Missouri CLE reporting is done through the Missouri Bar’s My MCLE online portal, where each actively licensed attorney files 15 accredited credit hours by July 31 for the compliance year that ran July 1 through June 30.1The Missouri Bar. MCLE Home The hours have to be earned by June 30; the extra month is only for the paperwork.
What the 15 Hours Have to Include
Of the 15 required credit hours, at least three must cover ethics and professional responsibility, and one of those three has to focus specifically on explicit or implicit bias, diversity, inclusion, or cultural competency.1The Missouri Bar. MCLE Home The workable way to think about it is 12 general hours, 2 ethics hours, and 1 bias/diversity hour. The 12 general hours can cover any substantive legal topic relevant to your practice.
Which Programs Actually Count
Accredited formats include live in-person seminars, live remote programs delivered by telephone or webcast, and previously recorded programs made available remotely on a designated date with an instructor available to answer questions in real time.2The Missouri Bar. MCLE Program Sponsors Frequently Asked Questions A stand-alone program must run at least 50 minutes to earn one credit hour.
On-demand webinars that you watch on your own schedule are not accredited programs in Missouri. They can only count as self-study, and self-study is capped at six hours per compliance year and cannot include any ethics or bias/diversity credit.3The Missouri Bar. What Is Self-Study Credit? Your three ethics and bias hours have to come from accredited live or scheduled programs. This is the rule that trips people up most often, so build your ethics hours in early.
What to Have Ready Before You File
Pull the certificate of attendance for every program you completed during the compliance year. Each certificate carries a Program ID, the unique number the Missouri Bar assigns to that course, and it usually appears directly below the program title on the certificate.4The Missouri Bar. Where Do I Find the Program ID Numbers Needed to Report My MCLE Hours? If a certificate is missing, the Program ID also shows up in the evaluation-reminder email sent the day after the program.5The Missouri Bar. How Do I Get My Certificate of Attendance
For each program, you’ll enter the Program ID, the sponsoring organization, the program title, the date you completed it, and the credits earned broken down by type: general, ethics, or bias/diversity. Sort the certificates by category before you log in and the entry goes quickly.
Filing in the My MCLE Portal
Log in to My MCLE on the Missouri Bar’s website using your member credentials, open the reporting section, and enter each program’s details. The portal totals your hours as you go and displays them against the 15-hour minimum and the ethics and bias subcategories, so you can see whether anything is short before submitting.
At the end you’ll reach a verification screen, review the entries, and provide a digital signature attesting that the report is accurate. Submission generates a confirmation receipt and updates your member dashboard to show compliance. Save the receipt. If a question ever comes up about your status, that receipt is the fastest way to close it.
Deadline, Carryover, and Late Fees
The current 2025–2026 compliance period ends June 30, 2026, with the annual report due by July 31, 2026.1The Missouri Bar. MCLE Home All hours must be earned by June 30. Programs completed in July do not count toward the year that just closed.
Excess hours carry forward, up to a maximum of 15 general credit hours into the next reporting year. Carryover applies to general credits only, so plan on satisfying the ethics and bias requirements fresh each cycle.
Miss the July 31 deadline and a late fee kicks in. It increases by $50 for each successive month you remain noncompliant, up to a $500 cap.6The Missouri Bar. Pay Late Fee Instructions
What Happens If You Don’t File
On or after October 1 each year, the Missouri Bar mails a deficiency notice to every attorney who hasn’t met the requirements. From the date of that notice, you get 30 additional days to file a report showing compliance.7Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel. You’re Suspended: Do Not Pass “Go”, Do Not Collect $200 If the deficiency isn’t cured in that window, the Bar reports your name to the Clerk of the Missouri Supreme Court.
Once reported, you are automatically suspended from the practice of law, effective on the date the report is received by the chief disciplinary counsel.8Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel. MCLE Noncompliance and Suspension Practicing while suspended is itself a violation of the rules of professional conduct. Reinstatement requires certifying to the Clerk of the Supreme Court that you are in full compliance with Rule 15, which means completing the missing hours, filing the report, and paying accrued late fees.9The Missouri Bar. Members Administratively Suspended for MCLE or Fee The suspension is a matter of public record.
Exemptions and Reduced Requirements
Newly Admitted Attorneys
If you were just admitted, you have no CLE or reporting requirement for the compliance year in which you were first admitted.10American Bar Association. Missouri CLE Requirements and Courses Your first full 15-hour obligation begins the next compliance year. Admitted in March 2026, for instance, you owe nothing for the 2025–2026 period; 2026–2027 is your first full reporting year.
Inactive Status
Attorneys who have given notice of inactive status to the Clerk of the Supreme Court of Missouri are exempt from CLE requirements. You cannot practice law while inactive, so this is really an option for attorneys between positions, effectively retired, or otherwise stepping away.
Financial Hardship Waiver
If CLE program costs are prohibitive, the Missouri Bar offers a financial hardship waiver that can reduce or eliminate seminar fees. Decisions are case by case and weigh professional relevance, financial need, and available space in the program.11The Missouri Bar. Financial Hardship Waiver Apply at least three weeks before the program; the Bar does not grant waivers at the door. Aid is capped at nine credit hours in a single reporting period, so the remaining six hours will still need to be covered another way.