February 2025 Filing Deadline

The timely filing deadline for the February 2025 General Bar Examination is November 15, 2024. All required items must be received or postmarked by that date to avoid late filing fees.

March 2025 MPRE Deadline

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) registration deadline for the March 2025 MPRE is January 23, 2025. Please visit the NCBE's website at www.ncbex.org for information about applying to take that examination.

July 2028 Examination Announcement

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners has announced that it will administer the NextGen Bar Exam with Florida Law Component beginning with the July 2028 Florida Bar Exam.

Checklist to File a Bar Application (Student Registration not previously filed, first time taker of the examination)

This form is designed to assist you in gathering information, creating your online account, completing your Bar Application and preparing the material to submit a complete application. Click the various links to access information or printer-friendly forms. Applications submitted with accurate and complete responses and all required supplemental documents can be processed more expeditiously. Processing will not be initiated on defective applications and an additional defective filing fee may be charged. A ticket of admission into the examination will not be issued if the complete application and required supplemental documents are not provided. If all required documents are not filed timely, late fees may be assessed.

STEP 1 - PRINT AND USE CHECKLIST

____1.
Print this Checklist
____2.
Check each item when completed to ensure that your Bar Application includes all necessary supplemental documents and information

STEP 2 - GATHER INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS

Completion of this application will be time consuming. In order to complete your Bar Application efficiently online, it is suggested that you gather information and have it available when you complete the online application.

____1.
Residence information including dates and complete addresses for the past 3 years, dates and city/state since your 16th birthday
____2.
Names and addresses of all undergraduate and graduate schools you attended and dates of attendance
____3.
Names of all law schools attended and dates of attendance
____4.
Five personal references who have known you well within the past 5 years, including full names, current mailing addresses, and telephone numbers.
____5.
Employment information for the last 10 years or since your 16th birthday, whichever is shorter, and information for any employer from which you were terminated. You are required to provide employers' names, addresses, telephone numbers, dates employed, position, type of business, supervisor and reason for leaving. Include self-employment or association with any occupation, business, enterprise or profession, either part-time or full-time. Include employment as a law clerk, positions in clinics, internships, externships, or other similar non-paid positions.
____6. Military service information (if applicable)
____7.
Financial information about delinquent credit, defaulted credit, judgments/liens, unfiled tax returns, payments returned for insufficient funds and delinquent student loans
____8. Information about all litigation in which you were named a party (including divorce, bankruptcy, and administrative or quasi-judicial proceedings)
____9.
Information about arrests, charges or accusations of violation of a law or ordinance (including traffic violations), reporting dates, law enforcement agency, explanation of event, and final disposition. If your arrest records are sealed, you must petition the appropriate court to unseal those records.
____10.
Information about all bar admission or registration applications filed in Florida or any other jurisdiction
____11.
Transcripts from all undergraduate schools from which you received an undergraduate degree, transcripts from all law schools attended (except your current law school, if you are still attending), even if the credit was transferred to another school or is reflected on another school's transcript, and transcripts from any post-secondary schools attended subsequent to law school. You should request that all transcripts be sent from each educational institution directly to the board's office.
____12.
Fingerprints
All applicants for admission to The Florida Bar must have their fingerprints scanned for electronic submission to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and to the FBI by IdentoGo by MorphoTrust USA. Instructions for this step are in the answer to How do I submit the required fingerprints? in our FAQ. Confirmation of your compliance with this step must be received by the board before processing of your application will begin.
____13.
Certificate of Dean
Complete the top section and submit the Certificate of Dean to your law school dean after your graduation. If attending a Florida law school, do not provide the form to your school; however, you should contact your law school to ensure you have completed any requirements needed to have your Certificate of Dean released to the Board.
____14.
Retrieve or obtain your NCBE number.
You will be required to report your NCBE number on Section D of the Bar Application. Go to www.ncbex.org/ncbe-number to either retrieve your NCBE number or request an NCBE Number. Your unique NCBE Number will be used for identification purposes when you take the Multistate Bar Examination and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination and may be used as an identifier for other bar admission-related purposes. It is recommended that you copy and paste your number into the "NCBE Number" field on your Examination Application. Therefore, you should have that window open when you are completing the application.

The following documents may be needed, depending on your response to various items on the Bar Application. Some of these documents may be uploaded through the portal as you work through the bar application. Refer to the Supporting Documents page, linked on your Bar Application Progress page, for instructions.

____15.
A copy of your DD-214, reflecting your character of service and re-entry code
____16.
For lawsuits where you are personally named a defendant or counter-defendant, you are required to include an exact and complete copy of the complaint or other initial pleading, answer, counterclaim, if any, and the disposition of each action, or a letter from the court verifying that the documents are not available. Records are also required for all divorce and bankruptcy proceedings.
____17.
Copies of bar applications or registrations filed in any other jurisdiction
____18.
Certificates of Good Standing from each jurisdiction where you are admitted, dated within six months of your bar application filing

STEP 3 - COMPLETE THE BAR APPLICATION ONLINE

When you have gathered the information above, you are ready to complete the online Bar Application. A high-speed Internet connection and use of the Google Chrome web browser are recommended.

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____2. Follow the instructions to install a Two Factor Authenticator application on your smart device. Authy is the recommended app. Please note that if you do not enable backups in Authy as described in these instructions, or if you use an app other than Authy that does not allow for backups, and if you lose your device prior to filing your bar application, you will not have access to the authentication data you will need to be able to access your account. If that happens, and you did not write down the "scratch codes" to retrieve information provided to you by the Board after you register your account, all of your data will be irretrievable and you will be required to start the registration/bar application process over again. You MUST enable backups to allow you to access your account in the event your smart device is lost, broken, or otherwise unavailable to you. Keep your device on-hand while creating your account. If you do not have a smart device, please refer to the FAQ section for information on how to proceed.
____3.
Create an Account. If you do not complete the online application within six months from the date you create your account, your account and all of the information you have entered will be deleted; you will have to start over by creating a new account.
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Log in. To access the bar application, on the left side of the home screen, click the Applicant Portal link.
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You may start and stop completion of the online Bar Application as necessary. To securely exit the program, log out and close your browser.
____6.
Complete each item of the application until you have finished and saved each item as finished or complete. It is best to answer the items in order to help ensure responses to subsequent items are accurate. Additionally, within each item, using the tab function will aid in completion of each response in order, and will display the help text when applicable.
____7.
When all items are saved as finished or complete, you will be offered instructions for reviewing a draft version of your Bar Application. Follow the on-screen instructions. Clicking the "Review Draft Bar Application" button will accumulate your individual item responses into a printer-friendly document and display it on your screen.
____8.
Read and carefully review each item of the draft version of your application to ensure that each item is complete and correct. To make revisions to individual items, select the item, select the pencil icon to make corrections to a previous entry, select the garbage can icon to remove a previous entry, and select “Add Entry” to make additions. Make sure you save your changes. You may generate/print the draft as many times as necessary.
____9.
When you are certain that your application is complete and accurate, return to the Bar Application page and follow the on-screen instructions below the "Review Draft Bar Application" button. Do not press the "Final Version" button without generating a draft and making corrections. When ready to proceed, click the "Final Version" button.
____10. A “Finalizing Your Bar Application” page will open, providing Section C of the application. Follow the on-screen instructions. Carefully read the text in Section C regarding your obligation to keep the application current and complete after filing. You will be required to enter your password as the E-Signature PIN to confirm that all information entered in your bar application is complete and accurate. Once you have entered your E-Signature PIN (password), click the “Finalize Bar Application” button. You will not be able to make changes or additions to your original Bar Application after clicking the "Finalize Bar Application" button.
____11.
If you are not paying your application fee electronically, you must generate and print the Cover Sheet, following the on-screen instructions. If you are paying your application fee electronically, you do not need to print your Cover Sheet.
____12. Complete the online Authorization and Release form. Your bar application will not be processed until you have submitted this form.
____13.
Proceed to Section D of the Bar Application (Examination Application) and answer the questions in order as some questions are based upon your responses to earlier questions.
____14.
Click the "Browse" button to upload your passport-style photo (see Photo Requirements And Upload Instructions).
____15.
When you have responded to all items and have selected your photo for upload, click the button, "Finalize My Application." The program will gather your responses into a document and display it on the screen.
____16.
Print Section D of the Bar Application
You may print a copy of the examination application for your records. Do not submit a hard copy of the application to the Board.
____17.
You must click on the “Acknowledgment of Compliance” button available on your portal home page. Read the instructions. After you have read Chapters 4 and 5 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, enter your password as the E-Signature PIN to acknowledge and click “Save.”
____18. On the “Your Bar Application has been finalized” page, click the “Display Finalized Bar Application” button to view a printer-friendly final version of your bar application. You may print a copy for your records. Do not mail a printed copy of the application to the board.

STEP 4 - CHECKLIST TO SUBMIT A COMPLETE BAR APPLICATION

Check off each item below confirming that you have completed each required item.

____1.
If you are not paying your application fee electronically, you must mail your Cover Sheet with your check or money order.
____2.
Bar Application Section D (Examination Application) - this must be completed through the portal and submitted electronically. You may print a copy for your records but do not mail a copy to the board.
____3.
Authorization and Release - the form is available under the Supporting Forms section of the Applicant Portal. This must be completed through the portal and submitted electronically. Do not mail a copy to the board.
____4.
Application fee
Computed using the Application Fee Worksheet (PDF - 46k). The board now accepts electronic payment of fees by ACH or eChecks. Alternatively, the fee may be paid by check or money order (in U.S. dollars) payable to the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. If paying by check or money order, clip the check to the Cover Sheet and mail to the Board's office.
____5.
Fingerprints
All applicants for admission to The Florida Bar must have their fingerprints scanned for electronic submission to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and to the FBI by IdentoGo by MorphoTrust USA. Instructions for this step are in the answer to How do I submit the required fingerprints? in our FAQ. Confirmation of your compliance with this step must be received by the board before processing of your application will begin.
____6.
Proof of citizenship
  • If you are a citizen of the United States, submit a certified copy of your birth certificate, or provide a copy of your certificate of naturalization, or certificate of citizenship for submission to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for verification of authenticity. Upload a scanned copy of your certified birth certificate via the applicant portal. Note that you may be required to submit the hard copy of the document if the uploaded document cannot be verified. Please note the scanned and uploaded copy may have the watermark "VOID" on the document. It is acceptable to upload the document with this watermark.
  • If you are not a citizen of the United States, provide a photocopy of the immigration document that documents your status for submission to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for verification of authenticity. Upload this document through the portal. Note that you may be required to submit the hard copy of the document if the uploaded document cannot be verified.
  • For more information on how to obtain documents to prove citizenship or immigration status, read Must I provide documentation of my U.S. citizenship or immigration status? in our FAQ.

All of the following as applicable (it is not necessary to mail these documents if you already uploaded them through the portal):

____7.
Documentation of military service (DD-214, Report of Separation, or equivalent, which reflects the character of service)
____8.
Copies of litigation documents
____9.
A copy of the judge's signed order to unseal arrest records
____10.
Copies of bar applications from other jurisdictions
____11.
Certificates of Good Standing

If you are not paying your application fee electronically, you must print the Cover Sheet and mail it to the board’s office along with the check or money order. Failure to timely submit the Cover Sheet and required fees will delay initiation of the board’s updated investigation and could result in late fees. Address your package to the Florida Board of Bar Examiners.

U.S. Postal Service:
1891 Eider Court
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1750
                
FedEx, Priority USPS, or other delivery service:
1891 Eider Court
Tallahassee, FL 32308

Reporting Changes to the Bar Application

Your Bar Application is a continuing application and you have an obligation to keep the responses to all items current and complete by the filing of timely amendments. Amendments may be filed online through the applicant portal.

Image of the board's Seal. The central figure on the Seal is a griffin, a universally accepted symbol for vigilance. The griffin is holding the Nordic symbol for fidelity, which comes from Nordic mythology. Beneath the griffin appears the Latin phrase “Clemens iustitiae custodia.” Custodia is the word used for keeping watch in order to protect, and Clementia is used technically for leniency in punishing offenses. Closely translated, this phrase means “Compassionate and vigilant protection of justice.” Expanded, this would mean the watchful protection (or preservation) of justice, a watchful or protective preservation which is compassionate or merciful. The Arabic numerals \"1955\" appear at the bottom of the seal, indicating the year of the creation of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners.Copyright ©2011 - 2024 Florida Board of Bar Examiners. All rights reserved.