California MCLE FAQ

TOP CALIFORNIA MCLE QUESTIONS

How many MCLE hours are required?

All Groups: 25 hours every 3 years - including 4 hours of Legal Ethics, 2 hours of Competence Issues and 1 hour of Elimination of Bias, 1 hour of Implicit Bias, 1 hour of Technology, and 1 hour of Civility.

How do AffordableCLE courses qualify for credit in California?

AffordableCLE is an Approved Provider of MCLE in California (#116053). All of our online and downloadable MCLE courses have been approved for MCLE credit by the State Bar of California.

What are the California MCLE compliance groups?

Group 1 (A-G) 2/1/2022 - 3/29/2025 Report by 3/30/2025
Group 2 (H-M) 2/1/2024 - 3/29/2027 Report by 3/30/2027
Group 3 (N-Z) 2/1/2023 - 3/29/2026 Report by 3/30/2026

How many hours must be Participatory?

At least 12.5 credit hours of Participatory credit must be completed each 3 year compliance period.

Can I take online MCLE courses for Participatory credit?

Yes, our online MCLE courses are can be taken for Participatory credit because we monitor your participation and verify your attendance in the course.

Is there a special requirement for newly admitted attorneys?

New attorneys must complete 10 hours of training under the New Attorney Training Program. The training must be completed within the first year of an attorney's admission to the bar.

If I am a newly admitted attorney how many CLE hours am I required to complete before the end of my first compliance period?

In addition to the required 10 hours, newly admitted California attorneys have a proportional MCLE requirement that is based on the number of months you are on Active status out of the possible 36 months of the compliance period. Please click this link to calculate your proportional requirement if you qualify: https://members.calbar.ca.gov/login.aspx.

Does AffordableCLE offer courses for newly admitted attorneys?

The 10 hours of training must be completed online through the State Bar of California website, however, the remainder of the proportional requirement can be completed with Attorney Credits.

Can I carry hours forward to the next year?

No. California does NOT allow MCLE credit hours to be carried over from one compliance period to the next.

Does AffordableCLE verify my completion?

Yes and no. For self-study courses we do NOT monitor or verify your completion. You will affirm your completion at the end of the course.

For participatory courses we must verify your participation. For online streaming video courses you must click on randomly inserted pop ups during the video to confirm that you are viewing the course. For downloadable and CD courses we have embedded 3 digit number codes in the courses. You must write these numbers down and then after you complete the course you must enter the codes on the website to obtain your course certificate. Please note that the date you enter the codes and get the certificate is the date that will be printed on the certificate.

Does AffordableCLE report my MCLE hours to the State Bar of California?

Our automated attendance reports run weekly on Thursday. We report within two business, please give the system five days from the report date to show up in California's system..

How do I report the completion of my MCLE requirement at the end of my compliance period?

Attorneys must self-report overall completion of the 25 credit hour MCLE requirement to the State Bar of California through the bar's My State Bar Profile on their website. My State Bar Profile is an online feature for California attorneys to pay fees, update personal information, report MCLE compliance and manage other administrative tasks. Please click the following link to access the My State Bar Profile webpage on The State Bar of California website: https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Attorneys/MyStateBarProfile.aspx. You can report compliance after December 1.

Who do I contact for more information?

For more information about MCLE in California, please call the State Bar of California MCLE Program at 1-888-800-3400 or visit the State Bar of California website: https://mcle.calbar.ca.gov/MCLE.aspx.

You may also contact AffordableCLE by phone. For further assistance and information about the California MCLE requirement, please call our Support Center at (760) 434-1885.