active attorneys
  • Not Eligible attorneys, who are suspended for disciplinary reasons
  • Retired attorneys whose status is listed as "active" are subject to the MCLE requirement, regardless of whether they are practicing law.  

The following attorneys are exempt from the MCLE education requirement:

  • Inactive attorneys
  • Retired attorneys whose status is listed as "inactive" do not accumulate MCLE hours during this time and are not required to report compliance to the State Bar. 
  • Attorney who fall under this list of exempt attorneys:
    • If exempt for the entire compliance period, you must report your exemption, but you are not required to complete any education. 
    • If exempt for only a portion of the compliance period, you must complete a prorated amount of education and report that you have done so.

Go to Attorney Search to check status.

The State Bar of California does not track the education hours completed by attorneys. Attorneys track their own hours and report compliance to the State Bar at the end of their three-year compliance period.

Audit requirements

If your compliance with the MCLE requirement is audited, the following must be provided:

  1. The certificates of attendance given to you by providers;
  2. Your record of self-study activities including, as appropriate, the title, provider, time spent in the activity, subject matter of the activity, and the date on which you engaged in the activity; and
  3. Proof of Exempt status, if applicable.


Maintain the records listed above for one year from the time compliance is reported.

Download a Personal MCLE Log form you can use to keep track of your credit hours. For more information, see the FAQs about MCLE audits.