New York bar exam fees start at $250 for graduates of ABA-approved law schools and $750 for candidates who studied law in a foreign country. That application charge is only the first line item. Once you add laptop software, the MPRE, and the $375 attorney registration fee due after you pass, a first-time domestically educated applicant should plan on roughly $910 before any bar review course.
Application Fee by Education Type
The application fee is set by state statute, and the New York State Board of Law Examiners cannot reduce or waive it.1New York State Board of Law Examiners. New York State Board of Law Examiners Frequently Asked Questions Two amounts apply:
- $250 for graduates of ABA-approved law schools, candidates who studied law in a law office, graduates of unapproved U.S. law schools, and Pro Bono Scholars Program participants.
- $750 for candidates who studied law in a foreign country under Rule 520.6. The higher amount reflects the additional credential evaluation the Board performs.
The fee is the same whether you are sitting for the first time or retaking the exam.
Laptop Software Fee
Most applicants type essay answers using ExamSoft’s Examplify software rather than handwriting. Using a laptop requires a separate license fee, typically around $100, paid directly to ExamSoft.2ExamSoft. February 24-25, 2026 NY Bar Examination You buy a new license for every administration, even if you used the software last time. Re-downloading after the initial installation window costs another $50.
The laptop fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. Pay it only when you are certain you will sit for that specific exam.
Other Costs Before Admission
Passing the bar exam alone does not admit you in New York. You also need the New York Law Course and New York Law Exam, the MPRE, and 50 hours of qualifying pro bono work.
New York Law Course and New York Law Exam
The New York Law Course (NYLC) is an online course covering New York-specific topics and must be completed at least 30 days before your New York Law Exam (NYLE) test date. The course itself is free. The NYLE carries a small ExamSoft software fee payable at registration.3New York State Board of Law Examiners. NYLC/NYLE Course Materials
MPRE
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination is administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners separately from the bar exam. The 2026 fee is $185, payable by debit or credit card. Registration deadlines are hard cutoffs; NCBE does not accept late sign-ups for any reason.4NCBE. Registering For The MPRE
Pro Bono Requirement
All New York applicants must complete 50 hours of qualifying pro bono legal work. There is no direct fee, but it is a real time commitment that most people fulfill during law school.5New York State Unified Court System. Pro Bono Bar Admission Requirements
UBE Score Transfer Costs
If you already have a qualifying UBE score from another state, you can transfer it to New York instead of retaking the exam. The application fee is the same as sitting: $250 for domestically educated applicants and $750 for foreign-educated candidates under Rule 520.6.6New York State Board of Law Examiners. Application by Transferred UBE Score
NCBE also charges $30 for each UBE Official Score Transcript, which is how the score is formally delivered to New York.7NCBE. UBE Score Services A domestically educated applicant transferring a score pays $280 total between the two organizations.
Attorney Registration After You Pass
Once you pass and clear the character and fitness review, you owe a $375 initial attorney registration fee before taking the oath. This is administered by the Office of Court Administration, not the Board of Law Examiners, and is separate from anything you paid to sit for the exam. Attorneys who certify they are retired from practice are exempt.8New York State Unified Court System. Registration FAQs
Filing Deadlines
New York’s filing windows are short, and there is no late application with a penalty fee. Miss the deadline and you wait for the next exam, which may be six months away.
The 2026 windows:
- February 2026 exam: applications accepted October 1–31, 2025.
- July 2026 exam: applications accepted March 1–31, 2026.
Each window is exactly one month. Applicants who failed the immediately preceding exam get a narrow extension and may file up to seven days after results are released, even if that falls after the normal deadline.9New York State Board of Law Examiners. NYS Bar Exam Dates
Testing accommodation requests share the same deadlines: October 31 for the February exam, March 31 for the July exam. The Board goes by the date it receives the request, not the postmark.
Payment Methods
Payment rules split by what you are paying for, and this catches applicants who assume one method covers everything.
For the bar exam application fee, UBE score transfer, and admission on motion, the Board accepts only Visa or MasterCard credit cards through its online portal. Debit cards do not work, and the Board cannot take credit card payments by phone or mail.
For every other payment to the Board, the rules flip. You need a certified check, cashier’s check drawn on a U.S. bank, U.S. Post Office money order, or a money order from a U.S. bank or financial institution. Personal checks are returned; cash is not accepted. Make checks and money orders payable to “NYS Board of Law Examiners.”
Refunds and Credits
Application fees are non-refundable. Because the amounts are set by the state legislature, neither the Board nor the Court of Appeals can reduce or waive them.
If you withdraw due to genuinely extenuating circumstances, you can request a credit toward a future sitting rather than a cash refund. Your written request and all supporting documentation must reach the Board within 30 days of the exam you withdrew from. An initial request lacking proper documentation is denied outright. Approved credits are rare and entirely at the Board’s discretion.
Foreign-educated applicants take on extra risk. If you submit the $750 application before receiving your eligibility determination, and the Board cannot complete the evaluation in time or finds you ineligible, the money is gone.10New York State Board of Law Examiners. Foreign Legal Education Handbook – Summary of Eligibility Requirements for Foreign-Educated Applicants to the New York Bar Examination
What It All Adds Up To
For a first-time applicant who graduated from an ABA-approved law school, the minimum path from application to sworn attorney looks like this:
- Bar exam application: $250
- Laptop software (ExamSoft): approximately $100
- MPRE registration: $185
- NCBE score transcript, if transferring a UBE score: $30
- Attorney registration after admission: $375
The baseline sits around $910 before fingerprinting, travel on exam day, or a commercial bar review course, which can run from a few hundred dollars to over $3,000 depending on the provider. Foreign-educated applicants start $500 higher because of the larger application fee.