NC CLE Requirements: Hours, Carryover, and Exemptions

To stay in good standing, North Carolina CLE requirements call for 24 hours of approved continuing legal education every two years, including at least four hours of ethics, one hour of technology training, and one hour of professional well-being. The reporting period runs from March 1 through the last day of February two years later, and missing the deadline triggers fees and, eventually, suspension.

How the 24 Hours Break Down

Rule .1518 sets the total at 24 approved hours per two-year reporting period. Inside that total, the State Bar requires:¹

At least four hours in ethics, professional responsibility, or professionalism.
At least one hour of technology training, completed in one-hour increments.
At least one hour on professional well-being, covering topics like substance use and mental health, also in one-hour increments.

The remaining 18 hours are general credits you can shape around your practice. The well-being hour replaced the former substance abuse and mental health awareness requirement.² The 24 hours are biennial, not annual. You can front-load or back-load within the two-year window; the State Bar only measures the full period.

Reporting Period and Deadline

Your reporting period starts March 1 and ends on the last day of February two years later.¹ Newly admitted members begin on March 1 of the calendar year they were admitted. Reinstated members follow an adjusted timeline unless they were reinstated during an existing period, in which case the original dates stay in place.

Check your transcript through the State Bar’s reporting portal before the period closes.³ If a sponsor hasn’t posted your attendance, you’ll need to enter it yourself, so hold on to certificates of completion.

What Counts for Credit

The Board approves CLE programs individually when a sponsor or an active member submits a qualifying application.⁴ The main formats that qualify:

Live, in-person seminars, workshops, and conferences.
Online and on-demand programs. Since January 1, 2020, attorneys may complete all required hours online. Sponsors of on-demand courses need a Board-approved method for verifying attendance and reporting hours.⁴
Teaching and presenting at accredited programs, where the instructor is qualified by practical or academic experience.⁵
Cross-disciplinary programs that blend legal content with fields like accounting or tax, if the Board finds they enhance legal skills or the ability to practice law.

Two things don’t count. In-house CLE and self-study are generally not approved under the accreditation standards.⁵ North Carolina also does not award CLE credit for pro bono legal work.

One-Time Course for New Admittees

If you were admitted after January 1, 2011, you must complete the Professionalism for New Attorneys program during the first year you’re required to meet CLE obligations.⁶ It’s a one-time requirement, separate from the ongoing 24-hour biennial obligation. The State Bar runs these courses on a schedule, so look early rather than close to the deadline.

Carryover Credits

You can carry up to 12 excess credit hours from one reporting period into the next. Carryover applies only to the 24-hour general total. It cannot satisfy the ethics, technology, or well-being specialty hours, which must be earned fresh in each period.

Who Qualifies for an Exemption

Rule .1517 lists several exemption categories, and most require an application to the Board of Continuing Legal Education rather than kicking in automatically.

Judges, Officials, and Military

Federal and state judges already required to take continuing judicial education are exempt during their service, as are full-time law clerks for judges. Elected officials, including the governor, members of the North Carolina General Assembly, and members of Congress, are exempt during their terms. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces on full-time active duty are also exempt.⁷

Nonresidents

The Board may exempt an active member who has lived outside North Carolina for at least six consecutive months, does not practice law in the state, and does not represent North Carolina clients on matters governed by North Carolina law.⁷ All three conditions must be met. Handling any NC-law matters disqualifies you.

Law Teachers and Senior Members

Full-time professors at ABA-accredited law schools in North Carolina and full-time teachers at the UNC School of Government are exempt if they don’t practice in the state or represent NC clients on NC-law matters. The senior exemption applies to active members 65 or older who do not represent clients unless supervised by another active member who takes responsibility for the work.⁷ There is no minimum years-of-membership requirement, but you must accept the supervision condition.

Hardship and Pro Hac Vice

The Board can grant a temporary exemption of up to one year for undue hardship or other reasonable circumstances unique to the individual attorney. Nonresident lawyers admitted pro hac vice for a specific case are not subject to the CLE rules at all.⁷

Fees

Attorneys owe a $25 annual CLE attendance fee, collected during membership renewal.² An additional per-credit-hour fee applies to every CLE hour on your transcript. The per-hour amount is set by the Board and can change, so check the CLE Member page for the current figure. These fees are separate from what sponsors charge for individual programs.

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

The timeline moves faster than many attorneys expect. If you don’t finish your 24 hours by the end of the reporting period, you’re assessed a late compliance fee and given 60 days to complete the outstanding hours.⁸

If those 60 days pass and you’re still short, the Council issues a suspension order. You then have 45 days after service to complete the requirements or submit a written showing of good cause. If neither happens, you’re suspended from practicing law and must wind down your practice.⁸ A separate non-compliance fee is assessed on top of the late compliance fee, with amounts set by the Board and approved by the Council.

Reinstatement Within 30 Days

Act quickly and you can avoid a formal petition. Within 30 days of being served with the suspension order, you can prevent it from taking effect by completing all outstanding CLE hours, filing any delinquent reports, paying the administrative fees tied to the suspension order, and resolving any other financial obligations to the State Bar.⁹

Reinstatement After 30 Days

Once more than 30 days have passed, you must petition the Council. You have to satisfy the CLE requirements for the year you were suspended and, if more than one year has elapsed, complete an additional 12 approved hours for each year of suspension up to a maximum of seven years. Within each 12-hour block, at least two hours must cover ethics or professionalism, and all of the hours must have been completed in the two years before you file the petition.⁹

On top of the hours, petitioners pay a $250 reinstatement fee for CLE-related suspensions, all back membership fees and Client Security Fund assessments, any district bar dues owed, and all outstanding CLE fees and penalties.⁹ The costs compound quickly, so meeting the 30-day window is the single most valuable step a suspended attorney can take.

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North Carolina State Bar. 1518 Continuing Legal Education Requirements
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North Carolina State Bar. CLE Member
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North Carolina State Bar. Reporting Compliance
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North Carolina State Bar. 1520 Requirements for Program Approval
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North Carolina State Bar. 1519 Accreditation Standards
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North Carolina State Bar. Professionalism for New Admittees Courses
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North Carolina State Bar. 1D.1517 Exemptions
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North Carolina State Bar. 1D.1521 Noncompliance
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North Carolina State Bar. 1D.0904 Reinstatement From Suspension