Are any attorneys exempt from CLE in Florida?

Florida attorneys must complete 30 CLE credit hours every 3 years, including at least 5 hours in Legal Ethics, Professionalism, Substance Abuse or Mental Health & Wellness (2 of which must be the mandated Florida Legal Professionalism course) and 3 hours in technology.
The Florida Supreme Court reduced the total requirement from 33 to 30 credits effective January 8, 2024.

Details

• Total requirement: 30 CLE credit hours per 3-year reporting cycle
• Legal Ethics, Professionalism, Substance Abuse, or Mental Health & Wellness: At least 5 hours total, including 2 hours from the required Florida Legal Professionalism course offered by The Florida Bar
• Technology: At least 3 hours of approved technology programs
• No carryover: Excess CLE hours cannot be applied to the next reporting cycle
• Reporting obligation: Members must self-report CLE completion via their MyFloridaBar Member Portal before their reporting deadline
• Newly admitted attorneys: Must also complete the Basic Skills Course Requirement (BSCR), which includes the Practicing with Professionalism course during their first year of admission

Key Takeaway

Florida attorneys must complete 30 CLE hours every three years — including 5 hours in Legal Ethics, Professionalism, Substance Abuse, or Mental Health & Wellness (with 2 hours from the mandatory Florida Legal Professionalism course) and 3 hours in technology — with all credits self-reported through the Bar’s online portal.

Yes — in Florida you can submit (i.e. self-report) your CLE (CLER) credits online via The Florida Bar’s Member Portal.

You are responsible for reporting your completed CLE courses using the course reference numbers in your online profile. ([flabar.org](https://www.floridabar.org/member/cle/general-cle-info-and-requirements/) )

Details:

• Florida is a self-reporting jurisdiction; members log into their MyFloridaBar account to post CLE credits using course IDs. ([flabar.org](https://www.flabar.org/member/cle/general-cle-info-and-requirements/) )
• For CLE courses offered by e.g. LegalFuel, the member must self-report using the provided course number in the Member Portal. ([legalfuel.com](https://www.legalfuel.com/clefaq/) )
• Members are sent reminders of their reporting obligations and must make the online compliance certification. ([flabar.org](https://www.flabar.org/member/cle/general-cle-info-and-requirements/) )
• If a course is not already on your transcript, you may need to submit an application for credit (via FL Bar form) referencing your certificate and course outline. ([flabar.org](https://www.flabar.org/member/cle/general-cle-info-and-requirements/) )

Key Takeaway:
Florida supports online CLE reporting — you self-report courses and certify compliance through your Member Portal using course IDs.

Yes — Florida grants certain judges and judicial officers an automatic exemption from attorney CLE requirements, effectively placing them outside the standard CLE regime.

Under Florida’s Rules Regulating The Bar, justices of the Florida Supreme Court, judges of district courts of appeal, circuit courts, county courts, and other specified judicial officers are exempt from continuing legal education requirements applicable to attorneys.

The standard CLE (CLER) requirement for attorneys is 30 credit hours every three years, with subrequirements in ethics, professionalism, and technology.

Though judicial officers are exempt from attorney CLE, Florida maintains separate judicial training programs (e.g. for new judges) through the Florida Court Education Council and the Florida Judicial College.

Key Takeaway: Judges in Florida do not participate in the regular 30-hour CLE system — they are exempt and instead attend judicial education through court-administered programs.

Attorneys in Florida self-report CLE credits via the MyFloridaBar Member Portal, entering the course reference number supplied by providers. The Florida Bar notifies each member of their reporting cycle and collects compliance via that online affidavit system.

Key Details:

• Providers issue a Florida Bar course approval code which the attorney enters in the portal.
• Members are emailed their reporting requirements and must log into their MyFloridaBar profile to submit completed credits.
• There is no separate paper form—everything is done digitally through the Bar’s online system.
• Attorneys must maintain their certificates and records in case of audit, even though the Bar does not require them to submit those directly.

Key Takeaway: Florida attorneys use an online self-reporting interface in their MyFloridaBar portal and input provider-issued approval codes—no separate paper reporting is required.

You report CLE (CLER) credits in Florida by logging into your MyFloridaBar Member Portal and self-reporting completed courses using the course reference numbers.
This reporting certifies your compliance with Florida’s three-year CLE cycle.

Overview of Florida CLE Reporting

Florida attorneys must complete 30 credit hours every three years, with at least 3 hours in technology and at least 5 hours in ethics/professionalism/substance abuse/mental health & wellness, including a 2-hour Florida Legal Professionalism course.
Excess credits cannot be carried forward into the next reporting cycle.
You will receive advance notice of your reporting deadline and must ensure all completed programs are posted to your CLER transcript before that date.

Steps to Report CLE in Florida

1. Complete all 30 required hours (including the sub-requirements) before your reporting deadline.
2. Log into your MyFloridaBar Member Portal.
3. Use each course’s reference number (from your certificate of completion) to post it to your CLE transcript.
4. If a course is not pre-approved, submit an Application for Unapproved Course Attendance Credit through the portal’s forms section.
5. If you earned CLE through Sprout Education or another provider, confirm that credits appear on your transcript—but remember, you must still self-report through your Bar portal.

Key Takeaway

In Florida, attorneys must self-report CLE credits by entering course reference numbers in their MyFloridaBar Member Portal before their reporting deadline. Sprout Education assists with proper documentation where allowed, but the attorney is responsible for submitting and certifying compliance.

Florida attorneys must complete 30 CLE credit hours every 3 years. That includes at least 5 hours in professional responsibility (which covers ethics, professionalism, substance abuse, or mental health/wellness), and at least 3 hours in approved technology.

Cycle & Reporting

• Reporting cycle: 3 years
• Compliance deadline: varies by attorney (assigned cycle end date)
• Reporting: self-report through Florida Bar Member Portal by deadline

Credit Breakdown & Limits

• Total required: 30 credit hours per cycle
• Professional responsibility: 5 hours (includes a mandatory 2-hour Florida Legal Professionalism course)
• Technology: 3 hours
• Excess credits cannot be carried over

Exemptions & Special Provisions

• Newly admitted attorneys and certain attorneys under age 36 have additional basic skills requirements (BSCR)
• Some members are exempt (inactive status, federal judiciary, judges)

Provider Support

• Sprout Education monitors CLE credit accumulation and assists in ensuring reporting compliance

Key Takeaway: Florida requires 30 CLE hours every 3 years, including 5 hours in professional responsibility and 3 hours in technology, with no carryover allowed.