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California CLE Requirements for Lawyers

What active California attorneys need each cycle, in plain language, from the State Bar of California’s own pages. Reviewed October 2026; nothing here is legal advice. Confirm your own requirement with the State Bar of California.

Total25 hoursEvery three years
Legal ethics4 hoursPlus 1 hour of civility
Competence, bias, technology2 + 2 + 1Hours, each tracked separately
Self-study cap12.5 hoursAt least 12.5 hours participatory

The requirement

Special-topic hours

  • 4 hours of legal ethics
  • 1 hour of civility (separate from ethics)
  • 2 hours of competence, including 1 hour on preventing and detecting substance use disorders, mental illness and other impairing conditions
  • 2 hours of elimination of bias, including 1 hour on implicit bias and bias-reducing strategies
  • 1 hour of technology in the practice of law
  • The other 15 hours in any approved topic

Cycle, reporting and approval

  • Attorneys report in three groups by last name. Current report deadlines: A to G, March 30, 2028; H to M, March 30, 2027 (one 38-month cycle); N to Z, March 30, 2026.
  • After that, each group returns to a 36-month cycle. Your State Bar profile shows your group and deadline.
  • California uses self-certification: you report compliance in your State Bar profile and keep your certificates in case of audit.

Official sources: calbar.ca.gov/legal-professionals/maintaining-compliance/mcle/mcle-requirements calbar.ca.gov/legal-professionals/rules/rules-state-bar/title-3-programs-and-services/chapter-1-providers-continuing-legal-education

FAQ

California CLE questions

25 hours every three years. Special-topic hours: 4 hours of legal ethics; 1 hour of civility (separate from ethics); 2 hours of competence, including 1 hour on preventing and detecting substance use disorders, mental illness and other impairing conditions; 2 hours of elimination of bias, including 1 hour on implicit bias and bias-reducing strategies; 1 hour of technology in the practice of law; The other 15 hours in any approved topic.
Max 12.5 hours self-study (minimum 12.5 participatory hours).
An application for 1.0 hour of California MCLE Legal Ethics credit, for the new Module 1 (Competence and Verification, 60 minutes), is pending with the State Bar of California. Available December 3, 2026. Until the State Bar decides, the course does not provide California MCLE credit.

Other states: New York, Florida. All states: MCLE overview.