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Becoming a California MCLE Single Activity Provider

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What is an MCLE Single Activity Provider?

A Single Activity Provider (SAP) is an entity approved to hold and grant credit for a single Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) activity during a two-year period, provided that there are no changes made to the program. 

To be approved for MCLE credit, an MCLE activity must meet the following State Bar standards:

  • The activity must relate to legal subjects directly relevant to licensees of the State Bar or have significant current professional and practical content.
  • The presenter of the MCLE activity must have significant professional or academic experience related to its content.
  • Promotional material must state that the activity is approved for MCLE credit or that a request for approval is pending; specify the amount of credit offered; and indicate whether any of the credit may be claimed for required MCLE in legal ethics, elimination of bias, or competence issues.
  • If the activity lasts one hour or more, the provider must make substantive written materials relevant to the MCLE activity available either before or during the activity. Any materials provided online must remain online for at least 30 calendar days following the MCLE activity.
  • Programs and classes must be scheduled so that participants are free of interruptions.
  • On and after January 1, 2022, for all training dealing with, or including a component dealing with, implicit bias and the promotion of bias-reducing strategies, an MCLE provider must meet the requirements of Business and Professions Code section 6070.5.

Applying for SAP status

Providers interested in becoming an SAP in California must first complete and submit a Single Activity Provider application for review, for each activity they plan to provide, along with the $90 processing fee* for each application. When approved, the provider may either offer the approved single activity once or multiple times, provided that there are no changes made to the program, during a two-year period. 

Providers who plan to offer on-demand, multiday or multitrack, subscription-based, or bundled MCLE activities must submit a separate SAP application along with the associated processing fee* for each activity offered as part of that service. Applications listing multiple activities, multitrack programs, or multiday activities will be deemed insufficient and returned to the provider. 

In addition to the application and the associated processing fee, the following supporting materials are required and must be submitted with the application, otherwise the application will be deemed incomplete and returned to the provider: 

  • Agenda: The proposed agenda must include the title of the activity and its start and end time. The proposed agenda must also include a time breakdown for each topic the activity covers, along with a brief description for each topic. 
  • Biographies: Each speaker’s biography must contain their professional credentials, including all relevant work experience and academic achievements. A resumé may be submitted as a biography.
  • Written materials: If an activity is one hour or more in length, substantive written materials are required and must be included with the application. The required materials must include all syllabi and/or handouts that are made available to all attendees before or during the activity. Written materials must discuss the content and/or legal authorities discussed during the MCLE activity. A PowerPoint presentation may be submitted as written material.
  • Promotional materials: If retroactive approval for an activity that has been offered is being sought, the promotional materials used for the activity must be submitted with the application. 
  • Number of credits: The total number of hour(s) of credit intending to be issued for the activity must be indicated. The total amount of credit that is being sought must correspond with the times listed on the activity’s agenda as submitted. Please note, credit for breaks or lunch is not permitted. 
  • Signature: The application must be signed in the appropriate fields. Failure to sign the application will delay processing.  

* Please note that the $90 application processing fee is nonrefundable and cannot be waived.

Additional tips for completing a Single Activity Provider application: 

  • The name of the activity should match the activity name field found on the application.
  • If there is not a prospective date for the activity, “to be determined” should be inserted in the prospective date field. Please note that if approved, the program or activity has a two-year approval period and may be offered at any time during the approval period, as long as it is presented identically each time. If the date of the activity is not indicated, the approval period will begin as of the date the application is received.
  • Only list one contact person.
  • Customized Record of Attendance, Certificate of Attendance, and Evaluation Forms may be created. Each form must include the same fields found on the samples available on the State Bar’s Forms webpage. Samples of the customized forms must be included with the application. 
  • If submitting by mail, do not staple or bind the application or any of the required documents.
  • Do not include originals of the Record of Attendance and Evaluation Forms with the application. The original forms must be maintained by the provider in the event the State Bar requests copies of those records.
  • Biographies and written materials may be submitted on a flash drive.

Once an application is received complete, the review process is between four to six weeks and cannot be expedited. During that time, the provider may be contacted if additional information or documentation is needed. Upon conclusion of the review process, a determination letter will be emailed to the provider, to the contact person listed on the application. 

A provider may submit their application before or after the activity has taken place but may not offer or grant participants credit for the activity until they have been notified by the State Bar that their activity has been approved. If approval is not received before the activity date, the promotional materials must state that the activity is pending approval from the State Bar of California. Promotional materials must also state the number of credit hours along with the type of credit pending State Bar approval. The provider may take attendance on the State Bar’s Record of Attendance and hand out State Bar Evaluation Forms, but Certificates of Attendance may not be issued until the activity is approved and the provider has received an approval letter from the State Bar. 

Application submittal information

Although electronic submittals are preferred, providers may either send their Single Activity Provider Application via email or via regular mail. If emailed, a completed and signed Credit Card Authorization Form must be included with the application and sent to: providers@calbar.ca.gov. 

If sent via U.S. mail, please include either a check in the amount of $90, made payable to The State Bar of California, or a completed and signed Credit Card Authorization Form with the application and send it to:

The State Bar of California
MCLE Providers
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Related links

  • MCLE Provider Rules
  • Single Activity Provider Application
  • Credit Card Authorization Form
  • Qualifying MCLE Activities for Providers
  • Provider Record Keeping
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