General North Carolina Continuing Legal Education Credit Requirements
Active status attorneys in North Carolina must complete 24.00 CLE credits every two years to maintain good standing with the North Carolina State Bar.
In addition, all North Carolina attorneys need 4.00 professional responsibility credits, 1.00 credit in technology training, and 1.00 credit in professional well-being every two years.
Credit Hour: 60 minutes (rounded down to the nearest 1/4 hour).
North Carolina attorneys must complete 24.00 hours of required credit, including any specialty hours required, by the last day of February every two years.
The reporting period is 2 years and ends on the last day of February. Attorneys who were admitted during an even year report in even years, attorneys admitted in odd years report in odd years.
- Attorneys admitted in an odd-numbered year must complete a one-time 12-hour requirement that ends the following February 28.
- Attorneys admitted in an even-numbered year transition directly into the regular 24-hour requirement.
NBI reports your credit to the North Carolina State Board of Continuing Legal Education.
You can view your transcript online at the North Carolina State Bar website.
North Carolina now charges a flat $25 annual CLE fee. This replaced the older system where attorneys were billed a fee per credit hour reported.
Yes. If a sponsor does not report your attendance within 40 days, you may submit a Bar Member’s Application for CLE Credit or provide your certificate of attendance directly to the CLE department.
Yes. Attorneys may apply individually for CLE credit for programs not already approved by submitting the appropriate form to the CLE Board.
Experienced attorneys can fulfill their North Carolina CLE requirement by completing courses approved and accredited by the North Carolina State Bar Board of CLE. Examples of accepted course formats include:
Live CLE
- Live Webcasts
- Teleconferences
- CLE Classes in Live Traditional Classroom
Online
North Carolina attorneys may carry over 12.00 CLE credits to the next calendar year. Carryover hours will count toward a member's total hour requirement but may not be used to satisfy the professional responsibility, technology, or professional well-being requirements.
There is no limit on the number of CLE credits you can earn through online courses.
Attorneys receive 1 hour of CLE credit for every 10 minutes of instruction delivered. Preparation time does not count.
Yes. In-program attendance verification is required for downloadable courses.
The following are excluded from CLE credit:
- In-house firm programs
- Programs promoting law firms, products, or services
- Self-study (books, manuals, or non-interactive media)
- Bar review or exam prep courses
- Social or business meetings that include legal content only incidentally
- State Contact Information:
- Address: North Carolina Bar, P.O. Box 26148, Raleigh, NC 27611
- Phone Numbers: (919) 733-0123, (919) 821-9168
- Email Address: cleforms@ncbar.gov
- Website: https://www.nccle.org/
- North Carolina CLE FAQs
Are you newly admitted to the North Carolina State Bar? Here’s what you need to know:
Newly admitted attorneys in North Carolina must complete a 12.00 hour Professionalism for New Attorneys Program in their first reporting period. The reporting period for newly admitted members shall begin on March 1 of the calendar year of admission.
North Carolina requires all newly licensed attorneys to complete the Professionalism for New Attorneys (PNA) program. This mandatory CLE course, overseen by the State Bar, is designed to help new lawyers develop a strong foundation in professional conduct and responsibilities within the practice of law.
Yes. CLE credits earned after graduation from law school may be carried over to the next reporting period. If you complete CLE credits in addition to the courses required for the New Attorneys Program, you may carry over up to 12.00 credits to the next reporting period, but those credits may not be used to satisfy the professional responsibility, technology, or professional well-being requirements.
The reporting period is 2 years and ends on the last day of February. The reporting period for newly admitted members shall begin on March 1 of the calendar year of admission.
Yes. Newly admitted attorneys in North Carolina must complete the Professionalism for New Attorneys Program in their first reporting period to meet NC CLE requirements. Credit for the program is applied to the annual mandatory CLE requirements.
If you were licensed in another state for 5 or more years at the time you were admitted to the North Carolina State Bar, you are exempt from this requirement. However, you must notify the State Bar of the exemption in the first annual report form sent to you.
If you were licensed in another state for 5 or more years at the time you were admitted to the NC State Bar, you are exempt from the requirement; however, you must notify the State Bar of the exemption in the first annual report form sent to you by the CLE department (that you must complete and return to the CLE department). Check this page for more information.