North Carolina CLE 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.

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.

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.

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

• OnDemand Courses

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.

Yes. In-program attendance verification is required for downloadable courses.

• State Contact Information:
  • Address: North Carolina Bar, P.O. Box 26148, Raleigh, NC 27611
  • Phone Numbers: (919) 733-0123, (919) 821-9168
  • Email Address: dholland@ncbar.gov
  • Website: http://www.nccle.org/default.aspx

• North Carolina CLE FAQs
  • North Carolina CLE FAQ Page
  • NC Newly Admitted Attorney CLE FAQs

Newly admitted attorneys in North Carolina must complete a 12.00 hour Professionalism for New Attorneys Program within the first year of their admission.

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 the year they are first required 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.