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How to Report Your CLE Credit Hours By State

By Laura Temme, Esq. | Reviewed by Joseph Fawbush, Esq. | Last reviewed

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Staying up to date on developments in the law is important for any attorney, regardless of their practice area. Many states require Continuing Legal Education courses (CLEs) for lawyers to keep up their license. However, the requirements vary by jurisdiction – and it can be hard to keep track of the different methods for reporting your credits.

Below are the CLE requirements for each state, including reporting deadlines, carry-over policies, and how attorneys report their credits.

Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many jurisdictions have waived in-person CLE requirements and other general requisites for 2020-2021. Check with your jurisdiction to find out more.

State

Number of Credits/Reporting Period

Deadlines

Can Credits Carry Over?

How to Report Your CLE Credits

Alabama

 12 per year; at least 1 Ethics credit and at least 6 live Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline February 15th Yes; up to 12 credits, including 1 ethics credit, can carry over to the next reporting period Program sponsors report attendance; no action needed unless you receive a letter of noncompliance

Alaska

 3 Ethics credits per year required; 9 hours of general credits recommended Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline February 1st Yes; up to 12 credits can carry over to the next reporting period Alaska Bar Association Portal

Arizona

 15 credits per year; at least 3 Ethics credits Courses complete by June 30th; reporting deadline September 15th Yes; up to 15 credits, including 3 Ethics credits, can carry over to the next reporting period State Bar of Arizona Portal

Arkansas

 12 credits per year; at least 1 Ethics credit Courses complete by June 30th; reporting deadline July 31st Yes; up to 12 credits, including 1 Ethics credit, can carry over to the next reporting period Arkansas Judiciary Attorney Portal https://attorneyinfo.aoc.arkansas.gov/info

California

 25 credits every three years; at least 4 Ethics credits, 1 Elimination of Bias, 1 Competence Issues Deadlines vary by compliance groups based on last name No My State Bar Profile

Colorado

 45 credits every three years; at least 7 Ethics credits Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline January 31st No Colorado Supreme Court CLE Tracking

Connecticut

 12 credits per year; at least 2 Ethics credits Courses complete by December 31st; Yes; 2 credits, including Ethics credits, may carry over to the next year No requirement to report credits, but records should be kept for 7 years in case of disciplinary action

Delaware

 24 credits every 2 years; at least 4 Ethics credits and at least 12 hours of live courses Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline March 31st Yes; 20 credits can carry over to the next reporting period, Ethics credits carry over as general CLE credits Course sponsors submit attendance lists

District of Columbia

 No mandatory CLE requirement; newly admitted attorneys and those who have been inactive for 5 or more years must complete the Mandatory Course on the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct and District of Columbia Practice N/A N/A N/A

Florida

 33 credits every three years; at least 5 in Legal Ethics, Professionalism, Bias Elimination, Substance Abuse, or Mental Illness Awareness; at least 3 in Technology Reporting groups assigned by Florida Bar No Florida Bar Member Portal

Georgia

 12 credit hours per year; at least 1 Ethics credit; at least 1 Professionalism credit; trial attorneys must complete 3 hours of Trial Skills Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline January 31st Yes; up to 12 regular CLE credits, 2 Ethics credits, 3 Trial Skills, 2 Professionalism, and 6 Distance Learning credits may carry over CLE sponsors submit attendance reports

Hawaii

 3 credit hours per year; 1 Ethics credit required every third year Course deadline and reporting deadline December 31st Yes; 3 credits can be carried over to the next reporting period (Ethics credits cannot be carried over) CLE sponsors report attendance

Idaho

 30 credits every three years; at least 3 must be Ethics credits Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline February 1st No CLE sponsors report attendance

Illinois

 30 credit hours every two years; at least 6 in Professional Responsibility (1 Diversity and Inclusion, 1 Mental Health and Substance Abuse) Courses completed by June 30th; reporting deadline July 31st Yes; up to 10 credits can carry over to the next reporting period, except Professional Responsibility credits

Illinois MCLE Board Portal

https://www.mcleboard.org/

Indiana

 36 credits every three years; at least 3 Ethics credits; at least 6 hours completed per year Course deadline and reporting deadline December 31st No CLE sponsors report attendance; Commission for Continuing Legal Education sends out letters to attorneys annually to certify

Iowa

 15 credit hours per year; at least 1 Ethics credit; at least 1 Diversity & Inclusion or Attorney Wellness Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline March 10th Yes; any excess credits can carry over into the next two reporting periods; Ethics, Diversity & Inclusion, and Attorney Wellness credits carry over as general credit hours Iowa Supreme Court Office of Professional Regulation Portal

Kansas

 12 credit hours per year; at least 2 Ethics credits Courses complete by June 30th; reporting deadline July 31st Yes; up to 10 credits (except Ethics credits) may carry over into the next reporting period Providers of programs held in the state of Kansas report attendance; attorneys must submit a signed affidavit within 30 days of completing a program held online or outside the state

Kentucky

 12 credit hours per year; at least 2 Ethics credits Courses complete by June 30th; reporting deadline August 10th Yes; 24 credits (including up to 4 Ethics credits) may carry over into the next two reporting periods Kentucky Bar Association Portal

Louisiana

 12.5 credit hours per year; at least 1 Ethics credit and 1 Professionalism credit Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline January 31st Yes; up to 8 general credits can carry over to the next reporting period CLE sponsors report attendance

Maine

 12 credits per year; at least 1 live Ethics course and 1 live, in-person Harassment & Discrimination course Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline last business day in February Yes; up to 10 credits (except Ethics and Harassment & Discrimination credits) may carry over to the next reporting period Attorneys submit an annual report with course title, date, location, sponsor, and number of credit hours for all courses taken or carried over in the previous calendar year

Maryland

 No mandatory CLE requirement N/A N/A N/A

Massachusetts

 No mandatory CLE requirement N/A N/A N/A

Michigan

 No mandatory CLE requirement N/A N/A N/A

Minnesota

 45 credit hours every 3 years; at least 3 Ethics and 2 Elimination of Bias Courses complete by June 30th of reporting year; reporting deadline August 31st No Courses individually reported on Minnesota Board of Legal Education Online Attorney and Sponsor Integrated System (OASIS)

Mississippi

 12 credit hours per year; at least 1 Ethics credit Courses complete by July 31st; reporting deadline August 15th Yes; up to 12 credits may carry over to the next reporting period (Ethics credits carry over as general credits)

Annual report submitted on State of Mississippi Judiciary Portal

https://courts.ms.gov/cle_bccr/clelogin.php

Missouri

 15 credits per year; at least 1 Elimination of Bias credit Courses complete by June 30th; reporting deadline July 31st Yes; any excess credits can carry over to the next reporting year (with the exception of on-demand courses)

Annual Report of Compliance submitted online

https://mobar.org/site/rise/Contact/Sign_In.aspx

Montana

 15 credit hours per year; at least 2 Ethics credits; no more than 5 hours on-demand Courses complete by March 31st; reporting deadline May 15th Yes; up to 30 live credits (4 of which may be Ethics) can carry over to the next reporting period Report courses on Montana Continuing Legal Education Portal

Nebraska

 10 credit hours per year; at least 2 Ethics credits Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline January 20th Yes; up to 5 credits may be carried over into the next reporting period; Ethics credits and distance learning cannot carry over CLE sponsors report attendance; attorneys can self-report and maintain their transcript

Nevada

 13 credit hours per year; at least 2 Ethics credits and 1 Substance Abuse credit Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline February 15th Yes; up to 20 general credits, 4 Ethics credits, and 2 Substance Abuse credits may carry over into the next two reporting periods CLE sponsors report attendance; attorneys affirm on Nevada Board of Continuing Legal Education portal

New Hampshire

 12 credit hours per year; at least 2 Ethics credits Courses complete by June 30th; reporting deadline July 1st Yes; 12 credits, including 2 Ethics credits, can carry over to the next reporting period Attorneys self-determine whether a program qualifies for CLE credit and report using New Hampshire MCLE Attorney Reporting Tool

New Jersey

 24 credit hours every two years; at least 5 Ethics credits, of which at least 2 are Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias Courses complete by December 31st; reporting groups determined by attorney’s birthdate Yes; up to 12 credits may carry over to the next reporting period CLE Compliance Tracker

New Mexico

 12 credit hours per year; 10 General credits, 2 Ethics credits; no more than 4 on-demand Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline January 31st Yes; 12 credits, including 2 Ethics, can carry over to the next reporting period CLE sponsors submit attendance for already-approved courses, attorneys can self-report other live courses and self-study

New York

 24 credit hours every two years; at least 2 Ethics, at least 1 Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias Deadlines vary based on the attorney’s birthdate Yes; 6 credits can carry over to the next reporting period Attorneys certify their credits when they complete their attorney registration. The state board advises keeping certificates of attendance for four years in case of an audit.

North Carolina

 12 credit hours per year; at least 2 Ethics credits and 1 Technology credit each year; at least one Substance Abuse credit every three years Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline February 28th Yes; 12 credits, including 2 Ethics credits, may carry over to the next reporting period CLE providers report attendance, attorneys receive an Annual Report they must certify

North Dakota

 45 credit hours every three years; at least 3 Ethics credits Courses complete by June 30th; reporting deadline July 31st Yes; 15 credits may carry over to the next reporting period; Ethics credits do not carry over Attorneys file Report of Compliance with State Bar Association of North Dakota

Ohio

 24 credits every two years; at least 2 Professional Conduct credits, which includes Ethics, Professionalism, Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, Mental Health, or Access to Justice Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline January 31st Yes; 12 credits, which cannot be Professional Conduct or self-study, may carry over to the next reporting period CLE sponsors report attendance

Oklahoma

 12 credit hours per year; at least 2 Ethics credits Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline February 15th  Yes; 12 credits, 2 of which can be Ethics credits, may carry over to the next reporting period CLE sponsors report attendance

Oregon

 45 credit hours every three years; at least 5 Ethics credits, 1 Child and Elder Abuse Reporting, 3 Access to Justice, and 1 Substance Abuse & Mental Health Courses complete by April 30th; reporting deadline May 31st. Yes; up to 15 credits may carry over, including a maximum of 6 Ethics credits. Elder Abuse Reporting, Child Abuse Reporting, and Access to Justice carry over as general credits CLE sponsors report attendance

Pennsylvania

 12 credits per year; at least 2 credits in Ethics, Professionalism, or Substance Abuse Deadlines vary by compliance group Yes; up to 24 credits can carry over into the next two reporting periods CLE sponsors report attendance

Puerto Rico

 24 credits every two years; at least 4 Ethics credits Courses complete by the last day of the month before the attorney’s birth month; reporting deadline 30 days after CLE deadline Yes; up to 24 credits may transfer to the next reporting cycle CLE providers report attendance, attorneys certify at the end of each cycle (some programs may need to be self-reported)

Rhode Island

 10 credit hours per year; at least 2 Ethics credits Courses complete and reported by June 30th Yes; up to 10 credits can carry over to the next reporting period CLE sponsors report attendance

South Carolina

 14 credits per year; at least 2 in Ethics, 6 live in-person; at least 1 Substance Abuse credit every two years Courses completed by February 28th; reporting deadline March 1st Yes; up to 14 credits, including 2 Ethics credits, may carry into the next reporting period; Substance Abuse credits cannot carry over South Carolina CLE sponsors report attendance; attorneys can self-report other courses by emailing their certificate of attendance to the Commission.

South Dakota

 No mandatory CLE requirement N/A N/A N/A

Tennessee

 15 credit hours per year; at least 3 Ethics credits and 7 live in-person credits Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline March 31st Yes; up to 15 credits, including 3 Ethics credits, may transfer to the next reporting period State-accredited CLE providers report attendance; attorneys must self-report for other programs

Texas

 15 credit hours per year; at least 3 Ethics credits Courses complete and reported by the last day of attorney’s birth month Yes; up to 15 credits may carry over to the next year Your MCLE Hours

US Virgin Islands

 24 credits every two years; at least 4 in Ethics, 1 in Mental Health/Substance Abuse; 2 in Technology; 4 in US Virgin Islands Law Programming Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline January 31st Yes; up to 6 credits may transfer to the following period Virgin Islands Bar Association Login

Utah

 24 credits every two years; at least 2 in Ethics and 1 in Professionalism Courses complete by June 30th; reporting deadline July 31st No Program sponsors report attendance

Vermont

 24 credits every two years; at least 2 Ethics, 1 Attorney Wellness, 1 Diversity and Inclusion, and 12 via Moderated Programming or Non-Moderated with Interactivity Courses complete by June 30th; reporting deadline July 1st Credits earned in the second year of the reporting cycle may carry over Attorneys certify CLE compliance on license renewal statement

Virginia

 12 credit hours per year; at least 2 Ethics and 4 Live Courses complete by October 31st; reporting deadline December 15th Yes; up to 12 credits, including 2 Ethics credits, may carry over Virginia State Bar Member Portal

Washington

 45 credits every three years; at least 15 Law & Legal Procedure, 6 Ethics; no more than 8 credits in a single day Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline February 1st Yes; up to 15 credits, including 2 Ethics credits, may carry over Washington MCLE Portal

West Virginia

 24 credits every two years; at least 3 Ethics credits Courses complete June 30th, even years; reporting deadline July 31st Yes; up to 6 credits, excluding Ethics credits, may carry over to the next reporting period Sponsors of approved West Virginia programs generally report attendance, but attorneys are encouraged to self-report on their bar member portal

Wisconsin

 30 credits every two years; at least 3 Ethics (cannot be on-demand) Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline February 1st Yes; up to 15 credits, excluding Ethics, may be carried over Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners CLE

Wyoming

 15 credits per year; at least 2 in Ethics Courses complete by December 31st; reporting deadline January 15th Any excess live credits may carry over to the next two reporting periods Wyoming State Bar CLE Credit Submission
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