To become a lawyer in Texas you need a qualifying law degree, a clean character and fitness review, a passing score of at least 270 on the Uniform Bar Examination, completion of the Texas Law Component, and the attorney’s oath. The Texas Board of Law Examiners (TBLE) runs the licensing process from your first semester of law school through final certification.1Texas Board of Law Examiners. Texas Board of Law Examiners Home The requirements to be a lawyer in Texas fall into five stages: education, character review, examination, oath, and ongoing compliance.
Law School Requirements
Texas requires a Juris Doctor from a law school on the Texas Supreme Court’s approved list. In January 2026, the Court finalized an order removing the American Bar Association’s gatekeeping role and taking direct authority over which schools satisfy the state’s educational requirement.2Supreme Court of Texas. Misc. Docket No. 26-9002 – Final Approval of Amendments Every school that was already ABA-accredited stays on the approved list, so if you attend one of those programs the change doesn’t affect you.
Graduates of foreign law schools or non-approved U.S. schools can still qualify under Rule 13. One pathway covers attorneys already licensed in another state who have actively practiced law for at least three of the last five years and hold a J.D. from a school accredited where it’s located.3Texas Board of Law Examiners. Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas – Rule 13 Foreign-educated lawyers are evaluated case by case and may need additional coursework at an approved school.
Character and Fitness Investigation
Texas begins evaluating your background long before the bar exam. In your first semester of law school you must file a Declaration of Intention to Study Law with the TBLE, which starts a background investigation that runs alongside your legal education.4Texas Board of Law Examiners. Declaration of Intention to Study Law
The investigation is thorough. The TBLE pulls your criminal history from the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety, so assume they will see everything regardless of whether charges were dismissed, sealed, or expunged. The board also looks at academic discipline, chemical dependency, and financial responsibility, including tax filings, child support, and major debts.5Texas Board of Law Examiners. A Message from the Texas Board of Law Examiners to Prospective Applicants
Having a criminal record or a financial problem doesn’t automatically disqualify you. Concealing it does. The TBLE treats nondisclosure as a separate and more serious character issue than the underlying event. The board’s own advice: “When in doubt, disclose.”5Texas Board of Law Examiners. A Message from the Texas Board of Law Examiners to Prospective Applicants
Applying for the Bar Exam
Applications go through ATLAS, the TBLE’s online portal, where you create an account, submit your application, upload documents, and track your status.1Texas Board of Law Examiners. Texas Board of Law Examiners Home
Deadlines and Fees
Texas offers the exam twice a year, in February and July. For the July exam, timely filing is due February 1, with late-filing windows through April 1 and a final deadline of May 1. For the February exam, timely filing is due September 1, with late windows through November 1 and a final deadline of December 1. Missing the first deadline means paying escalating late fees on top of the base application fee.6National Conference of Bar Examiners. Texas Bar Examination – Filing Deadlines
Fees vary by applicant type. An in-state law student filing for the first time pays $300, an out-of-state first-time applicant pays $490, and a licensed attorney with an ABA or non-ABA J.D. pays $1,040. Foreign-trained applicants pay $1,140, and reapplicants pay $225. Beginning with the July 2026 exam, the TBLE raised new bar exam application fees by $150, with additional increases for reapplicants.7Texas Board of Law Examiners. News – Fee Increase Announcement
MPRE
Before the TBLE certifies you as eligible to sit for the exam, you need a scaled score of at least 85 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, a separate ethics test given by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.8National Conference of Bar Examiners. Texas Bar Examination Most applicants take it during law school. Your character and fitness file must also be complete before certification.
What the Bar Exam Covers
Texas administers the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), a standardized two-day test with a portable score. It has three sections:
- The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), 200 multiple-choice questions covering seven subjects, worth 50% of your score.
- The Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), six essays, worth 30%.
- The Multistate Performance Test (MPT), two practical tasks working from a case file, worth 20%.
You need a combined score of at least 270 out of 400 to pass.9Texas Board of Law Examiners. Scoring and Weighting the Texas Bar Exam (UBE)
Texas Law Component
Because the UBE tests general principles rather than state-specific law, Texas adds the Texas Law Component (TLC), a series of video presentations on Texas law from experienced practitioners that runs about 12 hours in total. It is free, taken online at your own pace, and it is not scored. It is, however, a firm licensing requirement; the TBLE won’t issue your license until you complete it.10Texas Board of Law Examiners. Frequently Asked Questions
Getting Licensed Without Taking the Exam
If you’re already a licensed attorney in another state, you may qualify for admission without examination. All three conditions must be met:
- You are currently authorized to practice law in at least one U.S. state.
- You meet Texas’s educational requirements.
- You have been actively and substantially practicing law as your primary occupation for at least five of the last seven years.
There are no filing deadlines for this application. The TBLE looks back seven years from the date it receives your application and counts qualifying practice within that window. A prior failure on the Texas bar exam no longer blocks this pathway.10Texas Board of Law Examiners. Frequently Asked Questions
Alternatively, if you passed the UBE in another jurisdiction with a score of 270 or higher, you can transfer that score to Texas without retaking the exam, subject to Texas’s time limit on score age.9Texas Board of Law Examiners. Scoring and Weighting the Texas Bar Exam (UBE) Either route still requires the character and fitness review and the Texas Law Component.
Taking the Oath and Getting Your License
After you pass the bar (or qualify without it) and clear character and fitness, the final step is the Attorney’s Oath. The State Bar of Texas holds formal induction ceremonies, but you don’t have to wait for one. Any person authorized to administer oaths, including a judge, retired judge, court clerk, or notary public, can swear you in. Texas allows the oath by videoconference, provided the administering officer follows any applicable rules for remote notarization.11State Bar of Texas. New Lawyer Oath and Fees
When your physical license arrives, attach the signed oath form to the reverse side. Your license isn’t complete without it.11State Bar of Texas. New Lawyer Oath and Fees
Ongoing Requirements
Texas requires every active attorney to complete at least 15 hours of continuing legal education during each compliance year, which runs based on your birth month. If you don’t finish and report hours by the end of your birth month, you fall into non-compliance and face penalties.12State Bar of Texas. About Reporting Your MCLE Hours Annual State Bar of Texas membership dues are also required to keep your license in good standing. Plan for both from your first year of practice.