New York CLE Requirements: Credits, Deadlines, and Exemptions

New York CLE requirements depend on how long you have been admitted: attorneys admitted more than two years ago must complete 24 accredited credit hours every two years, while newly admitted attorneys must complete 32 hours over their first two years of practice. Both groups have category minimums in ethics, diversity, and cybersecurity, both file compliance certifications electronically through the Attorney Online Services portal, and both face the same 30-day-after-birthday deadline in alternating years.

What Experienced Attorneys Must Complete

If you were admitted to the New York Bar more than two years ago, you owe 24 credit hours each biennial reporting cycle. Within those 24 hours, at least four must be Ethics and Professionalism, at least one must be Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias, and at least one must be Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Data Protection.¹ The remaining hours can go to Skills, Law Practice Management, Areas of Professional Practice, or more hours in any of the required categories.

Format is flexible. Live classrooms, teleconferences, video conferences, pre-recorded audio or video programs, self-study, and online courses all count.¹ You can also earn credits by teaching accredited CLE courses or through published legal research and writing, though publication credits are capped at 12 per cycle.

What Newly Admitted Attorneys Must Complete

Attorneys in their first two years of admission owe 32 credit hours, split evenly at 16 per year. Each year that means three hours of Ethics and Professionalism, six hours of Skills, and seven hours of Law Practice Management, Areas of Professional Practice, or Cybersecurity (General).² At least one credit hour of Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Data Protection must also be completed during the two-year cycle, in either year.³

The format rules are stricter for newly admitted attorneys. Ethics and Skills credits generally must be earned in live classroom settings or through fully interactive videoconferences approved by the CLE Board.⁴ Pre-recorded sessions do not count for those categories. Skills credits completed after December 31, 2025, must be earned in a traditional live classroom or through fully interactive videoconference with group participation.⁵ Confirm the format qualifies before you register.

Alternative Ways to Earn Credit

Experienced attorneys can earn CLE credit for pro bono work done through a court assignment or a CLE Board-accredited program, such as a legal services provider or bar association initiative. The ratio is one skills credit for every two hours of qualifying work, up to 10 credits per biennial cycle, with an additional five credits available under CLE Board guidelines.¹ Pro bono credit only counts toward skills hours; it will not satisfy ethics, diversity, or cybersecurity minimums.

Out-of-state courses can also count if the accrediting state appears on New York’s Approved Jurisdiction list. Group A jurisdictions include Colorado, Georgia, Ohio, Virginia, and about 20 others, whose courses are accepted with standard documentation. Group B jurisdictions include California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas, and courses from Group B states require you to retain the written course materials as well. For any out-of-state course, you must keep proof of attendance, proof of accreditation, proof that written materials were available, and proof that at least one faculty member was an attorney in good standing. Newly admitted attorneys must also document that the course content matched their required credit category.⁶

Carrying Credits Forward

Experienced attorneys who exceed 24 hours in a cycle can carry over up to six excess credits into the next biennial cycle, in any category.¹ A credit-heavy course late in your cycle is not wasted.

Newly admitted attorneys can roll up to eight excess credits from year one into year two, but Ethics and Professionalism credits and Cybersecurity Ethics credits do not carry between the two years. Each year’s three ethics hours must be earned in that year.

Filing the Biennial Registration

All biennial registrations are filed electronically through the Attorney Online Services portal. Paper forms have not been accepted since December 1, 2023. When you file, you sign a Certification of Compliance affirming that you completed the required CLE credits. The deadline is within 30 days of your birthday, in alternating years, and the biennial cycle runs birthday to birthday.⁷

The registration fee is $375 for most active attorneys. Payment options are credit or debit card (with a 2.99% service fee) or eCheck (with a $1 service fee). Retired attorneys who certify they have left practice owe no fee.⁷

Records You Need to Keep

Retain your certificates of attendance for at least four years from the date of each course.⁸ Each certificate should show the provider’s name, the date, and the credit categories earned. If the CLE Board audits you, these certificates are your only proof.

Before registering for a program, check that the provider is accredited by the New York State CLE Board. The court system publishes a list of accredited providers with each provider’s approved formats coded by number.⁹ This matters most for newly admitted attorneys, since not every accredited provider is approved for the fully interactive videoconference format that skills and ethics credits require.

What Happens If You Fall Behind

Failing to file your biennial registration or complete your CLE credits is not treated as a technicality. Under Judiciary Law Section 468-a, noncompliance is treated as “conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice” and referred to the Appellate Division for disciplinary action.¹⁰ Your registration status is flagged as “delinquent,” which is visible in the public attorney database.¹¹

Delinquent status is a step short of suspension. The Appellate Division can suspend an attorney who fails to comply with registration rules, and a suspended attorney cannot practice in New York until reinstated by motion showing the deficiency has been cured.

Extensions, Waivers, and Modifications

If you cannot finish your credits before your deadline, the CLE Board can grant an extension of up to 90 days based on undue hardship or extenuating circumstances. Apply by submitting an Application for an Extension of Time to the CLE Board at cleoffice@nycourts.gov.¹² While your application is pending, you can still sign the CLE certification on your biennial registration form so that filing is on time. Once the extension is granted, you finish your remaining credits inside the 90-day window and submit an update form.

For more serious situations, the CLE Board can grant a waiver (CLE completion excused entirely) or a modification (partial completion accepted, or other exceptions). Both require a showing of undue hardship or extenuating circumstances, and applications take roughly 30 to 45 days to process.¹³ Check first that you do not already qualify for a standard exemption.

Who Is Exempt

Four categories of attorneys are exempt from New York’s CLE requirements entirely:

Attorneys who did not practice law in New York during the reporting period, meaning they did not give legal advice, represent clients, or otherwise practice law in the state, whether they live in state or out.¹⁴
Full-time active members of the U.S. Armed Forces and members of the New York military service on active duty.
Attorneys with offices outside New York who are admitted to practice in a New York court for a specific case or proceeding.
Attorneys who certify they are retired under Judiciary Law Section 468-a. Retired means you do not practice law in any capacity and do not intend to return. You may still perform legal work without compensation, but charging a fee ends the retired status.

The definition of “practice of law” is broad. Advising clients, representing individuals or organizations, and appearing before courts or administrative agencies all count, whether in the public or private sector. Performing judicial or quasi-judicial functions, such as serving as an administrative law judge, does not.¹⁵

An exemption does not excuse you from filing. You still must file your biennial registration electronically and claim the exemption on the form. Skipping the filing will result in a delinquent status even if you owed no credits.⁷

1
Legal Information Institute. New York Code 22 NYCRR 1500.22 – Minimum Requirements
2
New York State Unified Court System. An Overview of New York’s Continuing Legal Education Requirement
3
New York State Unified Court System. Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection FAQs
4
New York Courts. CLE Format Requirements for Newly Admitted Attorneys
5
New York State Unified Court System. Updated April 30, 2025 – Temporary Changes to CLE Program
6
New York Courts. Current Approved Jurisdiction List and Policy
7
New York Courts. Frequently Asked Questions
8
Legal Information Institute. New York Code 22 NYCRR 1500.23 – Reporting Requirements
9
New York State Unified Court System. List of New York State CLE Accredited Providers
10
New York State Senate. Judiciary Law 468-A – Biennial Registration of Attorneys
11
New York State Unified Court System. Description of Registration Statuses for NYS Attorneys
12
New York Courts. Extension of Time to Complete CLE Requirement
13
New York Courts. Waiver or Modification of CLE Requirements
14
New York Courts. Not Practicing Law in New York
15
Legal Information Institute. New York Code 22 NYCRR 1500.5 – Waivers, Modifications and Exemptions