How much is the bar exam in California? The application fee is $878 for general applicants and $1,650 for attorneys already licensed in another state.1The State Bar of California. Appendix A: Schedule of Charges and Deadlines That figure is only the entry ticket. Once you add the moral character application, fingerprinting, the MPRE, laptop fee, and the admission costs that follow a passing score, mandatory fees run roughly $2,600 to $2,900 for a general applicant. Add a commercial prep course and two to three months without income, and the real cost of getting sworn in usually exceeds $10,000.
The Exam Application Fee
The application itself is the single largest fee most people pay. General applicants pay $878. Attorney applicants already admitted in another jurisdiction pay $1,650.1The State Bar of California. Appendix A: Schedule of Charges and Deadlines The amount is the same whether it’s your first sitting or a retake.2National Conference of Bar Examiners. Non-Uniform Bar Examination Jurisdictions – Bar Examination Application Deadlines and Fees
If you plan to type your answers rather than handwrite them, add a $153 laptop fee.1The State Bar of California. Appendix A: Schedule of Charges and Deadlines Most applicants pay it, so treat it as effectively part of the base cost.
Late Filing Surcharges
Missing the timely filing deadline adds real money to the bill. Applications filed in the first late window carry a $50 surcharge; those filed in the second late window cost an extra $250.1The State Bar of California. Appendix A: Schedule of Charges and Deadlines For the July exam, timely filing closes March 1, the first late window opens April 1, and the final deadline is June 1.3The State Bar of California. Dates and Deadlines Get the application in by March and the surcharges disappear.
Moral Character Application
Every applicant for admission has to pass a moral character review, and it is the second-largest single fee in the process. General applicants pay $900. Attorney applicants pay $1,054.1The State Bar of California. Appendix A: Schedule of Charges and Deadlines
The review takes a minimum of six to eight months, sometimes longer, and the State Bar recommends filing well before you plan to sit for the exam.4The State Bar of California. Moral Character You cannot be admitted until it clears, so filing late can mean passing the exam and then waiting months to actually practice.
Fingerprinting
Live Scan fingerprinting is required as part of the moral character application. Government processing runs $49 ($32 for the DOJ and $17 for the FBI), and the Live Scan vendor charges another fee that ranges from about $5 to $75, averaging around $33.5The State Bar of California. Fingerprinting Rule Requirements for In-State Attorneys Budget roughly $80.
MPRE Fee
California requires a minimum scaled score of 86 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination before you can be admitted.6The State Bar of California. Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination The 2026 test fee is $185, paid directly to the National Conference of Bar Examiners at registration.7National Conference of Bar Examiners. MPRE Exam Registration There is no late registration; miss the deadline and you wait for the next administration.
Admission and First-Year Dues
Passing the exam does not make you a lawyer. Two more fees stand between a passing score and your bar card: a $95 admission certificate and a $5 Supreme Court enrollment fee.8The State Bar of California. Appendix A: Schedule of Charges and Deadlines
Annual membership dues begin the year you are admitted, prorated by the month you take the oath. Admission between January and May costs $598 for the first year. Admission between June and November costs $299. Admission in December waives the fee for that calendar year.8The State Bar of California. Appendix A: Schedule of Charges and Deadlines A December admission does mean the full $598 active-member rate is billed the following January.9State Bar of California. How the Date You Take the Attorney’s Oath Impacts Annual Fees Assessed
Mandatory Fees at a Glance
A general applicant who files on time and uses a laptop should expect:
- Bar exam application: $878
- Laptop fee: $153
- Moral character application: $900
- Fingerprinting: about $82
- MPRE registration: $185
- Admission certificate: $95
- Supreme Court enrollment: $5
- First-year dues: $299–$598
Total mandatory cost lands between roughly $2,600 and $2,900. Attorney applicants pay higher exam and moral character fees, pushing their total above $3,200.
Bar Prep and Living Expenses
Almost no one takes the California bar exam without a commercial prep course, and this is the largest variable expense. Full-service programs typically run $1,400 to over $4,000, with some budget options starting around $1,200. Supplemental flashcards or essay-grading add-ons can add a few hundred more.
The cost most people underestimate is the two to three months of dedicated study when most candidates stop working. Rent, food, utilities, and transportation across that stretch can easily exceed the price of the prep course. In a high-cost California city, plan on several thousand dollars for the study period alone.
If You Have to Retake
Failing costs you the full application fee again: $878 for general re-applicants, $1,650 for attorney re-applicants.2National Conference of Bar Examiners. Non-Uniform Bar Examination Jurisdictions – Bar Examination Application Deadlines and Fees The laptop fee applies again as well. You do not need to re-file the moral character application as long as your positive determination is still active. Many bar prep providers charge a reduced repeat rate.
The bigger cost is another study cycle without income. California’s bar passage rate has historically hovered around 50–60% for first-time takers from ABA-accredited schools, so a financial cushion for a possible retake is realistic planning.
Payment Surcharge
The State Bar accepts credit card, ACH electronic check, and mailed paper checks. Credit and debit card payments carry a 2.5% processing fee, and it is non-refundable even if you later withdraw.10The State Bar of California. Credit Card Authorization Form On the $878 exam fee, that adds about $22. Paying by ACH or check avoids it.
Refunds If You Withdraw
If you withdraw your exam application, the refund depends entirely on timing:
- Within 30 days after the timely filing deadline: 60% refund of application and late fees paid.
- Within 45 days after the timely filing deadline (first-time applicants): 30% refund.
- Within 35 days after the timely filing deadline (immediate repeaters): 30% refund.
After those windows, no refund is available.11The State Bar of California. Committee of Bar Examiners’ Refund of Fees Policy Credit card processing fees are never refunded. The moral character and MPRE fees sit outside this policy and are generally non-refundable.