Navigating Florida's continuing legal education rules is part of practicing law in the Sunshine State, right alongside client work and courtroom deadlines. Florida's attorneys work across an unusually wide range of settings - litigation, transactional practice, government roles tracking bills through the Florida Legislature, and everything in between - and CLE is meant to keep all of them current no matter which lane they're in. The Florida Bar takes its CLE obligations seriously, and the rules have shifted in the last couple of years - most notably a reduction in total hours paired with a brand-new mandatory professionalism course. This guide breaks down exactly what Florida attorneys need to complete, how to report it, and where the most common points of confusion tend to show up.

Understanding Florida's CLE Requirements

Every member of The Florida Bar must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of approved continuing legal education every three years. That's down from the 33-hour requirement that applied before the Supreme Court of Florida amended Bar Rule 6-10.3(b), effective January 8, 2024. The lower total didn't loosen the substance requirements, though - it simply restructured how those 30 hours break down.

The Ethics, Professionalism, and Wellness Requirement

At least 5 of the 30 required credit hours must come from approved legal ethics, professionalism, substance abuse, or mental illness awareness programs. Within that 5-hour bucket, 2 credit hours must specifically be the Florida Legal Professionalism Course produced by The Florida Bar and approved by the Court - a free, mandatory program every member must complete once each reporting cycle, regardless of how many other professionalism courses they've already taken.

The Technology Requirement

Separately, 3 credit hours must be earned in approved technology programs. These typically cover topics like cybersecurity, e-discovery, AI tools for legal work, and law office technology - areas the Bar considers essential given how much of modern practice runs through software and digital records.

General Credit Hours

The remaining 22 hours can be earned as general credit hours across virtually any practice area, which gives attorneys substantial freedom to build a CLE plan around the areas of law they actually practice rather than a fixed curriculum.

The Basic Skills Course Requirement for New Attorneys

Newly admitted attorneys face an additional layer on top of standard CLE: the Basic Skills Course Requirement (BSCR). It has two phases, both administered through the Young Lawyers Division.

• Phase 1: Complete the Practicing with Professionalism course within the first year after admission.

• Phase 2: Complete 3 basic-level courses, or 21 hours of basic-level programming, within the first three years of admission.

BSCR applies to all Bar members under age 36, as well as anyone who hasn't been admitted to practice in any jurisdiction for more than five years. Attorneys outside that window must still complete Phase 1, though they may be eligible to request an exemption from Phase 2.

Reporting, Deadlines, and Carryover

Unlike states that assign one uniform reporting period to every attorney, Florida assigns reporting periods individually based on each attorney's admission date. That means your three-year compliance cycle - and the deadline that comes with it - won't necessarily match a colleague's, even one admitted the same year you were.

All required hours must be completed and reported by the last day of your assigned reporting period through The Florida Bar's online member portal. The portal includes a Search for CLE tool that lets you confirm whether a given course has been Bar-approved before you register, which is worth checking before assuming any course will count.

One detail trips up a lot of attorneys: Florida does not allow carryover. Every credit hour must be earned and reported within its own three-year cycle, with no rollover into the next. In practical terms, your CLE credit expiration date is the final day of your reporting period - anything earned but unreported, or earned too late to count, simply doesn't carry forward. Watching the floridabar.org calendar and Florida Bar News for rule updates is a good habit, since requirements (like the 2024 reduction from 33 to 30 hours) do change.

Board Certification and Certification Credit

Florida board certification - the Bar's formal recognition of advanced skill and experience in a specific practice area - runs on its own track, separate from standard MCLE. Board-certified attorneys have additional continuing education expectations tied to maintaining that certification, and many CLE programs that qualify for general credit hours also qualify for certification credit in the relevant specialty. If you're board certified, it's worth confirming whether a course you're taking for general MCLE purposes also counts toward your certification renewal - it often does, but not automatically.

How to Earn Your Florida CLE Credits

Florida gives attorneys a wide range of formats to fill out their 30 hours:

• Live events, whether in-person seminars or live online webinars with real-time interaction

• 24/7 on demand courses you can complete on your own schedule

• CD/DVD and similar self-study formats, still accepted for attorneys who prefer them

• Teaching or speaking at approved Florida CLE programs

Course materials for most programs are available digitally and stay accessible after the program ends, so you can revisit reference material long after you've banked the credit. And not every credit has to come at a cost: between the Bar's own free professionalism course, LegalFuel's practice-resource programming, and free CLE options many providers - including NBI - offer throughout the year, it's possible to chip away at your 30 hours without a heavy price tag.

Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Bar CLE Requirements

How many CLE credit hours do Florida attorneys need?

The Florida Bar requires 30 credit hours of continuing legal education every three years.

How many of those hours must be ethics or professionalism credits?

At least 5 hours must come from legal ethics, professionalism, substance abuse, or mental illness awareness programs, including the mandatory 2-credit Florida Legal Professionalism Course.

Can Florida CLE credits be carried over to the next reporting period?

No. Florida does not permit carryover. All required hours must be earned and reported within your assigned three-year reporting cycle.

What is the Basic Skills Course Requirement?

The BSCR is a two-phase CLE obligation for newly admitted attorneys: Practicing with Professionalism within the first year, followed by 21 hours of Young Lawyers Division basic-level programming within the first three years.

Where do I report my Florida CLE credits?

Through The Florida Bar's online member portal, where you can also use the Search for CLE tool to confirm a course is approved before you take it.

Does Florida require technology CLE credit?

Yes. Three of the 30 required hours must be earned in approved technology programs.

Stay Ahead of Your Florida CLE Requirements

Staying compliant with Florida Bar CLE requirements comes down to tracking your assigned reporting period, hitting the ethics, technology, and professionalism minimums, and reporting everything before your individual deadline arrives - since there's no carryover to fall back on. NBI has been a trusted CLE provider for over 40 years, with thousands of live and on-demand Florida-approved courses across nearly every practice area. Browse NBI's Florida CLE catalog today and build a plan that gets you to 30 hours well ahead of your deadline. Let NBI, a national CLE provider with over 40 years’ experience, guide you to success!