Utah’s CLE requirements obligate every active attorney to complete 12 hours of accredited continuing legal education each year, with at least one hour in legal ethics and one hour in professionalism and civility.1Utah Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education. Lawyers The compliance year runs July 1 through June 30, and you have until July 31 to file your Certificate of Compliance with the Board of Continuing Legal Education. If your understanding of Utah CLE comes from before May 1, 2023, refresh it: the state moved from a 24-hour biennial cycle to the current 12-hour annual cycle on that date.2Utah State Bar. MCLE Rule Changes
The 12 Hours and What They Must Cover
Within the 12-hour total, one hour has to address legal ethics under the Rules of Professional Conduct, and a separate hour has to cover professionalism and civility.2Utah State Bar. MCLE Rule Changes The remaining 10 hours are open to any legal topic from an accredited provider.
Utah does not require dedicated diversity, equity, or inclusion hours. There is also no carryover: any hours you complete beyond 12 in a given year do not reduce the following year’s obligation.
Verified CLE and Elective CLE
At least six of the 12 hours must be Verified CLE, meaning a format with confirmed attendance.1Utah Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education. Lawyers Verified CLE takes three forms:
- In-person seminars, workshops, and conferences.
- Remote Group CLE, meaning live webcasts or virtual sessions with real-time participation.
- Verified E-CLE: online courses with a built-in confirmation mechanism, such as attention checks or quizzes.
The other six hours can be either Verified CLE or Elective CLE, which covers self-study formats like pre-recorded video, audio programs, and reading-based courses that lack a verification mechanism.2Utah State Bar. MCLE Rule Changes You may fill all 12 with Verified CLE, but you cannot satisfy the full requirement through self-study alone.
Deadlines You Cannot Miss
Two dates matter. Complete all 12 hours by June 30. File your Certificate of Compliance through the Board by July 31.1Utah Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education. Lawyers
Falling short by June 30 creates a problem beyond a late fee. Your next compliance cycle does not automatically restart on July 1; it begins the day after you finish the last missing credit from the prior year, which shortens the window you have for the next 12 hours.3Utah Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education. One-Year Reporting Period
Late Fees and Administrative Suspension
Missing either the June 30 completion deadline or the July 31 filing deadline triggers a $100 late fee. A $10 filing fee also applies to the Certificate of Compliance itself.4Utah Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education. Forms Page
If you still have not filed a compliant certificate by September 15, or your filed certificate shows a shortfall, you face administrative suspension effective October 1, with notice by certified mail.5Utah Courts. Rule 14-415 – Failure to Satisfy MCLE Requirements During suspension you cannot practice law, appear in court, or hold yourself out as a licensed attorney. Reinstatement requires completing the missing hours, filing the required reports, and paying outstanding fees; the Utah Supreme Court then reinstates on motion of the Board.6Utah Courts. Utah Code SCRP Rule 1-615 Attorneys who stay administratively suspended for three years or more must go through full readmission rather than a reinstatement motion.
Tracking and Filing Through MyUtahBar
MyUtahBar is the portal for managing your CLE records and submitting your annual Certificate of Compliance. Many Utah-accredited providers report attendance to the Board directly, so those hours generally appear on your transcript without action from you. For out-of-state programs, self-study, or providers that don’t report, you upload certificates of completion yourself.
Check your transcript well before June 30, not in the final week. Keep your completion certificates in case the Board audits.
Comity for Idaho, Oregon, and Washington Licensees
Utah has a comity arrangement with Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. If you hold an active license in one of those states and have met its CLE requirements, you can satisfy Utah by filing a Comity Certificate rather than completing Utah credits separately.4Utah Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education. Forms Page The certificate must be signed by the other state’s MCLE Board Director by June 30 and filed with the Utah Board by July 31, along with a $25 filing fee. Missing those dates draws the same $100 late fee.
Licensed in a state outside this group? The shortcut is not available to you, though credits earned at accredited out-of-state programs can still count toward your 12 Utah hours.
Attorneys admitted in Utah as House Counsel but practicing under another state’s active license use a separate House Counsel Certificate signed by that jurisdiction. If that jurisdiction has no CLE requirement, or is a self-reporting state whose board will not sign, the House Counsel attorney has to complete the standard 12 Utah hours.4Utah Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education. Forms Page
Who Is Exempt
Inactive attorneys owe no CLE while inactive. Emeritus attorneys and full-time judges also fall outside the annual 12-hour requirement. These statuses have to be formally declared through the Bar’s registration system.
Coming back to active status carries a catch-up rule. An attorney returning from inactive status must complete 24 accredited CLE hours by June 30 of the year following the return. Credits earned voluntarily during inactive status count toward that 24.
The New Lawyer Training Program
Newly admitted attorneys with less than two years of practice complete the New Lawyer Training Program instead of standard CLE during their first year of licensure. The NLTP is a 12-month mentoring program.7Utah State Bar. Welcome New Licensees – Section: New Lawyer Training Program The Bar assigns a qualified mentor, and the pair develops and executes a mentoring plan covering practical skills and local court procedures.8Utah Courts. Utah Code SCRP Rule 4-808 – New Lawyer Training Program
Completion requires filing a Mentoring Completion Certification signed by the mentor within the 12-month window. Failing to finish on time can result in administrative suspension of the new lawyer’s license.8Utah Courts. Utah Code SCRP Rule 4-808 – New Lawyer Training Program After the NLTP, the attorney moves into the standard annual reporting cycle with everyone else.