General Florida Continuing Legal Education Credit Requirements
Florida attorneys need to complete 30.00 CLE credits every 3 years to maintain good standing with The Florida Bar.
In addition, Florida attorneys need 5.00 CLE credits in professional responsibility every 3 years. Of those, 2.00 credits must be from the mandatory Florida Legal Professionalism course offered by the Florida State Bar. The remaining requirement may be fulfilled in the areas of legal ethics, professionalism, substance abuse, or mental illness and wellness programs.
Attorneys also need 3.00 CLE credits in technology every compliance period.
Credit Hour: 50 minutes (rounded to the nearest half-hour).
Professional responsibility credit includes legal ethics, professionalism, substance abuse, and mental health and wellness. Florida attorneys must complete 5.00 hours of professional responsibility credit every three years, including a mandatory 2.00-hour Florida Legal Professionalism course provided by The Florida Bar.
Technology CLE covers topics such as data privacy, eDiscovery, legal software, AI in law, cybersecurity, and law office tech tools. Florida requires 3.00 hours of technology CLE during each 3-year reporting cycle.
Florida attorneys must complete all 30.00 required credits by the last day in their assigned reporting period. Attorneys are assigned a reporting period upon admission to The Florida Bar.
Attorneys must certify compliance with FL CLE requirements online through The Florida Bar online member portal or by completing a reporting affidavit - this in turn will provide you with a Certificate of Completion from the Florida bar.
The reporting period is 3 years. You are assigned a reporting period when you are admitted to The Florida Bar. You must report your CLE credits by the last day of the month of your reporting period.
Failure to self-report CLE compliance by your deadline may result in delinquent status, late fees, and eventual administrative suspension from The Florida Bar. Attorneys can correct this by completing the required hours and submitting proof of compliance.
Attorneys may apply for CLE exemptions or extensions due to hardship, illness, military service, or other special circumstances. Requests must be submitted to The Florida Bar for review and approval before the CLE reporting deadline.
Florida attorneys are responsible for tracking and reporting their own CLE credits. Report online at The Florida Bar website.
You can track your CLE progress and verify your transcript at any time by logging into the Florida Bar Member Portal at www.floridabar.org.
Experienced attorneys can fulfill their Florida CLE requirement by completing courses approved and accredited by The Florida Bar. Examples of accepted course formats include:
Live CLE
- Live Presentation
- Live streamed presentation
- Telephone Presentation
OnDemand
Yes. Florida grants CLE credit for teaching approved CLE programs, publishing legal articles or books, and serving on qualifying panels. These credits count toward your overall 30.00-hour requirement.
No. Completed CLE credits can only be applied to the current compliance period, and no credits may be carried over.
There's no limit. You can earn all 30.00 of your FL CLE requirements with self-study courses.
Yes. Florida places no cap on the number of credits you can earn through OnDemand or self-study formats. All 30.00 hours - including ethics and technology - can be completed through NBI’s self-paced courses, provided they are accredited by The Florida Bar.
No. In-program attendance verification is not required.
No. All attorneys who are members in good standing of The Florida Bar - regardless of their practice setting - must meet the same CLE requirements.
Florida attorneys should retain documentation of CLE attendance for at least 3 years, in case of audit or dispute over compliance.
- State Contact Information:
- Address: The Florida Bar 651 E. Jefferson St., Tallahassee, FL 32399
- Phone Number: (850) 561-5842
- Email Address: clemail@floridabar.org
- Website: https://www.floridabar.org/member/cle/
- Florida CLE Additional Resources
Are you newly admitted to The Florida Bar? Here’s what you need to know:
Newly admitted attorneys must complete a two-phase Basic Skills Course Requirement (BSCR).
- Phase 1: Practicing with Professionalism (PWP) must be completed within 1 year of admission to The Florida Bar.
- Phase 2: Basic Skills Course Requirements Courses (BSCR) must be completed within 3 years of bar admission.
No. CLE credits may not be carried over in Florida.
Upon your admission to The Florida Bar, a reporting period will be assigned to you. Your first reporting ends on the last day of the month of the reporting period assigned to you.
Yes. All members of the Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar (YLD) must complete the Basic Skills Course Requirement (BSCR). See Rule 6-12 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar.
The BSCR includes:
- Phase I: Completion of a Practice with Professionalism course sponsored by the YLD. This must be completed no sooner than 12 months prior to and no later than 12 months after an attorney's admission to The Florida Bar.
- Phase II: Completion of 3 elective, basic, substantive CLE programs sponsored by the YLD. This must be completed during the attorney's first 3-year compliance period.
Members of the bar under age 36 and who have not been admitted to the practice of law for more than 5 years are members of the YLD and are subject to the BSCR.
All new members of the bar (even those 36 or older and who have been admitted for more than 5 years) must complete Phase I (Practice with Professionalism) of the BSCR, but may file an exemption request for Phase II.