Most of the country offers some form of bar reciprocity. Across the states with reciprocity, 43 jurisdictions let an experienced attorney get licensed without sitting for another bar exam, through a process called admission on motion. Eight states require everyone to pass their bar exam no matter how long they’ve practiced elsewhere. The rules, fees, and practice-experience thresholds vary enough that any attorney planning a move should confirm the destination state’s requirements before counting on a transfer.
The 43 Jurisdictions That Allow Admission on Motion
The following states and the District of Columbia offer admission on motion to qualified attorneys licensed elsewhere:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Being on this list does not mean a state will admit any out-of-state attorney who asks. Some operate under “pure reciprocity,” meaning they will only admit attorneys from states that extend the same courtesy to their own lawyers. Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi apply that kind of mutual requirement. Mississippi goes further and restricts eligibility to attorneys who have practiced at least five years in a state that admits Mississippi lawyers without examination.1State of Mississippi Judiciary. Admission on Motion Other states on the list are open to qualified applicants regardless of where they’re currently licensed.
The Eight States With No Reciprocity
These jurisdictions do not offer general admission on motion. Every applicant has to pass the state bar exam, regardless of experience or other licenses held:
- California
- Delaware
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Louisiana
- Nevada
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
Attorneys who need to practice in one of these states have two possible alternatives short of taking the full exam. Rhode Island and South Carolina accept transferred Uniform Bar Exam scores even though they don’t offer traditional admission on motion.2National Conference of Bar Examiners. Uniform Bar Examination Minimum Scores And for a single case, pro hac vice admission is sometimes available in any state.
What Admission on Motion Requires
Reciprocity isn’t automatic. Each state sets its own eligibility rules, but most track the ABA’s Model Rule on Admission by Motion fairly closely.
Years of Active Practice
The core requirement is a track record of recent legal work. Most states look for three of the last five years of full-time practice; some require five of the last seven.3National Conference of Bar Examiners. Admission on Motion – Legal Education and Reciprocity Requirements Mississippi requires a straight five years.1State of Mississippi Judiciary. Admission on Motion Illinois is unusually specific about what counts as active: at least 80 hours a month and no fewer than 1,000 hours a year, across 36 of the 60 months before applying.4Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. Admission on Motion Under Rule 705 General Information
Qualifying practice isn’t limited to private firm work. Under the ABA framework, active practice includes work as a government attorney, judge, judicial law clerk, in-house counsel, or full-time law professor at an ABA-accredited school. The work must have been done in a jurisdiction where you were authorized to perform it.
Education and Current Licensing
Nearly every state requires a J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school. Colorado’s rule is a typical formulation: applicants must hold an ABA-accredited degree and have originally been admitted to another state’s bar by examination.5Colorado Supreme Court. On Motion Graduates of non-ABA-accredited schools rarely qualify.
You also need an active license in good standing in every jurisdiction where you’ve ever been admitted. Certificates of good standing are mandatory, and any history of discipline, even a private reprimand, can complicate or sink an application.
MPRE and Character and Fitness
Most states require a passing score on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination.6New York State Unified Court System. Admission by Exam or on Motion Minimum scaled scores range from 75 to 86 depending on the state. Some jurisdictions impose no time limit on when the MPRE was taken; others require a recent result.7National Conference of Bar Examiners. Admission on Motion – Years of Practice and Definition of Practice
Every applicant goes through a character and fitness investigation. Criminal records, civil litigation, bankruptcies, tax liens, and employment history all come under review. Plan on several months for this step.
State-Specific Add-Ons
Some states layer additional requirements on top of the baseline. Virginia requires applicants to complete a 12-hour course on Virginia law and procedure before filing.8Virginia Board of Bar Examiners. Admission Without Examination Application Instructions Georgia charges a $2,500 application fee.9Georgia Office of Bar Admissions. Admission on Motion without Examination The District of Columbia charges $595 for the motion application plus an NCBE investigation fee on top.10DC Bar Admissions. Motion Application Fees Fees across jurisdictions run from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, and none are refundable if the application is denied.
Cost and Timeline
Admission on motion is not a quick rubber stamp. The D.C. bar admissions office estimates four to six months from submission to completion, with longer waits for attorneys who have significant international experience.11DC Bar Admissions. Frequently Asked Questions Other states run on comparable timelines depending on application volume and the depth of the background review.
Beyond the application fee, budget for certificates of good standing from every state where you’ve been licensed, NCBE investigation charges, fingerprinting, and any mandatory course tuition. Once admitted, you’re subject to the new state’s continuing legal education requirements right away.
Transferring a UBE Score Instead
Admission on motion isn’t the only way into a new state. An attorney who took the Uniform Bar Exam in one participating jurisdiction earns a portable score that can be submitted elsewhere.12National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Score Portability Over 40 jurisdictions participate, covering most of the admission-on-motion states plus Rhode Island and South Carolina. Georgia, Mississippi, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wisconsin do not participate.
Minimum passing scores range from 260 to 270. Alabama, Minnesota, and Utah sit at 260; Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas require 270.2National Conference of Bar Examiners. Uniform Bar Examination Minimum Scores A 265 would transfer into some states and fall short in others.
UBE scores expire. The transfer window runs from two years in North Dakota and Rhode Island to five years in states like Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, and Texas, with three years the most common.13National Conference of Bar Examiners. Maximum Age of Transferred UBE Score Even with a qualifying score, you still need to clear the receiving state’s character and fitness review and any state-specific requirements.
Pro Hac Vice for a Single Case
If the goal is one case rather than a new practice, pro hac vice admission is lighter. It lets an out-of-state attorney appear in a specific matter with the court’s permission, generally alongside local counsel. Most courts charge a fee, require the attorney to be in good standing at home, and can deny the motion. Some courts limit how often the same attorney can appear this way before demanding full admission. For attorneys with occasional work in a state that lacks reciprocity, this is often the most practical option.
Wisconsin’s Diploma Privilege
Wisconsin has its own route that doesn’t involve any bar exam, but it’s narrow. Graduates of the University of Wisconsin Law School and Marquette University Law School can be admitted to the Wisconsin bar through diploma privilege; the school certifies competence and the Board of Bar Examiners handles character and fitness.14Wisconsin Court System. Admission to the State Bar of Wisconsin This path is not available to attorneys licensed in other states. Wisconsin does, however, offer standard admission on motion, which is why it appears on the reciprocity list.