How to Fill Out Florida Bar CLE Reporting Affidavit (w/Examples) + FAQs

The Florida Bar CLE Reporting Affidavit is the sworn statement every active member of The Florida Bar must file at the end of a 3-year reporting cycle to prove completion of the 33-hour Continuing Legal Education Requirement (CLER), including 5 hours of ethics, professionalism, bias elimination, mental illness awareness, or substance abuse, and 3 hours of approved technology programming. The affidavit is filed under Rule 6-10 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, and an incorrect or late filing triggers a $250 delinquency fee and CLER-delinquent status, which makes the lawyer ineligible to practice law in Florida.

Florida has roughly 110,000 active members, and the Bar reports that several thousand attorneys fall into CLER delinquency every cycle, most because of avoidable affidavit errors. This guide walks you through the form line by line, shows three full filled-out examples, and answers the field-level questions filers ask most.

📋 The exact fields, boxes, and signature blocks on the current CLE Reporting Affidavit
⏰ Cycle-end deadlines, the $250 late fee, and how delinquency suspends your license
🧑‍⚖️ Three full named-attorney scenarios (solo practitioner, in-house counsel, short-on-hours filer)
🛠️ The technology CLE rule, ethics breakdown, and exemption affidavit interaction
✅ Online portal, mail, and fax filing — with URLs, fees, and proof-of-filing tips

What the CLE Reporting Affidavit Is and Who Must File It

The CLE Reporting Affidavit is the official compliance form that confirms, under oath, that a Florida Bar member has met the Continuing Legal Education Requirement (CLER) under Rule 6-10.3 during the member’s assigned 3-year cycle. The Florida Bar’s Legal Specialization and Education Department receives the affidavit, posts the credits to the member’s CLE transcript, and updates the member’s compliance status in the Bar’s membership database.

Every active Florida Bar member must file unless an exemption applies under Rule 6-10.3(c). Exempt members include full-time federal judiciary, full-time state judiciary subject to judicial education rules, active-duty military lawyers, inactive members, and members of the Florida Legislature during legislative session. These members file a separate CLER Exemption Affidavit rather than the Reporting Affidavit.

The 33-hour requirement breaks down as follows: at least 5 hours must be in ethics, professionalism, bias elimination, mental illness awareness, or substance abuse (the “ethics block”), and 3 hours must be in approved technology programming. The remaining 25 hours can be in any approved subject. Newly admitted lawyers must also complete the Basic Skills Course Requirement (BSCR) within the first year of admission, which is separate from CLER but reported on the same general transcript.

The consequence of skipping the affidavit is automatic: at the end of the cycle, the Bar marks the member CLER delinquent, assesses a $250 reinstatement fee, and lists the member as ineligible to practice. Practicing law while CLER delinquent can become a disciplinary matter under Rule 4-5.5 on unauthorized practice.

Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need

Gather everything before opening the form. The portal times out after periods of inactivity, and missing one course number can force you to start the entry over. The Bar publishes its CLER FAQ page for members who hit a snag mid-filing.

Florida Bar number. Your 7-digit member number is printed on your Bar card and at the top of every dues invoice. Without it, the affidavit cannot be matched to your record and the filing is rejected.
Current address of record. This must match the address on file with the Bar’s Member Records Department, because mismatch flags the affidavit for manual review.
Reporting cycle end date. The Bar assigns each member a personal cycle based on admission date. Find yours under “CLE Requirement” in your member portal.
Course numbers for every CLER program completed. Each approved Florida Bar CLE course has a unique course number printed on the certificate of attendance. Without the course number, the credit will not post.
Course sponsor names. List the exact sponsor (e.g., The Florida Bar CLE, NBI, Lorman) as printed on the certificate.
Date completed for each course. Use MM/DD/YYYY. Courses completed after the cycle end date do not count toward the closing cycle.
Hours per category. Total general hours, ethics-block hours, and technology hours separately, because the form has separate totals.
Method of attendance. Note live, in-person, online on-demand, webcast, or audio. Some categories cap on-demand hours.
Certificates of attendance. Keep PDFs in a single folder. The Bar may audit, and members must retain certificates for 2 years after the cycle close.
Payment method for the $250 late fee if you are filing after the cycle end date.

Where to Get the Form and How to Access It

The current CLE Reporting Affidavit is hosted on the Florida Bar CLE forms page and inside the secure Florida Bar Member Portal. The fillable PDF lists its revision date in the lower-left corner of page 1, and you should always confirm you have the current revision before filing, because the Bar rejects superseded versions.

Most members today file electronically through the member portal, which auto-populates name, Bar number, and cycle dates from the membership database. The portal also displays a running CLE transcript so you can confirm credits the Bar has already posted from sponsor reports. The paper PDF version is still accepted by mail and fax for members who prefer paper or who are filing reconstructed records after a transcript dispute.

You can also request a paper affidavit by calling the Bar’s CLE compliance line at 850-561-5842 or emailing cler@floridabar.org. The Bar will mail a personalized affidavit pre-printed with your name, Bar number, and cycle dates, which reduces transcription errors.

If you are reporting an exemption rather than completed credits, use the CLER Exemption Affidavit instead. The two forms look similar, and filing the wrong one is one of the top three rejection reasons each year.

Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the Florida Bar CLE Reporting Affidavit Line by Line

The affidavit reads top to bottom in five logical groups: (1) member identification, (2) reporting cycle, (3) credit summary, (4) course detail, and (5) sworn signature. Use the exact field names printed on the form; do not paraphrase. Sample entries below are italicized so you can tell them apart from the instructions.

Box 1: Member Name

The form asks for your full legal name as it appears on the active membership roll of The Florida Bar. Enter first name, middle name (or initial), and last name in the boxes labeled “First,” “Middle,” and “Last.” Match the spelling on your Bar card exactly, including any suffix such as Jr. or III.

For example, Maria Elena Rodriguez writes “Maria” in First, “Elena” in Middle, and “Rodriguez” in Last. If your legal name has changed since admission, file a Member Records Change Form first, then file the affidavit using the updated name.

A common edge case is hyphenated last names. Enter the full hyphenated surname in the Last box; do not split it across Middle and Last. The most common mistake here is using a nickname or married name not on file with the Bar, which causes the affidavit to be flagged as unmatched and held in pending status until manually reconciled. The misconception filers carry is that the Bar will “figure it out” from the Bar number; the Bar’s matching system requires both fields to agree.

Box 2: Florida Bar Number

This 7-digit number is your unique identifier in the Bar’s system. Enter the digits with no leading zeros and no spaces, exactly as printed on your Bar card. The system rejects any entry shorter than 7 digits.

For example, Maria Rodriguez writes 123456 if her Bar number is 0123456 (the leading zero is dropped on the affidavit). The portal pre-fills this box for online filers, which removes the risk of typos.

The edge case to watch for is members with very old admissions who may have a 6-digit number on legacy materials; the current system stores all numbers as 7 digits. The common mistake is transposing two digits, which routes the affidavit to another member’s record and creates a compliance dispute. The misconception is that the Bar number is the same as the FRP (Florida Registered Paralegal) number; they are issued by the same agency but are not interchangeable.

Box 3: Address of Record

Enter the street address (or P.O. Box), city, state, and ZIP exactly as it appears under “Address of Record” in your member portal profile. Use the U.S. Postal Service two-letter state code (FL) and a 5-digit or ZIP+4 ZIP code.

For example, David Chen writes 400 Brickell Ave., Suite 1500, Miami, FL 33131. If the address on the affidavit does not match the address of record, the Bar treats the mismatch as a notice of address change.

The edge case is military and overseas members using APO/FPO addresses; enter “APO” or “FPO” in the city field and “AE,” “AP,” or “AA” in the state field. The common mistake is using a litigation mailing address that differs from the official address of record, which causes correspondence about delinquency to be sent to the wrong place. The misconception is that updating the affidavit also updates the master record; it does not, and a separate change form is required.

Box 4: Reporting Cycle Dates

The form requests the beginning and ending dates of your assigned 3-year reporting cycle in MM/DD/YYYY format. Each member’s cycle is unique and tied to admission date, so do not assume yours runs January to January.

For example, Janet Williams writes Beginning 04/01/2023 and Ending 03/31/2026, because her cycle ends on the last day of her birth month every three years. The portal pre-fills this for online filers.

The edge case is members who have transferred between active and inactive status; the cycle pauses during inactive periods and resumes when reactivated. The common mistake is writing the calendar year instead of the actual cycle dates, which causes the Bar to reject credits earned outside the assumed window. The misconception is that the cycle resets when you change firms; the cycle is tied to your member record, not your employer.

Box 5: Total General CLE Hours

Enter the total number of approved CLE hours completed during the cycle, including ethics-block and technology hours, since those count toward the 33-hour total. Round to the nearest tenth (e.g., 12.5).

For example, David Chen writes 35.0 because he over-completed by 2 hours as a buffer. Hours above 33 do not roll forward; each cycle stands alone.

The edge case is partial-credit programs (e.g., a 50-minute lunch CLE that grants 1.0 hour). Use the credit value the sponsor printed on the certificate, not your own time estimate. The common mistake is entering ethics or technology hours only here and forgetting them in the dedicated boxes, which causes the form’s internal totals to fail validation. The misconception is that self-study counts the same as accredited courses; only Florida Bar–approved courses count.

Box 6: Ethics, Professionalism, Bias Elimination, Mental Illness Awareness, and Substance Abuse Hours

This box captures the 5-hour ethics block required by Rule 6-10.3(b). All five subject categories combine into a single 5-hour minimum, and any one category alone can satisfy the entire block.

For example, Marcus Lee writes 6.0 because he attended a 4-hour ethics seminar plus a 2-hour bias elimination program. The Bar credits the entire 6 hours and applies the surplus toward his general 33-hour total.

The edge case is a single course that is both ethics and technology (e.g., a 2-hour program on AI ethics in legal practice). The Bar usually allows the same hours to count toward both blocks if the course was approved in both categories; check the course approval listing. The common mistake is putting professionalism credits in the general box because the filer assumed “professionalism” was non-ethics, which causes a deficiency notice. The misconception is that the ethics block must be 5 hours of strict legal ethics; it does not, and any combination of the five listed subjects works.

Box 7: Technology CLE Hours

Florida added a 3-hour technology CLE requirement in 2017, the first state to do so, codified at Rule 6-10.3(b). Enter the total hours of approved technology programming completed during the cycle.

For example, Janet Williams writes 3.0 because she attended a single 3-hour course on legal practice management software. Approved technology topics include cybersecurity, e-discovery, legal analytics, and law-office software.

The edge case is on-demand technology courses, which are allowed but capped along with other on-demand credits at the cycle limit. The common mistake is assuming any tech-related course qualifies; only courses with a course number flagged “Technology” in the Florida Bar course catalog qualify. The misconception is that the 3 hours are additional to the 33-hour total; they are part of it, not on top of it.

Box 8: Course-by-Course Detail Table

The affidavit includes a multi-row table where you list every course used to satisfy the cycle. Each row asks for course number, course title, sponsor, date completed (MM/DD/YYYY), hours, and category (general, ethics block, technology).

The edge case is courses approved in another mandatory CLE jurisdiction; Florida accepts reciprocal credit if the course is filed by the sponsor for Florida approval, but the course number must be the Florida course number, not the sister-state number. The common mistake is leaving the course number blank because the filer cannot find the certificate, which causes that row’s credit to be denied. The misconception is that the Bar will reach out to sponsors for missing data; the burden is on the member.

Box 9: Affirmation and Sworn Statement

Just above the signature line, the affidavit reads, in substance, that the member swears or affirms under penalty of perjury that the information is true and that the member has retained certificates of attendance for at least 2 years. This converts the form into a sworn affidavit subject to Rule 4-8.4(c) on dishonesty.

For example, David Chen reads the paragraph in full before signing, because filing a false CLER affidavit has been the basis for Florida Supreme Court discipline in published cases.

The edge case is electronic signature in the portal: clicking the affirmation checkbox carries the same legal effect as a wet signature. The common mistake is signing without first reconciling the totals to the transcript, which can result in an inadvertent false statement. The misconception is that the affirmation is boilerplate and unenforceable; it is not, and discipline has issued for false CLER affidavits.

Box 10: Signature and Date

Sign your full legal name in ink (paper) or with the portal’s electronic signature tool, and enter the date you sign in MM/DD/YYYY format. The signature date must be on or after the cycle end date for the cycle being reported.

For example, Janet Williams signs Janet M. Williams and dates 04/05/2026 because her cycle ended on 03/31/2026. Future-dating the affidavit is not allowed.

The edge case is a power-of-attorney or representative signature; CLE affidavits must be signed by the member personally, not by a paralegal or assistant. The common mistake is signing but forgetting to date, which causes the Bar to return the affidavit unfiled. The misconception is that an undated affidavit will be deemed filed on the date received; the Bar does not impute dates and will reject it.

Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios

These three named scenarios show how the affidavit looks when completed. Each table has 2 columns, with form-specific headers. Sample entries are italicized.

Scenario 1: Maria Rodriguez, Solo Practitioner, Full Compliance

Maria runs a solo immigration practice in Miami. She completed 35 hours total during her cycle, including 6 ethics-block hours and 3 technology hours.

Form Section	What Maria Enters
Member Name	Maria Elena Rodriguez
Florida Bar Number	0987654
Address of Record	2200 SW 27th Ave., Miami, FL 33145
Reporting Cycle	07/01/2023 – 06/30/2026
Total General CLE Hours	35.0
Ethics Block Hours	6.0
Technology Hours	3.0
Course Detail Row 1	*2402100L
Course Detail Row 2	*2403077N
Affirmation	Checked
Signature & Date	*Maria E. Rodriguez

Scenario 2: David Chen, In-House Counsel, Claiming an Exemption

David is in-house counsel at a Tampa technology company and is claiming a partial exemption based on full-time non-Florida employment under Rule 6-10.3(c)(7). He files the Exemption Affidavit rather than the Reporting Affidavit, but his table illustrates the parallel fields.

Form Section	What David Enters
Member Name	David Wei Chen
Florida Bar Number	1122334
Address of Record	400 N. Tampa St., Suite 1900, Tampa, FL 33602
Reporting Cycle	01/01/2024 – 12/31/2026
Exemption Category	Full-time non-Florida employment
Employer Name & Address	Acme Cloud, Inc., 1 Acme Way, Austin, TX 78701
Dates of Exemption	01/01/2024 – 12/31/2026
Supporting Documentation	Employer letter attached
Affirmation	Checked
Signature & Date	*David W. Chen

Scenario 3: Marcus Lee, Short on Hours, Requesting an Extension

Marcus, a litigator in Orlando, completed only 22 hours by his cycle end date and needs the standard 6-month grace period plus the $250 fee.

Form Section	What Marcus Enters
Member Name	Marcus Tyrone Lee
Florida Bar Number	2345678
Address of Record	200 S. Orange Ave., Suite 1200, Orlando, FL 32801
Reporting Cycle	10/01/2023 – 09/30/2026
Total General CLE Hours at Cycle End	22.0
Hours Completed in Grace Period	11.0
Total General CLE Hours Reported	33.0
Ethics Block Hours	5.0
Technology Hours	3.0
Late Fee Paid	$250.00 by credit card
Signature & Date	*Marcus T. Lee

How to File the Completed Affidavit

There are three filing channels, and each has its own URL or address, fee structure, and proof-of-filing receipt. Pick the one that matches your situation. The Bar’s CLE Compliance page has live status indicators for each channel.

Online portal. Log in to the Florida Bar Member Portal, choose “CLE Requirement,” and follow the affidavit wizard. There is no fee if filed on time; the $250 late fee is added automatically by the system if the affidavit is filed after the cycle end date. Payment is by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover. Processing is typically real-time, with the transcript updated within 24 hours. Save or print the confirmation page; it is your proof of filing.

Mail. Print the completed PDF, sign it in ink, attach a check payable to The Florida Bar if a late fee is owed, and mail to The Florida Bar, Legal Specialization and Education Department, 651 East Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300. Processing time is 10 to 14 business days. Send by certified mail with return receipt to preserve proof of mailing date.

Fax. Fax the signed affidavit to 850-561-9398, and pay any late fee separately by phone with a credit card by calling 850-561-5842. Fax filings are processed within 5 to 7 business days. Keep the fax confirmation sheet; it serves as proof of filing.

In person. Walk-in filing is accepted at the Bar’s Tallahassee headquarters during business hours. The receptionist will date-stamp a copy for your records, which is the strongest proof-of-filing of any channel.

What Happens After You File

The Bar’s CLE department validates the affidavit against the running transcript built from sponsor-reported attendance. If totals match and the ethics-block and technology minimums are met, the system marks the member CLER compliant and emails a confirmation to the address of record. The member’s public profile on the Find a Lawyer directory continues to read “Eligible to Practice in Florida.”

If a deficiency is detected, the Bar issues a deficiency notice giving the member 30 days to cure, by completing makeup hours and filing an amended affidavit. If the cure is not timely, the member is marked CLER delinquent under Rule 6-10.5, the $250 fee is assessed, and the member is suspended from practice until reinstated. Reinstatement requires both completion of the missing hours and payment of all fees.

The Bar may audit any member’s CLE filings, and audited members must produce certificates of attendance for every course listed. Failure to produce certificates can result in retroactive removal of credits and a finding of false affidavit, which is itself a disciplinary matter. Audits are typically conducted on a random 2 percent sample each cycle.

Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form

Each of these errors has a direct, predictable consequence. Avoid them and the affidavit clears on the first pass.

Wrong Bar number. A transposed digit routes the affidavit to another member; the filing is not credited to you and you are marked delinquent.
Mismatched member name. A nickname or unupdated married name causes the affidavit to be held in pending status until reconciled.
Calendar-year cycle dates. Using 01/01–12/31 instead of your actual assigned cycle causes credits earned outside the assumed window to be rejected.
Forgetting the technology box. Leaving Box 7 blank, even when you completed tech CLE, triggers a 3-hour deficiency notice.
Confusing ethics block with general hours. Ethics-block hours that are not entered in Box 6 cause the 5-hour minimum to fail validation.
Missing course numbers. A row without a course number is dropped during validation, and those hours do not post.
Future-dating the signature. A signature dated before the cycle end date causes the affidavit to be rejected as premature.
Filing the wrong form. Submitting the Reporting Affidavit when you qualify for an exemption (or vice versa) wastes the cycle and forces a refile.
Skipping the affirmation checkbox. An unsigned or unaffirmed affidavit is treated as not filed at all.
Paying the wrong fee. Sending less than $250 with a late filing causes the affidavit to be returned unfiled; the cycle remains open and delinquency continues to accrue.
Listing self-study hours. Hours from non-approved self-study programs are stripped during validation and create a deficiency.
Not retaining certificates. Failing to keep certificates for 2 years after cycle close is itself a Rule 6-10 violation.

Do’s and Don’ts

These rules apply across every channel and every revision of the affidavit.

Do’s

Do reconcile your manual count to the Bar’s transcript before signing, because the transcript is the system of record.
Do file as soon as the cycle ends, since portal load grows heavy near the official cure deadlines.
Do save the confirmation page or certified-mail receipt, because the burden of proving timely filing is on you.
Do update your address of record before filing, because deficiency notices go to that address.
Do keep digital and paper copies of every certificate of attendance, because the audit window is 2 years.
Do call 850-561-5842 if anything looks wrong on your transcript, because sponsor reporting errors are common and fixable.

Don’ts

Don’t paraphrase field labels, because the validation system pattern-matches exact field names.
Don’t combine course rows, because each row is one course and combining them blocks credit.
Don’t sign without reading the affirmation paragraph, because the sworn statement is enforceable.
Don’t rely on memory for course numbers, because the Bar will not look them up for you.
Don’t assume an extension is automatic, since the $250 fee and a written affidavit are required even within the grace period.
Don’t ignore deficiency notices, because the 30-day cure window is strict and the suspension is automatic.

Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help

Most Florida lawyers file the CLE affidavit themselves through the portal, but firms with many members sometimes use a CLE coordinator or outside vendor.

Pros of filing yourself

You have direct access to your own member portal transcript, which is the fastest source of truth.
There is no fee for self-filing, so the only cost is the $250 late fee if the cycle slips.
You see deficiency notices in real time, since they are emailed to the address of record.
You retain immediate control of certificates and supporting documentation.
You avoid sharing Bar credentials with a third party, which preserves account security.

Cons of filing yourself

You bear the full clerical burden of matching course numbers to the right boxes.
You must track your own cycle dates and ethics/technology subtotals.
You absorb any risk of a transposition error that triggers delinquency.
You spend billable time on a non-billable task.
You miss the firm-wide visibility that a coordinator can provide for partners and associates together.

FAQs

Is the CLE Reporting Affidavit the same form as the CLER Exemption Affidavit?

No. They are two separate forms hosted on the Florida Bar CLE page. The Exemption Affidavit is filed only by members who qualify under Rule 6-10.3(c).

Can I file the affidavit before my cycle officially ends?

No. The signature date must be on or after the cycle end date, and earlier-dated filings are rejected as premature by the validation system.

Do ethics hours count toward the 33-hour total?

Yes. Ethics-block hours count toward both the 5-hour ethics minimum and the overall 33-hour CLER total in the same cycle.

What goes in Box 7 if I took a combined ethics-and-technology course?

Yes, you may list it in both Box 6 and Box 7 if the course was approved in both categories, which the Florida Bar CLE catalog confirms.

Is the $250 late fee waived for first-time delinquencies?

No. Rule 6-10.5 sets the fee as mandatory; the Bar does not have routine discretion to waive it for first-time filers.

Do I write my maiden name or married name in Box 1?

Yes, write the legal name currently on file with the Bar. Update the name with Member Records first if your current legal name differs.

Can my paralegal sign the affidavit for me?

No. The affidavit is a sworn statement and must be signed personally by the member; representative signatures are not accepted.

Do federal judges have to file?

No. Full-time federal judiciary members are exempt under Rule 6-10.3(c) and file the Exemption Affidavit instead.

Will hours over 33 carry into the next cycle?

No. Each 3-year cycle stands alone, and excess hours do not roll forward under Rule 6-10.3(b).

Do I need a course number for a free CLE?

Yes. Every Florida-approved CLE, paid or free, has a course number, and the row is dropped during validation if it is missing.

Is on-demand CLE acceptable for the technology requirement?

Yes, on-demand technology programs are acceptable if the course is approved by the Bar, and the course number flagged “Technology” appears in the catalog.

What if my address of record is wrong on the printed PDF?

Yes, fix it first by filing a Member Records change, then file the affidavit, because the affidavit alone does not update the master record.

How long do I have to keep certificates of attendance?

Yes, keep them for at least 2 years after cycle close, because Rule 6-10 audits look back across that window.

Can I amend an affidavit after filing?

Yes. Submit an amended affidavit through the portal or by mail with the corrected information; the Bar reposts the credits within standard processing times.

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