General Arizona Continuing Legal Education Credit Requirements
In Arizona, active status attorneys must complete 15.00 CLE credits (including 3.00 hours in professional responsibility) every year to maintain good standing with the State Bar of Arizona. Active members who reached age 70 before January 1, 2009, as well as court personnel subject to the Council on Judicial Education and Training (COJET) are exempt.
Credit Hour: 60 minutes (rounded to the nearest 1/4 hour).
Professional responsibility credits may include topics such as legal ethics, civility, substance abuse awareness, bias elimination, and professionalism in the legal profession. Attorneys must complete 3.00 hours of professional responsibility credit each year.
Arizona attorneys must complete all 15.00 required credits by June 30 each year. Attorneys have until September 15 each year to report their CLE credits using the Affidavit provided by the State Bar of Arizona. Filing online is the preferred method.
The reporting period is 1 year and runs from July 1 to June 30 for all attorneys.
Failure to comply with CLE requirements or submit your affidavit by the deadline may result in non-compliance fees or administrative suspension. The State Bar of Arizona provides a late compliance process, but penalties may apply.
In limited cases such as serious illness, military duty, or extenuating hardship, attorneys may request a waiver or extension. Requests must be submitted in writing to the State Bar of Arizona and are subject to approval.
Arizona attorneys may satisfy their CLE requirements with credits in different categories.
The categories and annual requirements or restrictions for each is as follows:
- Interactive: minimum 10 hours
- Self-Study: maximum 5 hours
- Teaching: maximum 10 hours
- Writing: maximum 10 hours
- Law School Courses: courses taken after admission only; maximum 10 hours
- Bar Review/Refresher Course: courses taken after admission for purposes of review or for preparing for another state's bar exam; maximum 5 hours
Live/interactive programs include in-person CLEs, live webcasts, teleconferences, and online programs that allow real-time responses or questions. These formats must involve direct participation and engagement with the material or presenter.
Arizona attorneys report their CLE by filing an annual MCLE affidavit through the State Bar of Arizona's online portal. On this affidavit, you must report all completed MCLE courses for the compliance period. The affidavit is typically due by September 15 each year.
Yes. Attorneys must retain documentation of CLE completion for 4 years and should be prepared to submit proof in case of an audit.
CLE Tracking can be found by logging into your profile on the State Bar of Arizona’s member portal, where you can manage your credits and file your annual affidavit.
Experienced attorneys can fulfill their Arizona CLE requirement by completing accepted course formats. Examples of accepted course formats include:
Live/Interactive CLE (Minimum 10.00 Hours)
- Live in Person courses
- Webcast-offered in real time with ability to ask questions of the presenters
- Teleconferences
- Online with ability to respond to prompts.
Self-Study (Maximum 5.00 Hours)
- Computer based or online CLE programs that are not interactive.
- Audio reproductions or viewing video reproductions.
Yes. Attorneys who reached age 70 before January 1, 2009, are exempt from CLE reporting. Additionally, inactive members are not subject to the annual CLE requirement unless they return to active status.
Arizona attorneys can carry forward 15.00 CLE hours to the next reporting period. This includes up to 3.00 professional responsibility hours. Certified Specialists may carry forward 5.00 hours of advanced credit, 3.00 of which can be professional responsibility credits.
No. Arizona requires attorneys to complete at least 10.00 hours through live or interactive programs. You may only earn up to 5.00 hours through self-study, such as OnDemand or pre-recorded content that is not interactive.
You can earn a maximum of 5.00 CLE hours with self-study courses.
Yes. In-program attendance verification is required for interactive CLE credit.
Yes. Arizona allows attorneys to earn up to 10.00 hours per year for activities such as teaching CLE courses, authoring legal publications, or teaching law school classes. Limits apply per Rule 45 and MCLE Regulations.
Yes, under specific circumstances. CLE credit may be awarded for law school courses taken after admission (up to 10.00 hours), or for bar review/refresher courses (up to 5.00 hours) if you are preparing for another state’s bar exam.
- State Contact Information:
- Address: 4201 N. 24th Street Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85016-6266
- Phone Number: 602-252-4804
- Email: mcle@staff.azbar.org
- Arizona MCLE FAQs: Arizona MCLE FAQ Page
Are you newly admitted to the State Bar of Arizona? Here’s what you need to know:
Attorneys admitted to the State Bar of Arizona between January 1 and June 30 are exempt for that reporting period. Attorneys admitted between July 1 and December 31 must complete 10.00 CLE hours, including 2.00 professional responsibility by June 30 of that reporting period.
Newly admitted members are required to attend the State Bar's professionalism course within the first year of admission or registration, unless exempted (Rule 34(n) Ariz. R. Sup. Ct.).
Examples of accepted formats include:
Live/Interactive CLE (Minimum 10.00 Hours)
- Live in Person courses
- Webcast-offered in real time with ability to ask questions of the presenters
- Teleconferences
- Online with ability to respond to prompts.
Self-Study (Maximum 5.00 Hours)
- Computer based or online CLE programs that are not interactive.
- Audio reproductions or viewing video reproductions.
Yes. if you completed CLE courses before you were required to report hours, you may carry over up to 15.00 hours to the next reporting period. Hours earned through the State Bar of Arizona (such as for your required New Admittee Professionalism Course) are automatically reported.
The reporting period ends for all attorneys on June 30th. However, if you were admitted in the first half of the year (January 1 through June 30), you are exempt from Arizona CLE reporting requirements for that reporting period. If you are admitted in the second half of the year (July 1 through December 31), you have a reduced requirement (10.00 hours) for your first reporting period.
Yes. Newly admitted active attorneys residing in Arizona must complete a New Admittee Professionalism Course within 1 year of admission.
Arizona attorneys in their first year of practice are considered newly admitted attorneys.