The California State Bar MCLE Compliance Card is the official reporting form that every active California-licensed attorney uses to certify completion of 25 hours of Minimum Continuing Legal Education every three years, signed under penalty of perjury and filed with the State Bar of California. Failure to file a truthful card by the assigned deadline triggers a $75 noncompliance fee, a $200 monetary sanction, and ultimately involuntary enrollment as an inactive attorney under California Rule of Court 9.31 and Business & Professions Code §6070.
Roughly 1 in 12 California attorneys miss their MCLE compliance deadline each cycle, according to State Bar enforcement data, and more than 4,000 lawyers are involuntarily enrolled inactive every reporting period. This guide walks through the current card (Rev. 1/2024), every box on it, three full filer scenarios, all filing channels, and the audit traps that catch even careful lawyers.
- 📋 How the card maps to the 25-hour rule, including the 4 ethics, 1 competence, and 1 recognition/elimination of bias subcategories
- 🗓️ The exact compliance group deadlines (A–G, H–M, N–Z) and how to know which one applies to you
- ✍️ Line-by-line instructions with italicized sample entries showing what gets written in each box
- ⚖️ Three named-attorney scenarios covering live CLE, self-study cap issues, and the new-parent exemption
- 🚨 The 10 most common errors that trigger audits and how to cure noncompliance before involuntary inactive enrollment
What the MCLE Compliance Card Is and Who Must File It
The MCLE Compliance Card is a one-page certification form, issued by the State Bar of California under State Bar Rule Title 2, Division 4, that every active licensee uses to swear they completed the required continuing legal education during a three-year compliance period. The card is not a transcript and does not list course titles. It is a sworn summary that the State Bar relies on unless the licensee is selected for audit.
Every active California attorney must file unless they fall inside a narrow statutory exemption. Exempt groups include full-time California judges, full-time professors at accredited California law schools, full-time elected officials, retired judges sitting on assignment, and officers and elected officials of the State of California whose duties require them to be licensed. Inactive licensees do not file because they cannot practice law. Newly admitted attorneys file their first card at the end of their first full compliance period, which often produces a partial-cycle reporting requirement.
California splits active licensees into three compliance groups based on the first letter of the last name. Group 1 covers last names A–G, Group 2 covers H–M, and Group 3 covers N–Z. Each group is on a rolling three-year cycle, so at any moment, one group is reporting, one is mid-cycle, and one just finished. The card itself is identical across groups; only the dates change.
The form lives at the intersection of Business & Professions Code §6070, which created the MCLE program, California Rule of Court 9.31, which sets the 25-hour minimum, and the State Bar’s own MCLE Rules, which control content categories, the self-study cap, and audit procedures. Each rule reinforces the others, and a violation of any of them flows back to the same enforcement track: the noncompliance fee, the monetary sanction, and involuntary inactive enrollment.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Filing the card is a 10-minute job if your records are clean and a multi-week scramble if they are not. Pull everything before you open the form. The State Bar requires you to keep documentation for one year after the compliance period ends, and audit notices arrive without warning under State Bar Rule 2.83.
- Your seven-digit State Bar number, because every record the Bar keeps is keyed to it and a wrong number routes your card to another lawyer’s file
- Your compliance group letter (1, 2, or 3) and the exact compliance period start and end dates, because the wrong cycle dates void the certification
- Certificates of attendance for every approved activity, because the Bar audits roughly 2 percent of filers each cycle and missing certificates trigger automatic noncompliance
- A running tally of total participatory hours, because you must hit at least 25 and the card asks for the exact number
- A running tally of self-study hours, because self-study is capped at 12.5 hours and any excess is disallowed
- Subcategory totals for legal ethics (4 hours minimum), competence issues (1 hour minimum), and recognition and elimination of bias in the legal profession and society (1 hour minimum)
- The provider numbers for each course (six-digit numbers issued by the State Bar), because audit responses require them
- Documentation of any claimed exemption or modification, such as a judicial commission letter, a military activation order under Business & Professions Code §6070(c), or a new-parent declaration
- A working credit card or check if you are filing late, because the $75 noncompliance fee must accompany a late card
- Your current address of record on file with the My State Bar Profile portal, because the card and the profile must match or processing stalls
If any item is missing, stop and recover it before signing. The card is signed under penalty of perjury, and a false statement is a separate violation under Rules of Professional Conduct 8.1 and 8.4(c), which can support discipline independent of the MCLE rule.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The State Bar mails a personalized paper Compliance Card to every active licensee about 60 days before the compliance deadline. The card arrives pre-printed with your name, State Bar number, compliance group, and reporting period, so the most reliable way to get the right card is to wait for the mailing. If your address is not current with the Bar, the card never arrives, and that is not a defense to noncompliance.
If you lost the card or never received it, you can request a duplicate by calling the State Bar’s MCLE Unit at 888-800-3400 or by emailing mcle@calbar.ca.gov. You can also download a generic, non-personalized card from the State Bar MCLE forms page and write in your own identifiers. The generic card is identical in substance to the personalized one.
Most California attorneys now report online through the My State Bar Profile portal. The online flow asks the same questions as the paper card, in the same order, and produces a digital receipt the moment you submit. The portal accepts payment of the noncompliance fee by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Paper filers pay by check made out to “State Bar of California.”
The current revision of the card is dated 1/2024, printed in the lower-left corner of page one. If you find an older revision in a desk drawer, do not use it; box numbers shifted in the 2024 revision after the State Bar combined the former “elimination of bias” and “competence issues” hours into the current three-subcategory structure under State Bar Rule 2.72.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the MCLE Compliance Card Line by Line
The card is divided into a header block, a Section I activities block, a Section II exemptions or modifications block, a Section III certification block, and a payment block. Every box must be completed or marked “N/A.” Blank boxes are treated as nonresponses and can void the certification.
Box 1: Full Legal Name
The card asks for your full legal name as it appears on the State Bar’s records.
Print your name in all capital letters, last name first, then a comma, then first name and middle initial. Match the spelling on your State Bar Profile exactly, including hyphens and suffixes.
For example, LOPEZ-GARCIA, MARIA E. is what attorney Maria Elena Lopez-Garcia writes, because her profile shows the hyphenated last name and middle initial.
A nuance arises if you recently changed your name. The card must match the current State Bar record, so update your profile through My State Bar Profile before mailing the card; otherwise, the Bar will reject it as mismatched.
The most common mistake is writing a married name on the card while the Bar still shows a maiden name, which causes the card to be docketed under the wrong file or returned. The direct consequence is that the Bar treats your card as not filed, and the late deadline starts running.
A persistent misconception is that the Bar will “figure out” the right person from the State Bar number alone. It will not; the name and number must match, and a mismatch routes the card to manual review that often misses the deadline.
Box 2: State Bar Number
The card asks for your seven-digit State Bar of California license number.
Write the number in plain digits with no leading zeros omitted and no spaces. The number is on your wall certificate, every payment receipt from the Bar, and your Attorney Search profile.
For example, 198765 is what attorney Janet Wu writes if her bar number is 198765, even though the field has seven boxes.
A nuance is that bar numbers issued before 1980 are five digits and bar numbers issued after roughly 2002 are six digits. The card prints seven boxes for future-proofing; left-justify the digits and leave the rightmost boxes blank.
The most common mistake is transposing two digits, which routes your card to another attorney and leaves your file blank. The consequence is involuntary inactive enrollment for “failure to file” even though you mailed a card.
A misconception is that any State Bar identifier works, including the federal court admission number or the law school student bar number. Only the California State Bar license number is valid.
Box 3: Compliance Group
The card asks which compliance group you belong to: 1 (A–G), 2 (H–M), or 3 (N–Z).
Circle or check the single box that matches the first letter of your last name as recorded with the Bar. The pre-printed personalized card already has this filled in.
For example, attorney Carlos Navarro checks Group 3 because the letter N falls in the N–Z range.
A nuance is that recently married or divorced attorneys whose last name now starts with a different letter stay in their original group until the Bar reassigns them, which can take a full cycle. Do not self-reassign.
The common mistake is choosing the group based on a maiden name or hyphenated alternative. The consequence is that your card arrives in the wrong reporting window and is rejected as untimely.
The misconception is that the group letter controls the deadline by itself. It does not; the deadline is set by your group’s three-year cycle published on the MCLE Compliance page.
Box 4: Compliance Period (Start and End Dates)
The card asks for the exact start and end dates of your three-year compliance period.
Enter the dates in MM/DD/YYYY format with slashes. The personalized card lists them already; on a generic card, copy them from the MCLE deadlines table.
For example, a Group 1 attorney reporting in 2026 writes 02/01/2023 through 01/31/2026.
A nuance applies to newly admitted lawyers, whose first cycle is partial and runs from the admission date to the next group deadline. They must enter the partial dates exactly as listed in their welcome letter from the Bar.
The common mistake is entering calendar years (01/01–12/31) instead of the actual cycle dates. The consequence is that hours earned outside the listed window are disallowed on audit.
The misconception is that any 25 hours in the last three calendar years count. They do not; only hours earned inside the printed compliance period count, and the cycle does not run on a calendar year.
Box 5: Total Participatory Hours
The card asks for the total number of participatory MCLE hours completed during the period.
Write a whole or half-hour number to one decimal place, such as 26.5. Participatory means live, in-person, or live-webcast courses where attendance is verified by the provider.
For example, attorney Aisha Brown writes 27.0 after attending nine 3-hour seminars during her cycle.
A nuance is that participatory hours include verified live webcasts, but the provider must issue a participatory-credit certificate, not a self-study certificate, or the hours are reclassified.
The common mistake is rounding up to make the 25-hour minimum. The consequence is that the audit recalculates and a falsified rounding is treated as a perjury issue under Rule 8.4(c).
The misconception is that “participatory” means you must have asked a question. It does not; sitting through the entire program with verified attendance is enough.
Box 6: Total Self-Study Hours
The card asks for the total number of self-study MCLE hours completed during the period.
Self-study includes audio CDs, on-demand video, written self-study materials with a test, and unaccredited but State Bar-approved provider activities. Write the number to one decimal place.
For example, attorney Marcus Reilly writes 12.5 because he completed exactly the maximum self-study allowed.
A nuance is that self-study is capped at 12.5 hours per cycle (one-half of the 25-hour minimum). Hours above 12.5 must be disregarded on the card; do not enter 14 even if you completed 14.
The common mistake is double-counting on-demand replays of a live course as participatory. The consequence is reclassification on audit, which can drop you below the minimum and trigger the noncompliance fee.
The misconception is that self-study hours must be completed alone. They can be done in a group, but credit type is set by the provider’s accreditation, not by how many people watched the video.
Box 7a: Legal Ethics Hours
The card asks for hours of legal ethics CLE completed during the period.
The minimum is 4 hours, all of which may be participatory or self-study within the 12.5-hour self-study cap. Write the number to one decimal place.
For example, attorney Janet Wu writes 4.0 after completing one 4-hour ethics workshop.
A nuance is that ethics hours count toward both the subcategory minimum and the 25-hour total; you do not double up. The same 4 hours satisfy two requirements at once.
The common mistake is entering hours that the provider labeled “professional responsibility” without confirming State Bar ethics accreditation. The consequence is disallowance on audit because the provider must use the State Bar’s ethics designation.
The misconception is that ethics means courtroom etiquette. It means the California Rules of Professional Conduct, the State Bar Act, and related case law.
Box 7b: Competence Issues Hours
The card asks for hours addressing competence issues, including substance use, mental health, and stress that affect professional duties.
The minimum is 1 hour. The hour can be participatory or self-study and counts toward the 25-hour total.
For example, attorney Carlos Navarro writes 1.0 after attending a one-hour Lawyer Assistance Program webinar on burnout.
A nuance is that the State Bar narrowed this category in 2023 to focus on impairment and well-being topics. Generic “law office management” courses no longer qualify unless they directly address competence and impairment.
The common mistake is claiming a substance-use CLE that the provider did not designate as a competence-issues course. The consequence is that the hour is reclassified to general credit on audit and the minimum is unmet.
The misconception is that “competence” means substantive legal competence (knowing the law). For this box, it means personal capacity to practice safely under Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1.
Box 7c: Recognition and Elimination of Bias Hours
The card asks for hours covering the recognition and elimination of bias in the legal profession and society.
The minimum is 1 hour, participatory or self-study, counted within the 25-hour total.
For example, attorney Maria Lopez-Garcia writes 2.0 after attending a 2-hour implicit bias program offered by her local bar association.
A nuance is that this category replaced the former “elimination of bias” hour after the 2022 rule update under State Bar Rule 2.72, and providers may show either label on certificates. Both count if the State Bar approved the activity.
The common mistake is claiming a general diversity, equity, and inclusion training from an employer. The consequence is disallowance because the provider must hold State Bar accreditation specific to this category.
The misconception is that any DEI seminar at a law firm satisfies the rule. Only State Bar-accredited bias courses count.
Section II, Box 8: Exemption or Modification Claimed
The card asks whether you claim a full exemption or a partial modification of the MCLE requirement.
Check the appropriate box and write the basis (judicial officer, full-time law professor, military activation, new parent, serious illness, etc.) on the line provided.
For example, attorney Aisha Brown checks “modification” and writes new-parent modification under State Bar Rule 2.55.
A nuance is that exemptions must be approved in advance for some categories (military, hardship), while others (judicial officer, full-time law professor) are automatic upon proof of status. Documentation goes to the MCLE Unit, not in the card envelope.
The common mistake is checking the exemption box without filing the underlying request first. The consequence is that the card is processed as a regular filing, the exemption is ignored, and the licensee falls short of 25 hours.
The misconception is that being “too busy” or “between jobs” qualifies as hardship. It does not under State Bar Rule 2.55; hardship is reserved for serious illness, disability, or extraordinary circumstances.
Section III, Box 9: Certification and Signature
The card asks you to certify, under penalty of perjury under California law, that the information is true and correct.
Sign in blue or black ink on the signature line. Print the date next to your signature in MM/DD/YYYY format.
For example, Janet Wu signs and dates 01/28/2026, three days before her January 31, 2026 deadline.
A nuance is that the signature must be the licensee’s own. A paralegal, assistant, or spouse cannot sign for you, even with power of attorney, because the certification is personal to the lawyer.
The common mistake is signing with initials only. The consequence is that the Bar treats the card as unsigned and unfiled.
The misconception is that an electronic signature on the paper form is acceptable. It is not; only the online portal supports electronic certification, and a printed paper card requires a wet signature.
Box 10: Payment of Noncompliance Fee (If Late)
The card asks for the $75 noncompliance fee if you are filing after the deadline.
Pay by check, money order, or credit card authorization on the back of the card. Make checks payable to “State Bar of California” and write your bar number in the memo.
For example, attorney Marcus Reilly attaches a check for $75.00 with Bar No. 245678 in the memo line.
A nuance is that the fee is automatic on any card filed after the cycle end date, even by one day, and the Bar does not waive the fee for postal delays. Mail early.
The common mistake is omitting the fee on a late card. The consequence is that the Bar holds the card pending payment and the noncompliance period continues, eventually escalating to the $200 monetary sanction and inactive enrollment under State Bar Rule 2.30.
The misconception is that the $75 fee is the only late penalty. It is not; the $200 sanction and inactive enrollment follow if noncompliance persists past 60 days.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Three named attorneys, three common fact patterns, three full walkthroughs.
Scenario 1: Janet Wu, Mid-Career Litigator (Group 2)
| Form Section | What Janet Enters |
|---|---|
| Box 1 – Full Legal Name | WU, JANET L. |
| Box 2 – State Bar Number | 198765 |
| Box 3 – Compliance Group | Group 2 (H–M) |
| Box 4 – Compliance Period | 02/01/2023 – 01/31/2026 |
| Box 5 – Participatory Hours | 21.0 |
| Box 6 – Self-Study Hours | 6.0 |
| Box 7a – Legal Ethics | 4.0 |
| Box 7b – Competence Issues | 1.0 |
| Box 7c – Bias | 1.0 |
| Box 8 – Exemption | N/A |
| Box 9 – Signature/Date | Janet Wu, 01/28/2026 |
| Box 10 – Late Fee | N/A (filed on time) |
Scenario 2: Marcus Reilly, Newly Admitted Attorney (Group 3, Partial Cycle)
| Form Section | What Marcus Enters |
|---|---|
| Box 1 – Full Legal Name | REILLY, MARCUS J. |
| Box 2 – State Bar Number | 345678 |
| Box 3 – Compliance Group | Group 3 (N–Z) |
| Box 4 – Compliance Period | 06/15/2024 – 01/31/2027 (partial first cycle) |
| Box 5 – Participatory Hours | 13.0 |
| Box 6 – Self-Study Hours | 12.5 |
| Box 7a – Legal Ethics | 4.0 |
| Box 7b – Competence Issues | 1.0 |
| Box 7c – Bias | 1.0 |
| Box 8 – Exemption | Partial first-cycle prorated requirement |
| Box 9 – Signature/Date | Marcus Reilly, 01/30/2027 |
| Box 10 – Late Fee | $0 (timely) |
Scenario 3: Aisha Brown, New-Parent Modification (Group 1)
| Form Section | What Aisha Enters |
|---|---|
| Box 1 – Full Legal Name | BROWN, AISHA M. |
| Box 2 – State Bar Number | 267890 |
| Box 3 – Compliance Group | Group 1 (A–G) |
| Box 4 – Compliance Period | 02/01/2023 – 01/31/2026 |
| Box 5 – Participatory Hours | 11.0 |
| Box 6 – Self-Study Hours | 6.5 |
| Box 7a – Legal Ethics | 4.0 |
| Box 7b – Competence Issues | 1.0 |
| Box 7c – Bias | 1.5 |
| Box 8 – Exemption | Modification – New-parent leave under Rule 2.55 |
| Box 9 – Signature/Date | Aisha Brown, 01/15/2026 |
| Box 10 – Late Fee | N/A |
How to File the Completed MCLE Compliance Card
Three filing channels exist, and each has its own quirks.
By mail, send the signed card to State Bar of California, MCLE Compliance, 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. There is no filing fee for a timely card; a late card requires a $75 check or money order. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for processing, and keep a USPS Certified Mail receipt as your proof of filing.
In person, walk the card into the State Bar office at 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, or 845 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles. Both offices issue a date-stamped receipt that serves as immediate proof of filing. Cash is not accepted; in-person filers can pay the late fee by check, money order, or credit card.
Online, use the My State Bar Profile portal and follow the MCLE Compliance link. The portal accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover and emails an electronic receipt within minutes. Online is the only channel that confirms compliance the same day, and it is the State Bar’s preferred channel as stated on the MCLE FAQ page.
By fax to (415) 538-2576, you can transmit the signed card if you also pay the late fee by phone or online; faxed cards without confirmed payment are returned. Save the fax confirmation page as proof of transmission. Processing takes 2 to 3 weeks for faxed filings.
Whichever channel you choose, retain the proof of filing for at least one year past the compliance period end date, the same retention window the Bar applies to course certificates under State Bar Rule 2.83.
What Happens After You File
Online filings post to your State Bar Profile within 24 hours, and you can verify compliance through the Attorney Search tool. Mail and fax filings post within 4 to 6 weeks. The Bar does not send a confirmation letter for timely filings; the profile update is the confirmation.
If your card was filed late or the fee was missing, the Bar mails a Notice of Noncompliance giving you 60 days to cure. Cure means filing a corrected card and paying the $75 noncompliance fee, plus the $200 monetary sanction if the deadline ran more than 60 days ago. The notice goes to your address of record, which is one more reason to keep the address current under State Bar Rule 2.20.
If you ignore the Notice of Noncompliance, the Bar enrolls you involuntarily inactive under California Rule of Court 9.31(d). Inactive enrollment means you cannot practice law, hold yourself out as a lawyer, or appear in any California court. Reinstatement requires filing the missing card, paying all fees, and submitting a separate reinstatement application under State Bar Rule 2.30.
About 2 percent of compliant filers are randomly audited. The audit notice asks for certificates of attendance for every hour reported on the card. Failure to produce documentation converts a “compliant” filing into noncompliance and triggers the same fee-and-sanction track.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Writing your name in a format that does not match the State Bar’s records, which routes the card to manual review and often past the deadline
- Using an old revision of the card from before 1/2024, which has different box numbers and forces a refile
- Entering calendar-year dates in Box 4 instead of the actual three-year cycle dates, which disallows hours earned outside the printed window
- Reporting more than 12.5 self-study hours, which the Bar reclassifies to zero excess on audit and can drop you below the 25-hour minimum
- Treating an on-demand replay as participatory credit, which the provider’s certificate does not support and the audit will reverse
- Skipping the 1-hour competence issues subcategory because you “covered it elsewhere,” which the Bar treats as a separate violation under State Bar Rule 2.72
- Claiming a generic employer DEI training as recognition-of-bias credit, which is disallowed because only State Bar-accredited bias courses qualify
- Checking the exemption box without first filing the underlying exemption request, which causes the card to process as a deficient regular filing
- Signing with initials or a digital stamp on a paper card, which the Bar treats as unsigned
- Mailing the late card without the $75 fee, which holds processing and lets the noncompliance window expand into the $200 sanction zone
Do’s and Don’ts
- Do file online through My State Bar Profile for same-day confirmation rather than waiting weeks for mail to post
- Do keep every certificate of attendance for at least one year after the compliance period ends, because audits arrive without warning
- Do verify your name and address match the Bar’s records before mailing, since mismatches cause manual review delays
- Do count ethics, competence, and bias hours toward both the subcategory minimum and the 25-hour total, because the State Bar allows that overlap
- Do calendar your group’s deadline two months early, because the Bar mails the personalized card at that point and gives you a head start
-
Do keep proof of filing (USPS receipt, fax confirmation, online receipt) for the full retention period
-
Don’t sign the card until every box is filled in or marked “N/A,” because blank boxes void the certification
- Don’t use a maiden or married name that conflicts with the Bar’s record, because the card will be docketed under the wrong file
- Don’t rely on a paralegal or spouse to sign, because the certification is personal under penalty of perjury
- Don’t claim hours from out-of-state CLE unless the provider also holds California State Bar approval
- Don’t mail the card to the State Bar’s general PO Box; use the MCLE Compliance address at 180 Howard Street
- Don’t ignore a Notice of Noncompliance, because the 60-day cure window is the cheapest and easiest exit
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Most California lawyers file the MCLE Compliance Card themselves. A small number, especially those facing audit or seeking a hardship modification, hire ethics counsel.
Pros of filing on your own:
- Free, since there is no State Bar filing fee for a timely card
- Fast, with same-day confirmation through the online portal
- Direct control over every box and entry, which avoids miscommunication with a third party
- Builds personal familiarity with the MCLE rules under State Bar Rule Title 2, Division 4
- Sufficient for the vast majority of routine filings without exemptions
Cons of filing on your own:
- No second set of eyes to catch box-number or category errors before signing
- Exemption and modification requests are easy to mishandle without precedent research
- Audit responses require organized documentation that solo attorneys often lack
- Involuntary inactive enrollment is a career-altering event that may not be salvageable without counsel
- Self-represented attorneys often miss the 60-day cure window because they do not recognize the Notice of Noncompliance for what it is
FAQs
Do I write my maiden name or married name in Box 1?
Yes, write the name that matches your current State Bar Profile, whichever it is, because the Bar dockets the card by name match and any mismatch causes manual review and processing delays.
Do I sign the paper card in blue ink or black ink?
Yes, either blue or black ink is accepted, but pencil and electronic signatures on a paper card are not, because the Bar treats unsigned-equivalent cards as not filed.
Can my paralegal sign the card for me with my permission?
No, the certification under penalty of perjury is personal to the licensed attorney, and a paralegal signature voids the filing under Rule 8.4(c).
Do I need to attach my course certificates to the card?
No, certificates stay with you for at least one year past the cycle end date and are produced only if the Bar selects you for audit under Rule 2.83.
Can I count more than 12.5 self-study hours in Box 6?
No, the self-study cap is 12.5 hours per three-year cycle, and any excess is disregarded, so do not enter a higher number even if you completed more.
Does an out-of-state CLE count for California credit?
Yes, only if the provider also holds California State Bar approval listed on the State Bar provider search, because California does not give automatic reciprocity to other states.
Can I claim ethics hours and bias hours from the same course?
Yes, if the provider designates the course for both subcategories, you may split the hours, but you cannot count the same hour twice toward two different subcategory minimums.
Do I need to file a card if I was inactive the entire cycle?
No, inactive licensees are not required to file, but you must file when you return to active status under State Bar Rule 2.40.
Is the $75 noncompliance fee waivable for postal delays?
No, the State Bar does not waive the fee for mail issues, so use Certified Mail or the online portal to lock in your filing date.
Can I e-sign the paper card and mail it in?
No, e-signatures are accepted only inside the online portal, and a printed paper card requires a wet ink signature to be valid.
Do I report 25 hours exactly or my actual total?
Yes, report your actual total in whole or half hours, because audits compare your reported number against your certificates and a rounded-down number that hides excess is fine but a rounded-up number is perjury.
What if Box 4’s compliance period dates do not match my admission date?
Yes, newly admitted attorneys file a partial first cycle running from admission to the next group deadline, and you write those exact partial dates as listed in your Bar welcome letter.
Can I cure a missed deadline after I am declared inactive?
Yes, by filing the missing card, paying the $75 fee plus the $200 sanction, and submitting a reinstatement application under State Bar Rule 2.30, but you cannot practice during the inactive period.
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