Frequently Asked Questions

Online Payment is handled by Texas.gov, the official website of Texas. The price of the service includes funds that support ongoing operations and enhancements of Texas.gov, which is provided by a third party in partnership with the State, as well as processing fees.

A valid law license means an active law license.

No. There is no refund of fees or transfer of fees to a future exam. See Rule 18.

Contact the State Bar of Texas, Membership Department: (512) 427-1383. The State Bar's toll-free number is: 800-204-2222, ext 1383.  More information is available at the Law Student Division of the State Bar of Texas.

• Login to your ATLAS account.

• Click the Personal Info tab in the toolbar at the top of the page.

• Edit your information as needed.

• Click the Update button at the bottom of the page.

• You can probably print what you want from your ATLAS account.

1.  Log in to your ATLAS account.

2.  Click the blue View Your Application History button.

3.  Click one application at a time.

4.  For each application, scroll to Forms & Progress.

5.  Click the blue View/Print Form button next to the application. This opens a .pdf of your application.

6.   After saving or printing the .pdf of your application, scroll up and click the blue Back to User Home button.

7.   Repeat Steps 2 – 6 as necessary.

• To request a copy of your bar exam application, declaration of intent, or other application submitted to us, please complete our copy request form. Fees may apply. You may note on the request form any specific material(s) that you are requesting from your file. Per our retention policy, we only maintain files for five years from date of licensure for applicants who were issued a license to practice law in Texas, and five years from the date of last major activity for applicants who have not been issued a license to practice law in Texas.
• To request application dates, bar exam scores, confirmation of passing the bar exam, licensure dates, MPRE scores from before 1999, unofficial MBE scores, or other documents or data related to a declaration, application, or bar examination, please send a signed, written request outlining the requested material(s), including the applicant's name at time of exam, birthdate, last four digits of the applicant's social security number, approximate month and year of exam, and the physical address where you’d like the information mailed. You may submit the signed request by mail, fax, or email. See Contact Us for addresses and numbers. 
• To request us to mail an official MBE score to another jurisdiction, please complete the online request at https://ble.texas.gov/displaymbetransferform.action. There is a fee for this service.
• Requests for MPRE scores for exams taken in 1999 or later must be submitted directly to the National Conference on Bar Examiners. Additional information is available at http://www.ncbex.org/ncbe-exam-score-services/mpre-score-services/. 

No.

Contact the State Bar of Texas, Membership Department: (512) 427-1383.  The State Bar's toll-free number is: 800-204-2222, ext 1383.

• State Bar of Texas 512-427-1463
• Membership Department, 512-427-1383
• MCLE Department, 512-427-1806
• Supreme Court Clerk's office 512-463-1312
• Center for Legal Ethics 512-427-1477

Baylor Law School (Waco)

South Texas College of Law Houston (Houston)

SMU Dedman School of Law (Dallas)

St. Mary's School of Law (San Antonio)

Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law (Houston)

Texas Tech School of Law (Lubbock)

Texas A&M Law School of Law (Fort Worth)

University of Houston Law Center (Houston)

University of Texas at Austin School of Law (Austin)

UNT Dallas College of Law (Dallas)

The State Bar of Texas has helpful information on becoming a lawyer.  However, the Board of Law Examiners is charged with determining whether each applicant for admission to the State Bar is, in fact, qualified.  No individual will be recommended for admission to the State Bar of Texas until it is determined that they are in compliance with the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas.  The Board of Law Examiners is not associated with, or a part of, the State Bar of Texas. 

An application is considered timely filed if we receive the following on or before 11:59 p.m. Central Time on the filing deadline date:

1. A substantially completed application
2. A certification or verification
3. An authorization and release
4. All required fees (or a request to waive those fees due to indigency)

Materials transmitted through ATLAS are received at the time of transmission (as recorded by ATLAS), even if the transmission does not occur during business hours. For example, an item transmitted through ATLAS on Sunday, November 1 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time is received on Sunday, November 1.

Materials mailed through the U.S. Postal Service are received on the postmark date. If materials have no legible postmark, then they are received on the date that they are actually delivered to staff at the Board’s office during business hours.

Materials delivered by private courier (FedEx, UPS, etc.) or in person are received on the date that they are actually delivered to us at our office in Austin during business hours.

Deadlines are strictly enforced.

To request information from the Texas Board of Law Examiners, you may send your request

• By email to

PublicInformation@ble.texas.gov

• By mail to

Board of Law Examiners
PO Box 13486
Austin TX 78711-3486

• In person to

Board of Law Examiners
205 West 14th Street, Suite 500
Austin TX 78701

For more information about your rights and our duties under the Public Information Act, see our Public Information Act Poster.

If you are admitted to practice law in Texas, you must take an oath to support the constitutions of the United States and Texas, honestly demean yourself in the practice of law, and discharge your duty to your clients to the best of your ability. Tex. Gov’t Code §82.037.

If you are outside the United States, you can appear before one of the following officials, who can administer the oath to you and give a certificate of fact:

• a minister, commissioner, or charge d’affaires of the United States who resides in and is accredited to the country where the oath or affidavit is made;
• a consul-general, consul, vice-consul, commercial agent, vice-commercial agent, deputy consul, or consular agent of the United States who resides in the country where the oath or affidavit is made; or
• a notary public.

Tex. Gov’t Code §602.004.

Bar exam results are released for the February exam in mid-April, and for the July exam in mid-October.

The State Bar of Texas plans to hold a New Lawyers Induction Ceremony for eligible applicants who pass the February 2025 Texas Bar Exam on April 30, 2025.

Additional information will be delivered to eligible applicants when the February 2025 Texas Bar Exam results are released in mid-April.

Any person who is authorized to administer oaths—including a judge, retired judge, clerk, or notary public—may swear you in, either before or after you receive your license in the mail. See Tex. Gov’t Code §602.002.

A person authorized to administer the oath may administer it to you remotely, such as by videoconferencing or teleconferencing, and may attest to the oath electronically by sending you an electronic or scanned image of his or her signature on the oath form. The person administering the oath must also comply with any other applicable requirements; for example, a notary must comply with the requirements for online notarization.  See Tex. Gov’t Code §406.101 et seq.

A copy of the oath, the elements of which can be found at Texas Government Code §82.037, can be found here: oath or alternative oath. After you complete the oath, attach it to the back of your license. Do not send it to the Bar or the Court.

You cannot practice law in Texas until you complete the licensing process. To complete the licensing process, you must:

• Satisfy the legal education requirement set out in Rule 2
• Pass the bar exam (or satisfy an exception in Rule 13)
• Have your present good moral character and fitness certified by the Board
• Complete the Texas Law Course
• Satisfy Rule 2(a)(5)
• Score 85 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination
• Register with the State Bar of Texas, pay your bar dues, and pay a licensing fee. Visit texasbar.com/NewAttorney to register with the Bar and pay the required fees. If you do not complete this step within 5 years of grade release, your bar exam results will become void, and you cannot be licensed unless you pass the Texas Bar Exam again and meet all other admission requirements in effect at the time that you re-apply.
• Take the oath. Any person who is authorized to administer oaths—including a judge, retired judge, clerk, or notary public—may swear you in, either before or after you receive your license in the mail. See Tex. Gov’t Code §602.002. A person authorized to administer the oath may administer it to you remotely, such as by videoconferencing or teleconferencing, and may attest to the oath electronically by sending you an electronic or scanned image of his or her signature on the oath form. The person administering the oath must also comply with any other applicable requirements; for example, a notary must comply with the requirements for online notarization.  See Tex. Gov’t Code §406.101 et seq. A copy of the oath, the elements of which can be found at Texas Government Code §82.037, can be found here: oath or alternative oath. After you complete the oath, attach it to the back of your license. Do not send it to the Bar or the Court.

In addition, please note that by order of the Supreme Court of Texas, all newly licensed attorneys must complete the Justice James A. Baker Guide to Ethics and Professionalism in Texas no later than 12 months after being licensed. For more information, contact the Texas Center for Legal Ethics at info@legalethicstexas.com or 512-427-1477. 

After we receive documentation that you have satisfied the lacking requirement, we will deliver a new and complete licensing packet to you through ATLAS.

Complete and submit a Bar Exam Application through ATLAS. If you do not submit your Re-Application by 11:59 p.m. on the Special Filing Deadline, you will not be eligible to take the upcoming exam. 

No.  All scores have been automatically checked for mathematical errors and all papers with borderline scores have been re-graded and double-checked for any mathematical errors before grades were released. For this reason, the Board will not grant any requests for re-grading.  No exceptions are made to this policy. Do not call or write the Board requesting a re-grade of your exam papers.  All such requests will be denied, without exception.

No. However, Rule 11(g) provides for a one-time formal review, which is an individual, oral review of your performance on the exam (excluding the MBE). The review is conducted by a member of the Board of Law Examiners remotely via Zoom, who has reviewed your exam performance on prior administrations.  To qualify for a formal review, you must have failed the Bar Exam more than once and have not previously had a formal review. Regardless of the number of exams taken, you are entitled to only one formal review.

If you are eligible for a one-time formal review, we must receive your written request for a formal review within 14 days of the date shown on Bar Exam result letter. You must email your request to information@ble.texas.gov. We will notify you of the date and time for your formal review after all requests have been received. No adjustment to any examinee's bar exam scores will be made as a consequence of the formal review. 

To prepare for the formal review, please read Scoring and Weighting the Bar Exam.

View the Statistics tab on the Board's Bar Exam page.

No.  Board policy does not provide passing examinees with a breakdown of their grades.  Passing examinees will receive their final “Combined Scaled Score” and their  “Scaled MBE Score” with their result letters. 

No. There is, however, a long-standing tradition that the examinees with the top three scores will be recognized at the swearing-in ceremony.  Overall rankings are not otherwise produced.

When you create an ATLAS account, you are asked to indicate how you would like your name to appear on your license--this is how your name will appear on your license, assuming that it complies with Rule 17(a). Rule 17(a) provides that a law license "may be issued only in the name shown on a valid, government-issued identification card, except that a given name may be omitted or represented  by an initial if the Applicant so requests in writing."

So, for example, if your driver's license shows your name as Jean Lee Smith, your name could be displayed on your license as:

      Jean Lee Smith         Jean Smith

      Jean L. Smith            J. Smith

      J. Lee Smith              Lee Smith

      J.L. Smith                  L. Smith

The State Bar of Texas presents AftertheBarExam.com, a free online resource for all Texas Bar examinees, to address the concerns and questions of those facing for the first time the challenges and opportunities of a life in the law.

If you encounter any technical issues with ILG Exam360^®:

• Submit a technical support ticket directly from your ILG Exam360^® user account; or
• Submit a technical support ticket from the "My Account" tab in ILG Exam360^® software; or
• Call 833.ILG.SUPP (833.454.7877).

Do not contact the Texas Board of Law Examiners for technical support with ILG Exam360^®. We will not be able to help.

Yes. The ILG Exam360^® exam software must be purchased, downloaded, and registered for each exam you apply for.

Yes: ILG Exam360^® frequently asked questions.

Spell check, copy-and-paste, and cut-and-paste will all be enabled for all examinees.

Yes, all these devices are allowed.

Maybe. You may become eligible to take the Texas Bar Examination through one of four paths:
Pursuant to Rule 13 §4(a), demonstrate that:

• You completed a course of study at a properly accredited foreign law school
• The course of study was based on the principles of English common law
• The course of study was substantially equivalent in duration to the legal education provided by an ABA-approved U.S. law school
• You are authorized to practice law in a foreign jurisdiction or in another state; and
• You have been actively and substantially engaged in the lawful practice of law for at least 3 of the 5 years immediately preceding the date of the application. 

Pursuant to Rule 13 §4(b), demonstrate that:

• You completed a course of study at a properly accredited foreign law school
• The course of study was based on the principles of English common law
• The course of study was at least 2 years in duration
• You have an LL.M. degree that satisfies Rule 13§9

Pursuant to Rule 13 §4(c), demonstrate that:

• You are authorized to practice law in a foreign jurisdiction whose jurisprudence is based on the principles of English common law
• You have an LL.M. degree that satisfies Rule 13 §9.

Pursuant to Rule 13 §5, demonstrate that:

• You completed a course of study at a properly accredited foreign law school
• The course of study was not based on the principles of English common law
• The course of study was substantially equivalent in duration to the legal education provided by an ABA-approved U.S. law school
• You have an LL.M. degree that satisfies Rule 13 §9
• You are authorized to practice law in a foreign jurisdiction or in another state.

Maybe. Simply being licensed in another state is not enough, by itself, to make you eligible to take the bar exam. If you received your initial law degree from a foreign law school, then you can sit for the bar exam if and only if you are eligible under one of the four paths outlined above.

The Board cannot provide advisory opinions on a potential applicant’s eligibility without a properly-filed application. Please note that, in the event that it is determined you do not qualify, no refund of fees will be issued. Therefore, it is to your advantage to ensure that you have thoroughly reviewed Rule 13 and obtained all required documentation before filing an application.

In order to be licensed, applicants must do the following within 5 years of passing the bar exam:

• Be certified by the Board as having present good moral character and fitness
• Score 85 or higher on the MPRE
• Be willing to take the Oath
• Satisfy the requirements of Rule 2(a)(5)
• Be 18 years of age
• Complete the Texas Law Course

Yes: checklists section of our FAQs.

See Rule 2(a)(5).

Click here for information on how to submit an application through ATLAS, and for answers to other frequently asked questions about ATLAS.

See our FAQs for Practice Time Requirements.

If you did not receive an initial law degree from a U.S. law school, then you would only be able to qualify for admission under Rule 13 §4 or Rule 13 §5, even if you are licensed in another U.S. state. If you apply for admission under 13 §4 or Rule 13 §5, then you should submit the following fees with your application (see Appendix D):

No. Only non-attorney applicants who will earn a J.D. from a Texas law school are required to file a Declaration of Intention to Study Law. (Rule 6 only applies to persons who are "beginning" their law study at a Texas school. Generally, LL.M. students are not "beginning" their law studies; instead, they are continuing their law studies.)

If you are admitted to practice law in Texas, you must take an oath to support the constitutions of the United States and Texas, honestly demean yourself in the practice of law, and discharge your duty to your clients to the best of your ability. Tex. Gov’t Code §82.037.

If you are outside the United States, you can appear before one of the following officials, who can administer the oath to you and give a certificate of fact:

• a minister, commissioner, or charge d’affaires of the United States who resides in and is accredited to the country where the oath or affidavit is made;
• a consul-general, consul, vice-consul, commercial agent, vice-commercial agent, deputy consul, or consular agent of the United States who resides in the country where the oath or affidavit is made; or
• a notary public.

Tex. Gov’t Code §602.004.

Because our usual investigation and verification of educational and professional credentials can sometimes be delayed when responses from institutions in foreign nations are not forthcoming or when postal service overseas is inefficient, it is prudent for 13 §4 and Rule 13 §5 applicants to file timely. Applicants assume a risk that foreign institutions may not respond to our routine inquiries in sufficient time for eligibility to be determined before the bar exam, and this can result in denial of the application. According to Rule 18(b), refunds or transfers of application fees are not authorized. Therefore, it is advisable to have the application prepared and filed before the timely deadline specified in Rule 9(a)(1) or (2) and to plan for all required documentation to be provided promptly.

Yes, but be aware that your law school must certify completion of your LL.M. degree directly to the Board’s office at least 3 weeks before the first day of the exam you apply for.

We have until approximately 3 weeks before the exam to determine your eligibility to sit. Other aspects of your eligibility process may require longer. Your character and fitness investigation may be ongoing, is independent of your eligibility to take the exam, and may take up to 270 days to complete.

It is always prudent for foreign-educated applicants to file their applications timely. Additionally, it is helpful for the applicant to remain in routine contact with the appropriate individuals at their law school, jurisdiction of licensure, and employers listed on their application to help secure timely responses.

No. Please note the language on the Re-Application that states “since the filing of my last application”. The Re-Application is meant to update the Board with any new information that has occurred since the last time you applied. Do not provide duplicative information.

If you are a licensed attorney, you must submit a current Certificate of Good Standing and statement of discipline (dated within the past 30 days) for each state or foreign jurisdiction where you are admitted.

Unless specifically instructed by our office, you do not need to provide any the following with your Re-Application: birth certificate, fingerprint cards, MPRE score reports, transcripts.

If you completed your LL.M. before October 1, 2016, then you are exempt from demonstrating that your LL.M. meets the curricular requirements set out in Rule 13 §9.

If you complete your LL.M. degree on or after October 1, 2016, then you will be required to demonstrate that your LL.M. meets the curricular requirements set out in Rule 13 §9.

If you completed your LL.M. before October 1, 2016, then you are exempt from demonstrating that your LL.M. meets the curricular requirements set out in Rule 13 §9. 

If you complete your LL.M. degree on or after October 1, 2016, then you will be required to demonstrate that your LL.M. meets the curricular requirements set out in Rule  13 §9.

You may qualify for admission to the Texas bar without taking the Texas bar exam or transferring a UBE score if:

• You are currently authorized to practice law in a US state; and
• You satisfy the educational requirements for admission to the Texas Bar (see Rule 2); and
• You have been actively and substantially engaged in the lawful practice of law as your primary business or occupation for at least 5 of the last 7 years.

To submit an AWOX application, see How do I submit an application in ATLAS?

See our FAQs for Practice Time Requirements.

See our FAQs for Practice Time Requirements.

No. There are no filing deadlines for AWOX applications, so you  may sumbit your AWOX application at any time. But submitting an AWOX application around January 30 or October 30 may result in a slower processing time--we receive a large number of bar exam applications around these two days. 

Examples of acceptable references include your accountant, your landlord if you have office space, an attorney with whom you work closely, or a judge.  Do not list yourself, a relative, or anyone else with a vested interest in the licensure determination.

Generally, it takes approximately 6 to 9 months from the date your application is received in our office to complete the process; however, it could take more or less time depending on the particular application. It is helpful for you to provide all required documentation when you submit your application and to ensure that your employment references will respond promptly to any written inquiries from the Board, which will be sent after we begin processing your application. 

Please refer to the Guidelines for Evaluating Rule 13 Practice Time, which you can view here:  Ancillary Forms & Information.  We cannot provide advisory opinions without a properly-filed application. 

You can request transcripts of previous returns from the IRS using the 4506-T form.  Be sure to request return transcripts.  Copies are generally available for the current and past six years.  You may also be able to obtain tax documentation from your employer(s) or your accountant.

If you took the MPRE after 1998, you will contact the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and request that an official score report be sent directly to our office. Be sure to select “Texas” when completing your score report request.

If you took the MPRE in 1998 or earlier and the NCBE is unable to provide an official score report, submit a request to the jurisdiction where you are licensed to practice law for a letter, on their letterhead, containing the date you took the MPRE and the scaled score you received.  This letter must be sent directly to our office from that jurisdiction.  If you are unable to obtain such information, contact your Licensure Analyst. It is possible that you will have to retake the MPRE. 

Complete the top portion of a JD Certification Form, and send it to your law school. Your law school should complete the rest of the form and send it directly to us. The JD Certification Form automatically loads to your ATLAS home page after you submit an AWOX application.  You can also find a blank form at Ancillary Forms & Information.

Yes. As of December 1, 2019, failing a Texas Bar Exam is no longer a barrier to being eligible for Admission Without Examination.

You may submit a letter, on official letterhead and signed by a managing partner or the head of HR/personnel, detailing your job duties and dates of employment. 

Do not file an application for AWOX until you have been licensed and actively and substantially practicing as an attorney for at least 5 years.  Please note that under Rule 13, we  look back 7 years from the date we receive your application. For example, if we receive your application on January 1, 2014, your eligibility window would be from January 1, 2007, to January 1, 2014--you woud have to establish 5 years of practice during that 7-year window.  By Rule, we cannot consider employment that takes place after you submit your application.

The Board cannot provide advisory opinions as to a potential applicant’s eligibility without a properly-filed application.  Therefore, it is to your advantage to ensure that you have thoroughly read  Rule 13 and obtained all required documentation before filing an application.

After processing your completed Submission Form, we will issue an Acknowledgement Letter stating the non-resident attorney name, the cause number, and the Texas court or body in which the proceeding is pending. The Acknowledgment Letter will serve as proof of payment of the non-resident attorney fee. We will deliver the Acknowledgment Letter by fax, mail, or email, as instructed in the Submission Form. Once we deliver the Acknowledgment Letter, we cannot alter its contents, and we cannot refund or transfer the fee for any reason.

We will issue the Acknowledgment Letter by the end of our next business day.
For example:

• If you pay online on Monday, then we will issue the Acknowledgment Letter by Tuesday at 5 p.m.
• If you pay online on Friday afternoon, then we will issue the Acknowledgment Letter by Monday at 5 p.m. (If Monday is a holiday, then we will issue the Acknowledgment letter by Tuesday at 5 p.m.)
• If you pay online during the week of a Bar Exam, we may not issue the Acknowledgment Letter until 5 p.m. on the Tuesday after the Exam.

• The submission form works best in Internet Explorer. If you use Google Chrome and encounter problems, please try again with Internet Explorer.
• If you cannot find your acknowledgment letter, please check your Junk or Spam folder.

No. The only way to submit the fee is to complete a Submission Form online and pay by credit card or electronic check.

After satisfying the fee requirement, a non-resident attorney then must file a motion with the applicable Texas court or body. The motion must be accompanied by our Acknowledgment Letter, as well as a motion from a resident practicing Texas attorney. See Rule 19 for information on the required form and content of these motions.

The Texas court or body in which the motion is filed decides the motion. The court may deny the motion if the court determines that the non-resident attorney is not a reputable attorney who will observe the ethical standards required of Texas attorneys, that the non-resident attorney has been appearing in courts in Texas on a frequent basis, that the non-resident attorney has been engaging in the unauthorized practice of law in the state of Texas, or that other good cause exists.

a. A proceeding of a cause in a court with limited jurisdiction, such as a justice court?

Yes.  Rule 19 applies to the proceedings of a cause in any Texas state court. The rule does not apply to cases in federal courts located in Texas.

b. An administrative proceeding?

Rule 19 has been applied to proceedings in matters before Texas state agencies whose rules contemplate appearances by counsel.

c. A deposition, arbitration, mediation, or other pre-trial proceeding?

If a suit is on file in a Texas court, any participation by a non-resident attorney in the proceedings in that suit on behalf of a client, including arbitration and mediation, is subject to the fee requirement, even if the proceeding or deposition occurs outside of a courtroom.

Yes. The appellate case is considered a new proceeding.

Yes.

Yes. The Supreme Court of Texas may waive or lower the fee for a non-resident attorney representing an indigent person.  For information on how to request a waiver, see Request to Waive or Reduce a Non-Resident Attorney Fee

No. Once we deliver the Acknowledgment Letter, we cannot alter its contents, and we cannot refund or transfer the fee for any reason.

No.  A non-resident attorney must satisfy the fee requirement for each case in which the attorney is seeking to participate.  See Tex. Gov't Code §82.0361(b).

No.  Texas Government Code §82.0361(b) refers to an individual attorney.

No. You must submit a separate Submission Form with payment for each non-resident attorney fee.

All non-resident attorney fees are deposited in a judicial fund for programs approved by the Supreme Court that provide basic civil legal services to the indigent.

Yes. A non-resident attorney seeking permission to participate in proceedings of a particular cause must be associated with a resident practicing Texas attorney. See Rule 19(a)(2) and 19(b) of the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas.

No. Satisfying the fee requirement is a mandatory first step. The Board will process the application and send an Acknowledgement Letter for the specific case listed on the application.  The Acknowledgment Letter must accompany a written motion and will inform the Court that you have satisfied the non-resident attorney fee requirement.

No.

Go here: Create an ATLAS account.

1. Create an ATLAS account, if you have not already done so.
2. Log in to your ATLAS account and go to your ATLAS User Home page.
3. Click the green Start New Application button.
4. Find the appropriate application and click the Apply button.
5. Carefully and correctly answer the registration questions so that you will be directed to the correct application. If the Current Application that appears at the top of your ATLAS User Home page is not the name of the application you are trying to complete, click the Remove Application button, and start the application process again at step 3 above, making sure to answer the registration questions carefully and correctly so ATLAS directs you to the application you are trying to complete.
6. Read the Instructions.
7. Review the filing deadlines.
8. Complete the application.
9. Use the Upload Required Documents feature to upload required documents.
10. Once you have read the Instructions, completed the application, and uploaded the initial required documents, a green Submit Application button will appear. Click it and follow the prompts to submit your application and fees.
11. Once you have submitted your application and fees, you will receive a confirmation message in the System Messages section of your ATLAS User Home page.

To upload new documents:

1. Log in to your ATLAS account.
2. Under “Upload Required Documents,” click "Upload Documents.”
3. If the document you need to upload is already listed, click the blue “Upload” button next to that document. If the document you need to upload is not already listed, click the blue “Upload” button next to "Other Documents."
4. Select the correct title for your document from the dropdown options.
5. Enter a description for your documents.
6. Click "Choose File." Choose the file you want to upload.
7. Click "Upload Document."

Please note that once you upload a document:

• Your Analyst is automatically alerted
• Your item is automatically stamped with the date and time of submission
• Your Analyst needs some time to review the item before we can mark it as completed or otherwise respond
• You can view all the items you have uploaded in the "Uploaded Documents" box on your ATLAS User Home page
• Please do not upload the same document multiple times. We will notify you via your ATLAS account if there is anything we need from you after we review the document.

It is important that you check this website and your ATLAS account on a regular basis to review our latest postings. We will correspond with you primarily through your ATLAS account, but we may also correspond with you by email and through the U.S. postal service. You must keep your email address and mailing address updated in your ATLAS account.

You are deemed by the Board to have received and read:

• email we send to the email address you have provided in your ATLAS account
• messages we post in your ATLAS account
• mail we send to you at the mailing address you have provided in your ATLAS account.

TIP: Add @ble.texas.gov and noreply@ble.texas.gov to your contacts or address book to ensure that your internet provider does not filter out emails we send you. 

An application is considered timely filed if we receive the following on or before 11:59 p.m. Central Time on the filing deadline date:

(1) A substantially completed application

(2) A certification or verification

(3) An authorization and release

(4) All required fees (or a request to waive those fees due to indigency)

Materials Transmitted through ATLAS. An application or other materials transmitted through ATLAS are received at the time of transmission (as recorded by ATLAS), even if the transmission does not occur during business hours. For example, an item transmitted through ATLAS on Sunday, November 1 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time is received on Sunday, November 1.

Materials Transmitted through the U.S. Postal Service. Materials mailed through the U.S. Postal Service are received on the postmark date. If materials have no legible postmark, then they are received on the date that they are actually delivered to staff at the Board’s office during business hours.

Materials Delivered by Private Courier or In Person. Materials sent by private courier (FedEx, UPS, etc.) or in person are received on the date that they are actually delivered to staff at the Board’s office during business hours.

Deadlines are strictly enforced.

Update your personal information (i.e. name, social security number, date of birth, place of birth, or NCBE number) by messaging your licensure analyst through your ATLAS account.

Update your mailing address or telephone number by following these steps:

1. Login to your ATLAS account.
2. Click the Personal Info link in the tool bar near the upper right corner of the page.
3. Edit your personal information as needed.
4. Click the Update button at the bottom of the page.

Update your email address or ATLAS password by following these steps:

1. Login to your ATLAS account.
2. Click the Personal Info tab in the tool bar near the upper right corner of the page.
3. Locate the "ATLAS Account Email Address" section, and the sentence "If you need to update your ATLAS Account Email Address, click here."
4. Click on the "click here" link in that sentence.
5. Follow the prompts to update your email address or password.

To amend your application:

1. Log in to your ATLAS account.
2. Click the blue Amend Application button. 
3. Scroll to Forms & Progress. 
4. Click the blue Amend button next to your application.
5. Select the section that requires amendment from the dropdown options.
6. Select the question that requires amendment.
7. Make the required changes.
8. Click the blue Save button. If you are done amending, click the blue Save & Close button.
9. Click the green Submit Amendment button. 

If you need to amend a previously submitted Application/Declaration, click the View Your Application History button to find the appropriate application and follow the steps above to submit the amendment.

The amendment will be transmitted to our office and we will receive a notification, so you do NOT need to send a message or otherwise contact us to tell us that it has been amended. Note that there may be a delay between your amendment and our review of your amendment. We will notify you if we require your action or attention after we review the amendment. If you have any issues amending your application, click the yellow Technical Support Request button in the bottom left corner of your ATLAS account.

If you want to submit a Declaration of Intention, apply for admission to the Texas Bar, register as a foreign legal consultant, or submit any other application, registration, or renewal to us, you must first create an ATLAS account. 

Your photo must meet the following requirements:

• Taken within the past 6 months to reflect your current appearance.

• Color photo.

• Individual photo taken in front of a plain white background.
• Full face view, directly facing the camera, with a neutral expression and both eyes open.
• Have uniform lighting. Photo must not show shadows or shadowing of facial features.
• Photo should only include your shoulders and head.
• No hat or head covering unless worn for religious purposes.
• Glasses are permitted; however, glare in the photo is not acceptable (glare can be avoided with a slight downward tilt of the glasses or by turning off the flash).
• 300 x 300 once uploaded and cropped.
• Photo file type must be a .png, .jpg., or .jpeg

First-semester JD students at Texas law schools ("entrants") must file a Declaration of Intention to Study Law according to the deadlines set out in Rule 6(b):

1. Fall entrants, October 1 of their first semester
2. Regular spring entrants, May 1 of their first semester
3. Spring entrants at quarter-hour law schools such as Baylor, June 1 of their first semester
4. Summer entrants, September 15 of their first semester
5. Entrants transferred from out-of-state schools, within 60 days of matriculation at a Texas law school.

Failure to do so will result in a late fee as set out in the Appendix Fee Schedule. Late filing Declarants may file at any time prior to or concurrent with the filing of their In-State Application.

Per Rule 9, the Board will not accept a bar exam application after the final filing deadline "for any reason."

In the absence of extraordinary circumstances, this deadline will not be waived. 

Past examples of extraordinary circumstances include:

• being deployed in a desert with no internet for weeks longer than expected.
• being unexpectedly hospitalized for several days before the deadline.

The following do not rise to the level of extraordinary circumstances:

• only missing the deadline by a minute, an hour, a day, etc.
• experiencing technical difficulties on the day of the deadline.
• hardships that may result from not being able to sit for the bar exam.

You may still have time to apply for the UBE in another jurisdiction—refer to this chart for deadlines in other UBE jurisdictions: https://reports.ncbex.org/comp-guide/charts/chart-7/. Other than pointing you to this chart, we cannot offer any information or guidance on how to apply for an exam in another jurisdiction. (For information on how to transfer a UBE score from another jurisdiction to Texas, see UBE - Admission by UBE Transfer (UBET).)

If you believe that you can document extraordinary circumstances for why the final filing deadline should not be honored in your case, you may email your explanation and documentation to information@ble.texas.gov.

If you miss the timely filing deadline, which occurs during your first year of law school, you may file your Declaration separately anytime thereafter, or you may wait and file your Declaration concurrently with your In-State Application.  Please note that a late filing fee applies in either case.

No.  The In-State Application is meant to update the Board with any new/additional information that occurs after you file your Declaration (employment, criminal history, school discipline, etc.).  If you are filing your Declaration and In-State Application concurrently, you do not need to re-list all employment and character and fitness information (that you listed on your Declaration) on your In-State Application.  You do not need to make duplicative disclosures. 

Yes: checklists section of our FAQs.

See Rule 2(a)(5).

If you were born in Texas, you can contact the Bureau of Vital Statistics. If you were born in another U.S. state, you may contact the Bureau of Vital Statistics in the state where you were born. Certified birth certificates may also be obtained online through www.vitalchek.com.

Yes.

You must submit the Certification of Juris Doctorate Degree form to your law school.  This form automatically loads to the User Home page of your ATLAS account.  You can also print a blank form from the Ancillary Forms tab.  Complete the top portion of the form and forward it to your law school for completion. The dean/registrar will complete the remainder of the form and send it directly to our office. 

It depends on the method by which you submitted your law school application.  If you submitted your application via LSAC, you may simply print a copy from the LSAC website.  The fact that it was submitted electronically through LSAC is sufficient for the “signature”.  If you submitted your application by mail, you would need to provide a copy of the signed application that you submitted to your law school.  Contact the registrar’s office if you did not retain a copy for your records.  If you submitted any addendums with your law school application explaining and criminal history or undergraduate discipline you received, make sure you also submit these addendums to the Board.

a. an employer is no longer in business?

You should enter "No longer in business" on the line for "Name of Supervisor", instead of entering the name of your supervisor.

b. my immediate supervisor is no longer employed by an employer?

You have a choice. Either enter the name of another supervisor who is still employed by the employer who would be able to respond to an inquiry from the staff of the Board as to your honesty, etc; or, enter the current address for your former supervisor, wherever that person is now.

c. I cannot locate any documentation that indicates the exact dates that I was employed?

Enter approximate dates, but indicate that they are approximate.

d. I was employed in a non-paid, intern-type position?

The staff of the Board will elicit responses as to your honesty, etc., so the fact that you were not paid is not important. You should list such employment situations.

Pursuant to Tex. Gov't Code §552.142(b), if you have criminal matters that are the subject of an order of non-disclosure, you are not required to reveal those criminal matters on the Declaration/Application form. However, a criminal matter that is the subject of an order of non-disclosure may become a character and fitness issue. Pursuant to other sections of the Government Code [411.081(d), 411.081(i)(5), 411.083(b), 411.084(a), 411.087(a), and 411.100], the Texas Board of Law Examiners is entitled to access criminal history record information that is the subject of an order of non-disclosure. So, if we discover a criminal matter that is the subject of an order of non-disclosure, even if you properly did not reveal that matter, we may ask you to provide information about that criminal matter.

1.  What does redacting mean?

a. In general, redacting means removing sensitive information from a document.

b. Specifically, you must not disclose criminal offenses that were expunged pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 55.02, or pursuant to another state’s statute with the same force and effect. If you disclose an expunged offense, you will be instructed to amend your BLE application and redact and re-upload your law school application to remove the offense.

2.  How do I amend my BLE application?

a. Follow the instructions here: https://ble.texas.gov/faq.action#561

3.  How do I redact my law school application?

a. The easiest way to redact a file is to use the “Redact” tool in Abode Acrobat. Instructions are here: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/removing-sensitive-content-pdfs.html

b. You may also print your law school application and use a thick black marker to physically mark out the required parts.

4.  Do I redact the “Yes” or “No” answer to the criminal history question, the attachment explaining my “Yes” answer, or both?

a. Do not redact the “Yes” or “No” answer to the initial criminal history question.

b. Do redact the parts of the explanatory attachment referring to expunged criminal history. Do not redact the parts of the explanatory attachment referring to criminal history that is not expunged, or parts referring to school discipline – even if that school discipline is related to the expunged criminal history.

5.  What if I received school discipline for the same incident as the sealed/expunged criminal history?

a. While you must not disclose the expunged criminal history, you are required to disclose the school discipline. An expungement for a criminal offense does not expunge school disciplinary records. Your disclosure of your school discipline must not contain any reference to the expunged criminal history.

The cause number is the number under which a case is filed (i.e., 2009-TR-21221). The style is the name of the case (i.e., State of Texas vs. John Doe).  If you do not know this information, please write “unknown”.

You are required to provide legible copies of the arrest/offense/incident report as well as all court records for any criminal matter that occurred within 5 years of the date you complete your Declaration or Application.  Submit a signed written request to the appropriate court of record and arresting agency (i.e., police department or sheriff’s office) and upload a copy of each request to your ATLAS account.  This will serve as proof that you are making a good faith effort to obtain the required documentation. Upload the records to your ATLAS account when you receive them. 

You must submit a letter to your law school updating your application with the new information (for example, a criminal offense that occurred after you submitted your application to law school).  You must include a copy of the letter from your Licensure Analyst when you submit your update letter to your law school.  Upload a copy of your update letter, as well as a cover letter explaining why you did not timely update your law school with this information, to your ATLAS account by the due date on the letter from your Licensure Analyst.  Your law school will eventually issue a disposition (response) as a result of your update.  Upload this as soon as you receive it.  We must receive something in writing from your law school even if only to confirm that no action will be taken.  The due date does not apply to the disposition; this can be submitted at a later date. 

Your application will not be rejected and you will not owe any additional fees.  However, you should contact your Licensure Analyst through your ATLAS account and provide an update as to the status of the missing documentation immediately to demonstrate that you are making a good faith effort to comply.

You may sit for the bar exam while your character and fitness investigation is pending, provided you have satisfied the educational requirements in Rule 2.

Once we have completed our character and fitness investigation, if we approve your character and fitness, a message will appear in the Application Information box on your ATLAS User Home page: 

If we cannot approve your character and fitness, we will send you an Admission Document in ATLAS with a written explanation of why, and the steps available to you.

Log in to your ATLAS account and click the blue "Create Message" button to send a message to your analyst. Please note that fees are not refunded or transferred.

Please use the online "Request to Report Texas MBE Score to Another Jurisdiction" form available under the "Applications" tab. Your request must include:

• your full name;
• the month and year you took the exam; and
• the mailing address of the jurisdiction where you want the score transferred

There is a $25 fee, which you may pay through the online form.

No.  See Rule 11(e).

Start here: Bar Exam >  Current Exam

See https://ble.texas.gov/deadlines.

The General Instructions are located here: Bar Exam > Current Exam > General Instructions. You may view them online, download them and open them in Adobe (which will allow you to use the hyperlinked table of contents and bookmarks), or print them. 

Maybe. In order to sit for the Texas Bar Examination, you must simply meet the law study requirement in Rule 3, which states that you must have received a J.D. degree from an ABA-approved law school, or be within 4 semester hours (or 6 quarter hours) of your degree. Your law school must certify that you meet the law study requirement by submitting proof directly to our office. Texas law schools will typically verify their students’ status before we issue admission tickets. You should remain in contact with your law school to ensure that your law school will be able to submit this certification to the Board by the appropriate time in order for you to be eligible to receive an admission ticket for the exam that you applied for.

Start here: How to Request Accommodations on the Texas Bar Exam

There is a good chance you will be assigned to your first choice of exam site; however, you may be moved to another site.  If this occurs, you will be notified.  Please note that exam site assignments are not considered confirmed until admission tickets are delivered (approximately 4 weeks before the exam). 

Message your Licensure Analyst. Your Licensure Analyst will let you know whether or not you can change exam locations. 

The Board is not affiliated with any companies that handle bar review courses. We have been given the following names for distribution:

• BarNow (NCBE) https://store.ncbex.org/the-everything-value-pack/ 
• BAR / BRI -  713-739-9482  www.barbri.com 
• Fleming's Fundamentals of Law -  949-770-7030  www.lawprepare.com  (Multistate only) 
• Kaplan Bar Review -  800-523-0777  www.kaptest.com/bar-exam 
• PMBR -  www.pmbr.com
• Reed Bar Review -  800-852-3926  www.reedbarreview.com
• AdaptiBar -  877-466-1250  www.adaptibar.com  (MBE only)
• Ameribar Texas -  713-758-0570  www.ameribar.com
• Themis Bar Review -  888-THEMIS-6 (888-843-6476)  www.themisbar.com
• Accesslex -  https://www.accesslex.org/helix-bar-review 
• Bar Max Bar Exam Review - https://testmaxprep.com/bar-exam

This list is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular bar review course. There may be other bar review courses of which the Board is not aware.

Past exams are available under the Bar Exam tab.

Sample questions may be obtained by writing to:

National Conference of Bar Examiners
402 West Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53703-3614
608-280-8550 or 800-782-5976

 A link is available on the Other Links button on our home page.

Click here for the steps to update your Personal Info (including your NCBE number) in ATLAS. 

• You can probably print what you want from your ATLAS account.
• To request unofficial MBE scores, please send a signed, written request outlining the requested material(s), including the applicant's name at time of exam, birthdate, last four digits of the applicant's social security number, approximate month/date of exam, and the physical address where you’d like the information mailed. You may submit the signed request by mail, fax, or email. See Contact Us for addresses and numbers. 
• To request us to mail an official MBE score to another jurisdiction, please complete the online request at https://ble.texas.gov/displaymbetransferform.action. There is a fee for this service.

Yes, you can apply for a Courtesy Seat if you want to take the Texas Bar Exam (UBE) for the sole purpose of using the score to get licensed in another UBE jurisdiction. It is up to you to determine whether that other jurisdiction will accept a score earned as a Courtesy Seat examinee in Texas, what you need to file with that jurisdiction, and when you need to file it there. 

If you want to get admitted to Texas, do not apply for a Courtesy Seat. Instead, submit a Bar Exam application.

To apply for a Courtesy Seat:

• Click here for information on how to submit an application through ATLAS, and for answers to other frequently asked questions about ATLAS.
  

The fee is $300, plus any applicable laptop fees and late fees. All bar exam filing deadlines and late fees apply.

Please note that Courtesy Seats are for those seeking admission outside Texas only. If you want to get admitted to Texas, do not apply for a Courtesy Seat. Instead, submit a Bar Exam application. UBE scores earned through Courtesy Seats in Texas cannot necessarily then be transferred to Texas. If you were to seek admission to Texas based on a UBE score you earned through a Courtesy Seat in Texas, you would have to submit and pay for a UBE Transfer Application (not a Re-Application) and request a waiver of Rule 13 section 1, which provides for admission by transfer of a UBE score earned in another State and does not provide for admission by transfer of a UBE score earned in Texas. The burden would be yours to show good cause for waiving the Rule in your case. Our investigation of your character and fitness would not begin unless and until the waiver is granted--the investigation could take up to 9 months and may include inquiries into why you applied for a Courtesy Seat in the first place. 

• If you took the MPRE after 1998, you will contact the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and request that an official score report be sent directly to our office. Be sure to select “Texas” when completing your score report request.
• If you took the MPRE in 1998 or earlier and the NCBE is unable to provide an official score report, submit a request to the jurisdiction where you are licensed to practice law for a letter, on their letterhead, containing the date you took the MPRE and the scaled score you received.  This letter must be sent directly to our office from that jurisdiction.  If you are unable to obtain such information, contact your Licensure Analyst. It is possible that you will have to retake the MPRE. 

Submit a signed, written request to our office with as much of the following information as possible:  your name at the time you applied for the Texas Bar Examination, the date (month/year) you took the MPRE, and a second identifier (date of birth, SSN).  Please also include the current mailing address where you want us to mail your MPRE score.  Please be advised that, due to our records retention policy, depending on the date you sat for the MPRE, as well as the method you selected to have your score reported to Texas, we may not be able to provide your score information. 

• To request MPRE scores from before 1999 that were submitted to us, please send a signed, written request outlining the requested material(s), including the applicant's name at time of exam, birthdate, last four digits of the applicant's social security number, approximate month/date of exam, and the physical address where you’d like us to mail the information. You may submit the signed request by mail, fax, or email.  See Contact Us for addresses and numbers. 
• Requests for MPRE scores for exams taken in 1999 or later must be submitted directly to the National Conference on Bar Examiners.  Additional information is available at http://www.ncbex.org/ncbe-exam-score-services/mpre-score-services/. 

No.  Please note the language on the Re-Application that states “since the filing of my last application.”  The Re-Application is meant to update the Board with any new information that has occurred since the last time you applied.  Do not provide duplicative information.

If you are a licensed attorney, you must submit a current Certificate of Good Standing and statement of discipline (dated within the past 30 days) for each state or foreign jurisdiction where you are admitted with each Re-Application.  Otherwise unless specifically instructed by our office, you do not need to send the following with your Re-Application:  birth certificates, fingerprint cards, MPRE score reports, JD Certification forms.

Yes: checklists section of our FAQs.

If you are awaiting results on a Texas Bar Exam, you can reapply for the next exam--if needed--during the special filing period. Each special filing period opens shortly after results are released. No late fees are assessed during the special filing period.

• If you failed a July Texas Bar Exam, you have until December 1 to reapply for the ensuing February Texas Bar Exam.
• If you failed a February Texas Bar Exam, you have until June 1 to apply for the ensuing July Texas Bar Exam.

To re-apply during the special filing period:

• Wait for the special filing period to open. (The opening date will be included in your bar exam results correspondence.)
• Log in to your ATLAS account, click the green Start New Application button, select Bar Exam Application, and correctly answer the registration questions which will direct you to a Re-Application,.
• Complete the Re-Application, upload required documents, and submit your Re-Application and electronic payment by the special filing deadline.
• You will need to complete a new Authorization and Release, and Handwriting Sample, dated within the past 30 days.
• Do not re-upload documents that you already submitted for previous applications. You do not need to re-upload any other previously provided documents unless specifically instructed to do so by your analyst after your application is filed. The Re-Application begins most questions with "Since the filing of your last application..." because we only want updated information.

The special filing period is only available to those who failed the most recently given Texas Bar Exam. It is not available to those who withdrew from the most recently given Texas Bar Exam, those who sat for part of but not all of the most recently given Texas Bar Exam, or those who failed a UBE or other bar exam in another state or jurisdiction.

Reinstatement procedures for disbarred Texas attorneys are set out in Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure 11.01 et seq. If you were disbarred in Texas and you now have a judgment of reinstatement, you may apply for the Texas Bar Exam as follows:

• Obtain a certified copy of your judgment of reinstatement. (If you have questions about petitioning for reinstatement, you may call the Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel, State Bar of Texas, at (512) 427-1350.)
• Create an ATLAS account
• Complete a Bar Exam Application
• Upload a certified copy of a judgment of reinstatement
• Upload a photograph
• Upload a copy of your government-issued photo id
• Submit the application and pay the fee

Reinstatement procedures for Texas attorneys who resigned in lieu of discipline are set out in Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure 11.01 et seq. If you were a Texas attorney who resigned in lieu of discipline and you now have a judgment of reinstatement, you may apply for the Texas Bar Exam as follows:

• Obtain a certified copy of your judgment of reinstatement. (If you have questions about petitioning for reinstatement, you may call the Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel, State Bar of Texas, at (512) 453-5535.)
• Create an ATLAS account
• Complete a Bar Exam Application
• Upload a certified copy of your judgment of reinstatement
• Upload a photograph
• Upload a copy of your government-issued photo id
• Submit the application and pay the fee

Texas attorneys who voluntarily resigned other than in face of pending disciplinary action can request a return to status under State Bar Rules Art. III, section 10. They should email information@ble.texas.gov; Subject Line: "Reinstatement - ATTN DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS" for specific instructions.

If you believe good cause exists to waive a specific requirement of the Rules, you may request the Board to do so pursuant to Rule 20(e).

1. Complete the applicable application in your ATLAS account.
2. After you have completed the application, a green "Submit" button will appear. You must first submit your application and pay the fee before you can submit a waiver request. After submitting your application and paying the fee, you may use the blue "Waiver Request" button to submit your waiver request.
3. Use the "Upload Required Documents" feature to submit any supporting documentation. Label it "Waiver Documentation." Your request will be decided based solely on your written request submitted through the "Waiver Request" feature and any supporting documentation you have uploaded to your ATLAS account that you have labeled "Waiver Documentation."

You have the burden to show good cause for why the Court's Rules should not apply to your particular case. Requests are presented to a 3-member panel of Board members. Your request will be decided based solely on your written request submitted through the "Waiver Request" feature and any supporting documentation you have uploaded to your ATLAS account that you have labeled "Waiver Documentation."

For more information, please see Waiver Requests-Guidelines and Instructions.

If you believe good cause exists to waive or reduce fees, you may request the Board to do so pursuant to Rules 18 and 20(e).

1. Complete the applicable application in your ATLAS account.
2. After you have completed the application, and BEFORE you submit it, a blue "Waiver Request"  button will appear on your ATLAS user page. If you are requesting a waiver of fees, you may use that button to submit your fee waiver request. 
3. Use the "Upload Required Documents" feature to submit any supporting documentation. Label it "Waiver Documentation." Your request will be decided based solely on your written request submitted through the "Waiver Request" feature and any supporting documentation you have uploaded to your ATLAS account that you have labeled "Waiver Documentation."

You have the burden to show good cause for why the Court's Rules should not apply to your particular case. Your request will be decided based solely on your written request submitted through the "Waiver Request" feature and any supporting documentation you have uploaded to your ATLAS account that you have labeled "Waiver Documentation."

For more information, including documentation you must include with your fee waiver request, please see Waiver Requests-Guidelines and Instructions.

The Board has delegated authority to decide requests to waive deadlines and requests to lower or waive fees to the Executive Director. 

A 3-member panel of the Board will consider all other waiver requests at a public meeting. Notice of the meeting will be posted with the Texas Register. Panels determine whether a requestor has shown good cause to grant a request based solely on the written request and documentation submitted with the request. The Panel will not consider any other documentation, statements, or evidence. As a courtesy, the Board’s policy is to allow requestors who attend a public meeting to speak for up to 3 minutes—however, time constraints at any particular meeting may require a Panel to shorten or eliminate the amount of speaking time it extends to requestors. 

Your waiver materials are open to the public. They are not confidential. A panel of the board will deliberate on your waiver materials at a public meeting. 

First, please note that the Court adopted in Rule 23, effective December 1, 2019, allowing qualifying military spouses to receive a temporary law license for no fee.

• As used in these guidelines, a military spouse applicant means an attorney holding a current active law license in another state who demonstrates that his or her spouse is a person on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States, whose duty station is in Texas.
• The military spouse applicant may file an application for regular admission in Texas at a reduced fee (the fee applicable to an out-of-state law student) without having to demonstrate the indigence required under Rule 18(c) for fee waivers.
• If applying to take the Texas Bar Examination, no late fee will be incurred for filing within the times provided in Rule 9(a).
• The military spouse applying for admission without examination (AWOX) should meet all other eligibility criteria for admission, but if lacking only Rule 13 practice time, then the military spouse may submit a written request for waiver of 13 demonstrating good cause for (a) enlarging the seven-year window to encompass law practice beyond seven years, (b) accepting fewer than the minimum five years time in practice, or (c) both.
• The military spouse’s waiver request shall be submitted through ATLAS at the time of filing the application for admission, or thereafter. In addition to any other factors the military spouse applicant may consider appropriate for the Board to consider, the applicant’s waiver request shall include:
  • A verifiable history of short-term moves that were compulsory for the applicant as an attorney married to an active duty military service member;
  • A detailed description of the unique problems, if any, the applicant faced as a military spouse in undertaking to engage actively and substantially in the lawful practice of law during the relevant time period(s) for which waiver is sought;
  • Documentation demonstrating to the Board’s satisfaction that the applicant is currently the legal spouse of an active duty member of the armed forces whose duty station is in Texas; maintains a current active license to practice law in another state or territory of the United States; is in good standing and has no current or pending discipline in any jurisdiction currently licensed (active or inactive status); is in compliance with Continuing Legal Education, fees and other requirements of licensure in all jurisdictions of active licensure; and has no issues that could result in the Board’s character and fitness director determining that the applicant lacks present good moral character and fitness; and
  • Any letters of support from attorneys with whom applicant has practiced law that the applicant considers appropriate for the Board to consider with respect to the waiver request.

If you are a military service member or military spouse applying to take the Texas Bar Exam, you may request a reduction of your filing fees from $1,040 (the fee for attorneys) down to $490 (the fee for out-of-state law students).

1. Create an ATLAS account.
2. Complete a bar exam application. 
3. Once you have completed the application, a "request waiver" button will appear. Click on it, and complete the questions to request a reduction or waiver of fees.
4. To receive a reduction of the fee to $490, you do not need to establish indigence, and you do not need to provide any information about your income.
5. You do need to establish that you are currently the legal spouse of an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States who is stationed in Texas. To establish this, you will need to upload:

• A copy of military identification documents
• Documentary evidence that the service member’s duty station is in Texas in compliance with military orders.

If you are military service member or military spouse seeking admission under Rule 13 §2, you may submit a request for waiver of the 5-year practice requirement in Rule 13 §2 by demonstrating good cause for (a) enlarging the seven-year window to encompass law practice beyond seven years, (b) accepting fewer than the minimum five years time in practice, or (c) both.

1. Create an ATLAS account.
2. Complete an AWOX application. 
3. Once you have completed the application, a "request waiver" button will appear. Click on it, and complete the waiver request.
4. Be sure to upload:

• A copy of military identification documents;
• Military Service Member's orders and Military Service Member or Military Spouse's proof of residency in Texas;
• A statement addressing a verifiable history of short-term moves that were compulsory for the applicant as an active duty attorney military service member or an attorney married to an active duty military service member;
• A detailed description of the unique problems, if any, the applicant faced as a military service member or military spouse in undertaking to engage actively and substantially in the lawful practice of law during the relevant time period(s) for which waiver is sought;
• Any letters of support from attorneys with whom applicant has practiced law that the applicant considers appropriate for the Board to consider with respect to the waiver request.

Yes: checklists section of our FAQs.

Under the approved Rules, we began accepting applications to transfer UBE scores from other jurisdictions on December 1, 2019, and we administered the first UBE in Texas in February 2021.

NCBE offers free sample questions for the MBE and MPRE, free questions and analyses from older administrations of the MEE, free MPT summaries from recent administrations, and MPTs and point sheets from older administrations of the MPT.  

The minimum passing UBE score in Texas is 270.

Yes. Under the approved Rules, an applicant for admission to the Bar must successfully complete the Texas Law Component prescribed by the Board and approved by the Supreme Court. The Texas Law Component is satisfied by completing the Texas Law Course. 

The Texas Law Component is available through the State Bar of Texas – TexasBarCLE. There is no cost for the course, but you’ll need to register as a user of TexasBarCLE before you can register for the Texas Law Component.  Go to www.texasbarcle.com/TBLE, click "Register Now," and follow the prompts.

If you would like more detailed instructions on how to register for the TLC, click here.

The Texas Law Component is a licensing requirement established by Rule 2(a)(8) and Rule 5. It is satisfied by completing the Texas Law Course (TLC), which is a series of video presentations on Texas law from experienced Texas attorneys.

The approved Rules begin on page 3 of the Court's Order Giving Final Approval of Amendments to the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas, Misc. Docket No. 19-9078. 

On October 8, 2018, the Supreme Court of Texas issued an order accepting the recommendation of the Task Force on the Texas Bar Examination to adopt the Uniform Bar Examination in Texas, and seeking public comment.

On March 26, 2019, the Court issued an order amending the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas to implement those Task Force recommendations. This order was made available for public comment.

After reviewing all comments received, on August 23, 2019, the Court issued Final Approval of Amendments to the Rules, to take effect December 1, 2019. 

Proof of Income. If you need to document a practice-time requirement under Rule 13( for example: AWOX, attorney with a JD from a non-ABA law school, foreign-trained with no LL.M.), then you must provide proof of income you earned from the practice of law during that practice-time.

• For income you earned from the practice of law as an employee (Form 1040, Line 8), upload:
  • Form 1040 and all relevant W-2s; or
  • A Wage & Income Transcript (if available).
• For income you earned from the practice of law through sole proprietorship, single-member LLC, or other small business (Form 1040, Line 12), upload:
  • Form 1040 and Schedule C; or
  • A Wage & Income Transcript (if available).
• For income you earned from the practice of law through a Partnership, S Corporation, or other entity (Form 1040, Line 17), upload:
  • Form 1040, Schedule E, and all relevant K-1s; or
  • A business return and all relevant K-1s; or
  • A Wage & Income Transcript (if available).
• For income you earned in another country from the practice of law, upload:
  • A copy of each income tax form and schedules required to be filed by you in that country.

Wage & Income Transcript. To request a Wage & Income Transcript, submit a Form 4506-T to the IRS. Under Step 6, you must select Option C – Record of Account. The IRS will only provide transcripts for the current year and returns processed during the prior 3 processing years. If a Wage & Income Transcript is not available for a particular calendar year, you must provide the other documentation set out above.

No tax returns. For any of the calendar years during which you are claiming employment as an attorney but for which you have not filed a federal income tax return or other form, provide documentation of your total adjusted gross income and the portion of that income attributable to your law practice.

Authorization to Practice Law. Generally, at all times during the period of practice for which credit is sought, you must have had an active law license under which you have been, lawfully entitled to practice law in the issuing jurisdiction, unless controlling federal or foreign law provides otherwise.

For each jurisdiction in which you practiced law without holding a valid, active license issued by the jurisdiction in which the practice occurs, you must have the jurisdiction in which the practice occurs confirm in writing to the Board that it regards such practice as lawful in order for it be considered for purposes of any practice requirement of Rule 13. Only when it is demonstrated that written confirmation of lawful practice has been sought from the jurisdiction and cannot be obtained, alternate proof of lawfulness can be provided in the form of a verifiable written statement citing court rule, statute or other authority in the jurisdiction, demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Board that the jurisdiction does not regard such activity or practice as unlawful.

Proof of authorization to practice law may be satisfied by proof that you were lawfully engaged in the practice of law as an in-house counsel in a foreign jurisdiction that requires a person to surrender the person’s license in order to practice in-house.

Job Descriptions. For each legal employment you have had, you must provide a copy of the official job description from the employer’s personnel records, describing the position you held. If the employer indicates that no official job description exists, have the employer write to the Board, on firm or company letterhead, and provide a detailed description of the work you performed in the position and a statement as to whether the employment was full-time, and if not, providing detailed documentation of the hours you worked providing legal services in this position.

Military Lawyers. If you are seeking to count practice as a military lawyer toward a Rule 13 practice requirement, you must submit copies of all officer evaluation performance reports for the period of time you are claiming, in addition to your DD Form 214, as applicable, at the time you file your application.

Part-Time Practice. Demonstrated practice of at least 30 hours per week is necessary to establish active and substantial practice. If your practice experience includes part-time law practice, or time that may not be counted under the Guidelines for Evaluating Rule 13 Practice Time you may be required to establish the actual number of hours per week you rendered legal services for that period of time to count toward a Rule 13 practice requirement.

No credit will be given for practice unless the required documentation is provided. You must submit an English translation of any required document that is not written in English.

Generally, anyone seeking admission to the bar of Texas must complete the Texas Law Component. This includes those applying to take the Texas bar exam, those seeking to transfer a UBE score to Texas, those applying for Admission Without Examination, and those applying for a Military Spouse Temporary License. 

Texas Bar Exam Applicants - may complete the TLC up to one year before taking the bar exam and up to two years after passing the bar exam in Texas. Note that you cannot be licensed until you complete the TLC.

Texas Admission Without Examination (AWOX) Applicants - may complete the TLC up to one year before and up to six months after being notified by our office that they appear eligible for AWOX, but are currently missing one or more licensing requirements. Note that you cannot be licensed until you complete the TLC.

Texas UBE Transfer (UBET) Applicants - may complete the TLC up to one year before and up to six months after a character and fitness determination.  Note that you cannot be licensed until you complete the TLC.

Texas Military Service Member or Military Spouse Temporary License Applicants - may complete the TLC up to one year before and up to two years after the date their application is submitted to our office.  Note that you cannot be licensed until you complete the TLC.

The Texas Law Component is available through the State Bar of Texas – TexasBarCLE. There is no cost for the course, but you’ll need to register as a user of TexasBarCLE before you can register for the Texas Law Component.  Go to www.texasbarcle.com/TBLE,  click "Register Now," and follow the prompts.

To complete the TLC, you will watch a series of lectures and answer some "hurdle questions" at the end of each segment. The hurdle questions are designed to ensure that you have a minimal level of comprehension of the segment you just watched. The questions are not intended to be tricky, difficult, or hard. If you pay attention to the lecture, and perhaps take a few notes, you should be able to get through the hurdle questions. You must successfully answer most of the hurdle questions in order to proceed to the next segment. 

The total length of the presentations is approximately 12 hours.

You can register without a Texas Bar Card Number. Click here for help.

If you encounter technical issues, please click the "Contact Us" link at the top of the Texas Bar CLE homepage and submit a support request. (Note: In the Subject dropdown, select "Need help with the Law Examiners - Texas Law Course".)

Previous Rulebooks page of our website

Yes, see Appendix Fee Schedule.

On February 15, 2022, the Supreme Court of Texas amended Rule 13 §1 of the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas. Now, a UBE score of 270 qualifies for transfer to Texas--without any practice time requirement--if the score was earned within the 5 years immediately preceding the filing of your most recent UBE Transfer Application or Re-application.

If you submitted a UBE transfer application in the past and were rejected for lack of practice time, you can re-apply if your UBE score is 270 or higher and was earned within the last 5 years. To re-apply for admission by UBE transfer, see How do I submit an application in ATLAS?

Yes: checklists section of our FAQs.

In addition to submitting a UBE Transfer Application to us, you must also contact the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), and request that they transfer your score to us. http://www.ncbex.org/ncbe-exam-score-services/ube-score-services/

Texas Law Student (must file a Declaration of Intent to Study Law first)

                  $150  Application Fee

                     95  UBE Transfer Fee

                     55  Investigation Fee

                  $300  Total

Out-of-State Law Student

                $150  Application Fee

                   40  Fingerprint Card Processing Fee

                  150  UBE Transfer Fee

                  150  Investigation Fee

                $490  Total

Attorney with JD from ABA-approved Law School, and

Attorney Applying Under Rule 13 §3

                $700  Application Fee

                   40  Fingerprint Card Processing Fee

                  150  UBE Transfer Fee

                  150  Investigation Fee

              $1040  Total              

Foreign-Trained Attorney

           $700 Application Fee

               40  Fingerprint Card Processing Fee

             150  UBE Transfer Fee

             150  Investigation Fee

             100  Foreign Nation Inquiry Fee

         $1140  Total

Re-Application for Admission By UBE Transfer

           $225  Application Fee & Investigation Fee

               75  UBE Transfer Fee

           $320 Total

On August 24, the Board approved a proposal to accept a score of 270 or higher earned on the October 5-6, 2020 remote bar examination administered by the following Uniform Bar Examination jurisdictions as satisfaction of the UBE score requirement for admission under Rule 13 §1: the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont. 

• Applicants must complete and submit a UBE Transfer application to our office.
• Applicants transferring a score from Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, or Tennessee, your jurisdiction has likely already provided your score to us. You do not need to request that your score be transferred again from these jurisdictions. If we have not received your score, your licensure analyst will notify you via your ATLAS account.
• Applicants transferring a score from District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, or Vermont, your jurisdiction send scores to us upon your request. The score must be sent to us directly from the jurisdiction. The jurisdiction can email information@ble.texas.gov. The jurisdiction's certification of your October 2020 remote exam must include your full name, NCBE number, and scaled score.

In order to transfer the UBE score you earned in Texas to another jurisdiction, you must submit a request to NCBE - UBE Score Services (https://www.ncbex.org/score-services/ube-score-services).

The minimum passing UBE scores by jurisdiction can be found here:  https://www.ncbex.org/exams/ube/ube-minimum-scores

The maximum age of transferred UBE scores by jurisdiction can be found here: https://www.ncbex.org/exams/ube/ube-maximum-score-age

An immigration attorney may be able to assist you with this question. We cannot provide legal advice. If you determine that you do not reside in the United States at the time you submit your application and that you thus satisfy the requirements of Rule 2(a)(5)(e), you should complete and upload a Statement of Residence Outside the U.S. 

The Rules set out two paths to being certified as an FLC in Texas.

Law office.Rule 14 §1(a) applies to those who intend to maintain an office in Texas to practice as an FLC in Texas. The requirements for this path are:

• Be an attorney in good standing in a foreign country for at least 3 of the 5 years immediately preceding the date of the application (see Rule 14 §(a)(1) for details); and
• Be at least 26 years old; and
• Possess the present good moral character and fitness requisite for a member of the Texas Bar.

In-house.Rule 14 §(b) applies to those who wish to practice as an FLC in-house (see Rule 14 §(b)(4) for details). The requirements for this path are:

• For at least 3 of the 5 years immediately preceding the date of the application:
  • Be authorized to practice law in a foreign jurisdiction; or
  • Be a member in good standing of the bar of another State; or
  • Be actively and substantially engaged in the lawful practice of law in a foreign country or another United States jurisdiction; and
• Be at least 26 years old; and
• Possess the present good moral character and fitness requisite for a member of the Texas Bar.

An FLC who holds themself out as an attorney or an FLC without clarifying that they are not licensed in Texas will be presumed to be making a false or misleading communication in violation of TDRPC Rule 7.01.

Rule 14 §3(f). Per Rule 14 §3(f), an FLC cannot in any way hold themself out as a member of the Texas bar.

Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. FLCs are subject to TDRPC. TDRPC Rule 7.01(a) states:

A lawyer shall not make or sponsor a false or misleading communication about the qualifications or services of a lawyer or law firm. Information about legal services must be truthful and nondeceptive. A communication is false or misleading if it contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law, or omits a fact necessary to make the statement considered as a whole not materially misleading. A statement is misleading if there is a substantial likelihood that it will lead a reasonable person to formulate a specific conclusion about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services for which there is no reasonable factual foundation, or if the statement is substantially likely to create unjustified expectations about the results the lawyer can achieve.

TDRPC Rule 7.01(c) states, in part:

A law firm with an office in more than one jurisdiction may use the same name or other professional designation in each jurisdiction, but identification of the lawyers in an office of the firm shall indicate the jurisdictional limitations on those not licensed to practice in the jurisdiction where the office is located.

Rule 14 §3(g). Per Rule 14 §3(g) an FLC can only use one or more of the following names, titles, or designations in connection with their FLC practice in Texas:

• The FLC’s own name; and/or
• The name of the law firm they are affiliated with; and/or
• The authorized title in the foreign country where they are authorized to practice, which may be used in conjunction with the name of that country; and/or
• The title “Foreign Legal Consultant,” which may be used in conjunction with the words “authorized to practice law in [name of the foreign country in which they are authorized to practice].”

Examples of designations that comply with these requirements:

Ž  Lee Smith, Foreign Legal Consultant (not licensed in Texas)

Ž  Lee Smith, Foreign Legal Consultant, authorized to practice law in Mexico (not licensed in Texas)

Ž  Lee Smith, Attorney in Mexico, Foreign Legal Consultant (not licensed in Texas)

Examples of designations that do not comply with these requirements:

Ꭓ     Lee Smith, affiliated with the Texas Bar as a Foreign Legal Consultant

Ꭓ     Lee Smith, licensed as a Foreign Legal Consultant by the State Bar of Texas

Ꭓ     Lee Smith, Certified Foreign Legal Consultant

Ꭓ     Lee Smith, Texas Foreign Legal Consultant

Ꭓ     Lee Smith, Attorney

Ꭓ     Lee Smith, Partner

Ꭓ     Lee Smith, Attorney and Foreign Legal Consultant

The Court certifies Foreign Legal Consultants; it does not “license” them.

No, FLCs are not members of the State Bar of Texas. Instead, they are considered to be “affiliated with” the State Bar of Texas, subject to the rights and obligations set out in Rule 14 §4 and limited to the scope of practice in §3.

An FLC may render legal services in Texas in the manner and to the extent permitted by the FLC’s home jurisdiction, subject to the limitations set out in Rule 14 §3.

As clearly set out in Rule 14 §3:

• An FLC must not appear for another person in any court in Texas, any magistrate in Texas, or any other judicial officer in Texas.
• An FLC must not prepare certain real estate instruments.
• An FLC must not prepare certain wills, trusts, and instruments for estate administration.
• An FLC must not render certain services related to family law.
• An FLC must not render professional legal advice on the law of Texas, or of the United States (unless licensed in another State) including U.S. immigration law, except under the explicit and narrow circumstances allowed in Rule 14 §3(e)(1)-(2).

An FLC is obligated to be familiar with, understand, and abide by the scope of practice in Rule 14 §3.

Being certified as an FLC does not authorize a person to practice immigration law or provide immigration services.

Yes. Per Rule 14 §4, an FLC has the right to partner with Texas lawyers, and Texas lawyers and FLCs may share legal fees with each other.

Probably. Per Rule 14 §3, an FLC can only practice in Texas “in the manner and to the extent permitted by the jurisdiction in which the person is authorized to practice or, in the case of a person who satisfies the requirements of subparagraph 1(b)(1)(C), to the extent permitted by the jurisdiction in which the person has been actively and substantially engaged in the lawful practice of law.”

Most jurisdictions require a lawyer to maintain an active law license in order to practice law. However, some jurisdictions require attorneys to surrender their license in order to work as in-house counsel or in the judiciary. These attorneys can still qualify to be certified as FLCs in Texas under Rule 14 §1(b)(1)(C).

Click here for information on how to submit an application through ATLAS, and for answers to other frequently asked questions about ATLAS.

Unless revoked by the Board under Rule 14 §7, a certification to practice as a Foreign Legal Consultant is valid for one year.

Per Rule 14 §6(b)(3), in order to renew their certificate, FLCs must complete 3 hours of continuing legal education in ethics courses accredited by the State Bar of Texas. (Because FLCs are not members of the Bar, they are not required to completed the MCLE that members of the Bar must complete per State Bar Rule XII Section 6.)

To timely renew your FLC certificate, complete the required CLE and, at least 60 days before your FLC certification expires, submit a renewal application.

• Log in to your ATLAS account
• Upload proof that you completed the required CLE
• Click the green Start New Application button and find FLC Renewal
• At least 60 days before your FLC certificate expires, complete the renewal application and use the green Submit Application button to submit it and pay the renewal fee.

(Do not submit a renewal application until after you have completed your CLE. We will not consider your renewal application to be submitted or filed unless it is accompanied by proof that you have completed the required CLE. If you submit a renewal application without first uploading proof that you completed the required CLE, we may reject your application.)

If you submit a complete FLC renewal application during the timely renewal period, then, before your current FLC certificate expires:

• If staff determines that you are entitled to renew, then staff will renew your certificate; or

• If staff cannot make a final determination of your eligibility to renew before your current certificate expires, then we will renew your certificate but continue our investigation of your eligibility and present good moral character and fitness. Upon completion of our investigation, we will notify you of our determination. If we determine that you no longer meet the requirements for certification, we will issue you a Preliminary Determination Letter and notice of hearing. If, after notice and hearing, the Board determines that you no longer meet the requirements for certification, the Board may recommend that your FLC certificate be revoked. See Rule 15 §7.
  

Maybe. From 59 days before your FLC certificate expires until up to 180 days after your FLC certificate expires, you can, upon a showing of good cause, submit a “grace period” renewal application. You will have to pay a $150 fee and a $150 late fee for total fees of $300.

If you submit a renewal application during the grace period, it is likely that we will not complete our investigation before your current certificate expires. If your current FLC certificate expires before we complete our investigation, there will be a gap in your certification—you would not be certified as an FLC from the date of the expiration of your current FLC certificate until the date of your next certificate. During this gap in certification, you would not be “affiliated with the Bar,” you would not be subject to the rights and obligations set out in Rule 14 §4, and you would not be authorized to engage in the scope of practice detailed in Rule 14 §3.

If you missed the timely renewal period and you want to renew your FLC certificate during the grace period describe above:

• Log in to your ATLAS account.
• Upload proof that you completed the required CLE.
• Click the green Start New Application button and find FLC Renewal.
• Complete the renewal application and use the green Submit Application button to submit it and pay the renewal fee.
• After you submit the renewal, we will contact you through ATLAS with instructions on how to offer good cause and pay the late fee.

No. If you do not submit a renewal application within180 days after your certificate expires, you will not be able to renew. Instead, you may submit and pay for an initial application for certification.

Chart of Renewal Periods

Check here: FLCs in Texas

Start here: FLC Complaint Form

Applying for the Texas Bar Exam

Information for Foreign-Trained Applicants

For information about laptop registration, see our Laptop Information page

If you encounter any technical issues with ILG Exam360^®:

--Submit a technical support ticket directly from your ILG Exam360^® user account; or

--Submit a technical support ticket from the "My Account" tab in ILG Exam360^® software; or

--Call 833.ILG.SUPP (833.454.7877).

Do not contact the Texas Board of Law Examiners for technical support with ILG Exam360^®. We will not be able to help.

We will arrange for Yondr to be at the Austin, DFW/Allen, and Houston exam sites to secure cell phones.

• Phones are strictly prohibited in the exam room if they are not secured by Yondr. We will not provide lockers or any other place to store phones or any other prohibited items outside of the exam room.
• No fee or sign up required to secure your phone with Yondr.
• All smart phone models currently on the market will fit in a Yondr pouch. The pouch dimensions are 7.48"(H) x 4.80"(W).
• You'll be asked to turn off your phone and secure it in a Yondr pouch.
• You must keep your Yondr pouch on top of your table at all times during the exam.
• You must leave your Yondr pouch at table during the lunch break. You cannot access your phone during lunch. Staff and security will monitor the exam room during lunch.
• Before you leave, staff will unlock your pouch, allowing you to remove your phone.

If it rains, we will provide a place for umbrellas, but the umbrella drop will not be secure.

Otherwise, we will not provide any place for you to store watches, backpacks, purses, wallets, luggage, study materials, or any other Prohibited Item.

If unattended backpacks, purses, wallets, study materials, or other Prohibited Items are left in the halls, foyers, entryways, or other common areas of the exam site during the exam, they will be confiscated and disposed of appropriately.