The Texas Bar Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Annual Verification Report is the yearly compliance filing every active Texas attorney must submit to the State Bar of Texas MCLE Department to confirm completion of 15 accredited CLE hours, including 3 hours of legal ethics or professional responsibility, by the last day of the attorney’s birth month. The report is filed electronically through the My Bar Page portal under Texas Supreme Court rules and the State Bar Board of Directors MCLE Regulations.
Missing the deadline triggers an automatic $100 late fee, a 90-day cure window, and eventually default suspension of your law license. According to the State Bar’s own data, more than 90,000 Texas attorneys file an MCLE Annual Verification Report each compliance year, and roughly 4–6% miss the initial birth-month deadline and pay the late fee.
Here is what this guide covers:
- 📋 Every field on the MCLE Annual Verification Report explained line by line
- ⚖️ How to count ethics, self-study, and carry-forward hours correctly
- 🧾 Three full filer walkthroughs with sample entries
- 🚨 The mistakes that trigger non-compliance suspensions and how to avoid them
- 💡 Field-level FAQs that answer the questions most attorneys get wrong
What the MCLE Annual Verification Report Is and Who Must File It
The MCLE Annual Verification Report (AVR) is the State Bar of Texas’s yearly attestation form that confirms an active attorney has earned the required continuing legal education credits during their personal compliance year. The compliance year runs from the first day of the month after your birth month through the last day of your next birth month, under Article XII, Section 6 of the State Bar Rules. The report itself is the legal proof the State Bar uses to determine whether you stay in good standing or move toward administrative suspension.
Every attorney licensed in Texas with active status must file, including in-house counsel, government attorneys, and judges who hold an active law license. Inactive members, attorneys in their first compliance year (newly licensed within the past 12 months under the Texas Bar admission rules), and certain exempt members such as full-time non-practicing judges or attorneys on military active duty may have reduced or waived requirements. Filing is required even when you claim a full exemption, because the AVR is also the document that records the exemption.
The form is governed by the MCLE Regulations adopted by the State Bar Board and enforced by the State Bar of Texas MCLE Department in Austin. The current MCLE Regulations were last revised in 2023, and the AVR you file in 2026 should reflect those revisions, including the rule that allows up to 50% of the 15-hour requirement to be earned through self-study.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Gathering everything before opening the My Bar Page portal saves time and prevents the most common errors that produce audit letters later. The State Bar accepts your attestation as truthful, but it audits roughly 2% of filings each year and can ask for documentation up to five years after the report.
Pre-filing checklist:
- Your State Bar of Texas Bar Card Number (a 8-digit number) — the system rejects logins without it.
- Your My Bar Page password — reset it through the portal early because resets can take up to 24 hours.
- A list of every accredited course taken during the compliance year, with date, sponsor, course number, and hours — missing a course number is the single most common audit trigger.
- The MCLE accredited sponsor number for each course (sometimes printed MCLE No. 174000123) — without this, the system cannot match the course to its accreditation.
- Certificates of completion or sponsor letters — you do not upload these, but you must keep them five years per Regulation 6.2.4.
- Ethics hours total broken out separately — at least 3 of your 15 hours must be ethics or face automatic non-compliance.
- Self-study hours total — capped at 7.5 hours (50% of 15) including no more than 3 hours of self-study ethics.
- Carry-forward hours from the prior compliance year — up to 15 general and 3 ethics hours can carry forward, and the system will not auto-populate them if you missed last year.
- Your birth month on file with the State Bar — this defines your deadline, and a wrong birth month means a wrong deadline.
- Payment method (credit card or e-check) if you owe the late fee or are filing past the birth-month deadline.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The MCLE Annual Verification Report is not a paper PDF you download and mail. It is a dynamic online form inside the State Bar’s secure portal, accessed through the My Bar Page login screen. Attorneys log in with their Bar Card Number and password, click the MCLE tab, and select Annual Verification Report. The State Bar emails a reminder roughly 60 days before the birth-month deadline, with a direct link, but the link only works after authentication.
There is also a paper MCLE Course Attendance Form used by sponsors and individual attorneys to report a single course when the sponsor has not auto-reported it. That form is downloadable from the MCLE Forms page and may be mailed or faxed to the MCLE Department at PO Box 12487, Austin, TX 78711, or fax (512) 427-4423. The Attendance Form feeds your transcript so that when you open the AVR, the course is already listed.
Attorneys with disabilities or those without reliable internet may request a paper AVR by writing the State Bar of Texas MCLE Department at least 30 days before the deadline. The agency will mail a printable version with a self-addressed envelope. Filing on paper does not change the deadline, the fee structure, or the audit rules.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the Texas Bar MCLE Annual Verification Report Line by Line
The AVR is organized into five logical groupings: filer identification, the course transcript table, hour calculations, exemption claims, and the attestation. Each grouping contains specific fields you must address even if the system pre-fills them, because pre-fills can be wrong.
Field 1: Bar Card Number
This field asks for the 8-digit number the State Bar issued to you when you were licensed. Type the number with no spaces, no dashes, and no leading zeros stripped — if your number begins with a zero, keep it. Maria Lopez enters 02451889 in the Bar Card Number box.
What if you also hold a separate certified paralegal number? Use only the Bar Card Number, never the paralegal certification number, because the AVR is keyed to attorney licensure. The most common mistake on this field is entering the number from a county bar membership card, which causes the portal to display a “no record found” error and locks the account after three failed attempts. A frequent misconception is that the Bar Card Number changes when you change firms — it does not, the number is permanent for life.
Field 2: Full Legal Name
This field shows the attorney’s full legal name as recorded with the State Bar. Confirm spelling, suffix (Jr., III), and middle name match what the agency has on file. James Patrick O’Connor, Jr. confirms the pre-filled entry James P. O’Connor, Jr. and clicks “Edit” to add the missing middle name.
What if you recently changed your name through marriage or court order? You must update your name through the Membership Department name change form before filing the AVR, not on the AVR itself. The common mistake is filing under a former name when the official record has updated, which causes a transcript mismatch flagged in audit. A misconception filers carry is that the AVR can serve as a name-change request — it cannot, and using it that way will not update bar records.
Field 3: Compliance Year Dates
The AVR auto-displays your compliance year as a date range running from the first of the month after your birth month to the last day of your next birth month. Verify these dates because a wrong birth month on the bar’s file produces wrong compliance dates. Aisha Rahman, born March 14, sees a compliance year of 04/01/2025–03/31/2026 and confirms it matches her birth month.
What if your birth date on file is wrong? Stop and contact Member Services immediately because the wrong compliance year will count your hours under the wrong window. The most common mistake here is ignoring an obviously wrong date range, which results in hours earned in the correct compliance year being credited to the wrong year. A misconception is that the compliance year is the calendar year — it is not, it is keyed to your birth month under Article XII, Section 6.
Field 4: Course Date
For each course you list on the transcript, enter the date the course was actually taken in MM/DD/YYYY format. If the course ran across multiple days, use the final day. Marcus Bell enters 09/12/2025 for a one-day live ethics seminar he attended on September 12, 2025.
What if you watched a recorded webinar over multiple sessions? Enter the date you completed the final segment, because credit attaches when the course is finished. The common mistake is entering the date you registered or paid, which can put a course outside your compliance year and disqualify it. The misconception is that any course taken in the calendar year counts — only courses completed inside your personal compliance window count.
Field 5: Course Sponsor Name
This field captures the accredited provider’s exact name as it appears on the certificate of completion. Use the legal name of the sponsor, not a marketing brand or a host venue. Janet Whitaker enters TexasBarCLE in the sponsor field, not “State Bar Annual Meeting” where she physically attended.
What if the sponsor is co-presenting with another organization? Enter the lead accredited sponsor — the one whose accreditation number governs the course. The common mistake is entering the speaker’s name or the law firm that hosted, which means the course will not match an accredited record. The misconception is that any well-known CLE provider is automatically accredited in Texas — many national providers are accredited only in some states, so verify on the accredited sponsor search tool.
Field 6: MCLE Course Number
Each accredited course has a unique number assigned by the State Bar that proves the course was approved. Enter the full number, usually a 9-digit string starting with “174”. Carlos Diaz enters 174123456 for an ethics course offered by TexasBarCLE.
What if the course number is missing from the sponsor’s certificate? Email the sponsor and ask, because filing without it forces the State Bar to look up the course manually, slowing the transcript and risking a non-match. The common mistake is using the sponsor’s internal course code instead of the State Bar’s MCLE number, which produces an unmatched line. The misconception is that the course number is optional — it is not, and unmatched courses can be denied during audit.
Field 7: Hours Claimed (General)
Enter the number of general (non-ethics) hours awarded by the sponsor. Use decimal hours, not minutes — 7.5 not 7:30. Sandra Kim enters 6.0 for a half-day general practice course.
What if the sponsor’s certificate awards more hours than the State Bar approved for the course? Enter only the State Bar–approved amount, not the sponsor’s claim. The common mistake is rounding up to the next whole hour, which inflates totals and triggers audit. The misconception is that you may claim hours for breaks, meals, or networking — you may not, only instructional time counts.
Field 8: Hours Claimed (Ethics)
This field captures hours specifically accredited as legal ethics or professional responsibility. The minimum is 3.0 ethics hours per compliance year. Priya Shah enters 1.0 ethics for a 60-minute presentation on conflict-of-interest screening.
What if a course is a hybrid covering ethics and substantive law? Split the hours according to the sponsor’s accreditation breakdown — never claim the full course as ethics. The common mistake is claiming an entire 8-hour course as 8.0 ethics when only 1.0 of those hours was approved as ethics, which produces an immediate non-compliance flag. The misconception is that “professionalism” courses always count as ethics — they do not, the course must carry a specific ethics accreditation.
Field 9: Self-Study Indicator
Check this box if the course was self-study (recorded video, audio, written materials) rather than live or live-broadcast. Up to 50% of your 15-hour requirement (so 7.5 hours) may be self-study. Marcus Bell checks the self-study box for a podcast-format CLE on contract drafting.
What if you watched a live webinar and re-watched the recording? Mark the first viewing as live and do not double-count the second viewing. The common mistake is checking self-study for a live-broadcast course that the State Bar classifies as live, which artificially raises your self-study cap exposure. The misconception is that any online course is self-study — live-broadcast webinars with real-time interaction count as live.
Field 10: Carry-Forward Hours
This field allows you to apply up to 15 general and 3 ethics hours earned in the previous compliance year that exceeded the requirement. The system pre-populates available carry-forward, but you must opt in. James O’Connor opts in for 5.0 general carry-forward hours from the prior year.
What if you were under-compliant last year and are short this year? You cannot carry forward into a deficient year — carry-forward only flows from a prior surplus into the current year. The common mistake is assuming carry-forward auto-applies — it does not, you must affirmatively claim it. The misconception is that carry-forward never expires — it expires after one compliance year if not used.
Field 11: Total General Hours
The system calculates this automatically by adding all general hours entered. Verify the total equals at least 12.0 (15 minus 3 mandatory ethics) before continuing. Aisha Rahman sees an auto-calculated total of 13.5 general hours and confirms it.
What if the total is below 12.0? Add additional courses now or your AVR will be flagged non-compliant. The common mistake is ignoring a total below 12.0 because the screen still allows submission — submission and compliance are not the same. The misconception is that the system blocks submission of deficient totals — it does not, it allows you to submit and then notifies you of non-compliance.
Field 12: Total Ethics Hours
The system auto-calculates ethics hours and must show at least 3.0. Sandra Kim’s screen shows 3.5 ethics hours and the system displays a green compliance indicator.
What if you have only 2.5 ethics hours? Add a 0.5 or 1.0 ethics course before submitting, because the 3.0 ethics floor is non-waivable except for full exemptions. The common mistake is rounding 2.75 up to 3.0 — the system rounds down, not up. The misconception is that one extra general hour can substitute for an ethics deficiency — it cannot, ethics hours are a separate category.
Field 13: Exemption Claim
Use this field only if you qualify for a full or partial exemption — for example, full-time judges, military active-duty deployment, or extreme hardship under Regulation 5. Select the exemption type from the dropdown. Hon. Robert Lin selects “Full-time Judiciary” as his exemption.
What if you qualify for a partial exemption mid-year? Enter the exemption start and end dates and complete the hours portion for the remainder of the compliance year. The common mistake is checking exemption when you no longer qualify (e.g., you returned from military deployment), which is a false attestation. The misconception is that being inactive equals exempt — inactive status removes you from MCLE entirely, while exemption is a separate active-status status.
Field 14: Attestation and Electronic Signature
The final field requires you to type your full legal name and check a box affirming that the information is true under penalty of disciplinary action. Carlos Diaz types Carlos M. Diaz and checks the affirmation box.
What if you are filing on behalf of an incapacitated attorney? You cannot — only the attorney themselves may attest, and a power of attorney does not extend to MCLE attestation. The common mistake is typing initials or a nickname; the system requires the full legal name on file. The misconception is that the e-signature is informal — it is treated as a sworn statement and false attestations can result in State Bar disciplinary referral.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Each scenario below shows how a different filer would complete the AVR end to end, in a 2-column table.
Scenario 1: Solo Practitioner Reporting 15 Hours
| Form Section | What Maria Enters |
|---|---|
| Bar Card Number | 02451889 |
| Full Legal Name | Maria Elena Lopez |
| Compliance Year | 07/01/2025–06/30/2026 |
| Course 1 (Ethics) | TexasBarCLE Ethics Roundup, 174111222, 03/10/2026, 3.0 ethics |
| Course 2 (General Live) | Houston Bar Civil Trial CLE, 174333444, 11/14/2025, 6.0 general |
| Course 3 (Self-Study) | TexasBarCLE Online Library, 174555666, 02/02/2026, 6.0 general self-study |
| Total General Hours | 12.0 |
| Total Ethics Hours | 3.0 |
| Exemption Claim | None |
| Attestation | Maria Elena Lopez, signed 06/28/2026 |
Scenario 2: Newly Licensed Attorney in First Compliance Year
| Form Section | What Aisha Enters |
|---|---|
| Bar Card Number | 24112233 |
| Full Legal Name | Aisha N. Rahman |
| Compliance Year | 04/01/2025–03/31/2026 |
| First-Year Status | Yes — licensed November 2024 |
| Required Hours | 15 hours including 3 ethics, no Texas Law Course carry-over |
| Course 1 (Ethics) | TYLA New Lawyer Ethics, 174777888, 02/15/2026, 3.0 ethics |
| Course 2 (General Live) | State Bar Annual Meeting, 174999000, 06/20/2025, 8.0 general |
| Course 3 (Self-Study) | TexasBarCLE On-Demand, 174112233, 09/05/2025, 4.0 general self-study |
| Total General Hours | 12.0 |
| Total Ethics Hours | 3.0 |
| Attestation | Aisha N. Rahman, signed 03/20/2026 |
Scenario 3: Senior Attorney Filing Late With Extension Request
| Form Section | What James Enters |
|---|---|
| Bar Card Number | 15098765 |
| Full Legal Name | James Patrick O’Connor, Jr. |
| Compliance Year | 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
| Filing Status | Late — within 90-day cure window |
| Course 1 (Ethics) | Houston Bar Ethics, 174221122, 08/04/2025, 3.5 ethics |
| Course 2 (General Live) | ABA Tax Section, 174334433, 05/12/2025, 7.0 general |
| Course 3 (Carry-Forward) | Prior-year surplus, 5.0 general |
| Late Fee Owed | $100 paid by credit card |
| Total General Hours | 12.0 |
| Total Ethics Hours | 3.5 |
| Attestation | James P. O’Connor, Jr., signed 11/12/2025 |
How to File the Completed Form
The State Bar offers three filing channels for the AVR, and each has different addresses, fees, and timelines.
Online via the My Bar Page portal. The URL is texasbar.com under the My Bar Page tab. There is no fee if filed by the last day of your birth month, a $100 late fee inside the 90-day cure window, and processing is instant — the portal returns a confirmation number on screen. Save the confirmation page as a PDF and screenshot it; this is your proof of filing. Payment is accepted by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or e-check.
Mail using a paper AVR requested from the MCLE Department. Mail the completed form to State Bar of Texas MCLE Department, PO Box 12487, Austin, TX 78711, with a check or money order payable to State Bar of Texas. Processing takes 10–15 business days, and the postmark date controls timeliness, so use Certified Mail with return receipt as your proof of filing. The fee is the same $0 or $100 depending on timing.
Fax (only available for the paper Course Attendance Form, not the AVR itself). Fax to (512) 427-4423. The fax confirmation page is your proof. Course Attendance forms feed your transcript so the AVR shows the course; they are not a substitute for the AVR.
In-person filing at the Texas Law Center, 1414 Colorado Street, Austin, TX 78701 is accepted during business hours, and a date-stamped copy is your proof.
What Happens After You File
Within minutes of online submission, the My Bar Page portal issues a confirmation number and updates your compliance status to “Compliant.” The State Bar emails a confirmation receipt to your member-of-record email within 24 hours. Your transcript becomes the official record and remains visible inside My Bar Page indefinitely.
If your AVR shows a deficiency — fewer than 15 total hours, fewer than 3 ethics hours, more than 50% self-study, or a missing course number — the State Bar emails a non-compliance notice within 30 days. You then enter a 90-day cure window under Regulation 7 to make up the hours and amend the AVR. Failure to cure produces an automatic suspension of your license, reported to the Texas Supreme Court and made public.
About 2% of all AVRs are pulled for audit. If selected, you receive a written audit request and have 30 days to mail certificates of completion for every course listed. Inability to produce documentation can produce a finding of non-compliance and a referral for discipline.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Filing under a former name. Consequence: transcript mismatch and audit flag.
- Entering the wrong Bar Card Number. Consequence: account lockout after three attempts and lost access close to the deadline.
- Listing a course outside your compliance year. Consequence: hours disqualified and possible deficiency.
- Counting a hybrid course as all ethics. Consequence: ethics-hour overstatement and non-compliance once recalculated.
- Skipping the MCLE course number. Consequence: unmatched line and manual review delays compliance status.
- Exceeding the 7.5-hour self-study cap. Consequence: excess hours zeroed out and a deficiency.
- Forgetting to claim available carry-forward. Consequence: hours lost permanently after one year.
- Submitting before checking the auto-totals. Consequence: undetected deficiency and a $100 late fee plus suspension risk.
- Treating “professionalism” as ethics. Consequence: ethics deficiency under Regulation 4.
- Using initials in the attestation. Consequence: rejected signature and re-filing required.
- Ignoring the 30-day non-compliance email. Consequence: license suspension at day 91.
- Paying the late fee with an expired card. Consequence: filing not recorded and deemed unfiled.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Do verify your birth month on file before the compliance year begins, because a wrong birth month gives you a wrong deadline.
- Do keep PDF certificates of every course for five years, because the audit window runs five years.
- Do claim carry-forward when available, because unused surplus expires.
- Do cross-check ethics hours separately, because the 3-hour minimum is non-waivable.
- Do save the confirmation number, because it is your only proof of filing without paper.
-
Do report a name change to Member Services before filing, because the AVR cannot itself update your name.
-
Don’t wait until the last day of your birth month, because portal outages happen and the deadline is strict.
- Don’t submit unmatched course numbers, because audit will catch them.
- Don’t count travel time, meals, or networking, because only instructional time qualifies.
- Don’t rely on the system to auto-apply carry-forward, because it does not.
- Don’t assume inactive status removes the AVR — it does, but you must change to inactive before the compliance year ends.
- Don’t sign with a nickname, because the e-signature must match your full legal name.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Most attorneys file the AVR themselves through My Bar Page without paid help. Some use a firm administrator or paralegal to assemble the transcript before the attorney signs.
Pros of filing on your own:
- Free, because there is no agency or third-party service fee.
- Direct control over every entry, which reduces the risk of someone else mistyping a course number.
- Faster, because you avoid handoffs.
- Better audit posture, because you personally know the courses you completed.
- Full transparency on totals and any deficiency.
Cons of filing on your own:
- Higher risk of math errors on hours, especially mixing ethics and general.
- Time cost during a busy practice, often 30–60 minutes.
- No second set of eyes on attestation language.
- Easy to overlook carry-forward windows.
- More likely to file last-minute and hit a portal slowdown.
Filing Online vs. Filing on Paper
| Filing Channel | Key Differences |
|---|---|
| Online via My Bar Page | Free if on time, instant confirmation, e-check or card payment, 24/7 access, auto-totals |
| Paper AVR by mail | Must be requested 30 days early, postmark controls deadline, check or money order only, 10–15 day processing, manual totals |
FAQs
Do I have to file the AVR if I had zero billable work this year?
Yes. Active status requires the AVR regardless of practice volume. Move to inactive status with Member Services before your compliance year ends if you want out.
Can ethics hours count toward the 15-hour total?
Yes. Ethics hours are part of the 15. The rule is 15 total including a minimum of 3 ethics, not 15 plus 3.
Do I write my maiden name or married name in the Full Legal Name box?
Yes — write whichever name is currently on file with Member Services. Update the bar record first if your current legal name differs.
Should I enter the sponsor’s internal course code in the MCLE Course Number field?
No. Enter the State Bar–assigned MCLE number that begins with 174. Sponsor codes will not match the accredited record.
Can I list a CLE I took in another state?
Yes, if the course is accredited by the Texas State Bar through reciprocity or direct accreditation. Verify on the accredited course search before listing.
Is the $100 late fee waivable?
No. The fee is fixed inside the 90-day cure window. Only documented hardship under Regulation 5 can adjust it.
Do I check the self-study box for a live webinar?
No. Live-broadcast webinars with real-time interaction count as live. Self-study is for recorded or asynchronous content.
Can I claim more than 7.5 self-study hours?
No. The cap is 50% of the 15-hour requirement. Excess self-study hours are zeroed automatically.
Do new lawyers in their first compliance year still file?
Yes. Newly licensed attorneys file the AVR for their first birth-month deadline, including any Texas Law Course credits required by the Board of Law Examiners.
Will the system block me from submitting a deficient AVR?
No. Submission is allowed; non-compliance notices follow within 30 days, and you have 90 days to cure.
Can I amend the AVR after submitting?
Yes. Use the Amend Report link inside My Bar Page within the compliance year or cure window. Amendments after suspension require reinstatement.
Is judicial CLE under the Judicial Branch program credited automatically?
Yes. Judges’ attendance at Texas Center for the Judiciary programs feeds the bar transcript, but verify each course appears before signing.
Do I need to upload course certificates with the AVR?
No. Certificates are kept by you for five years. The State Bar requests them only on audit.
Can I file the AVR by email?
No. Email submissions are not accepted. Use My Bar Page, mail, or in-person delivery.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out California State Bar MCLE Compliance Card (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Illinois ARDC MCLE Reporting (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas Bar Annual Membership Fee Statement + FAQs
- How to Fill Out the Texas Bar Application for Admission (w/ Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas Bar Inactive Status Application (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Michigan MCLE Compliance Reporting + FAQs
- How to Fill Out the State Bar of Arizona Annual Registration + FAQs