Are any attorneys exempt from CLE in Missouri?

Yes — in Missouri, you can submit CLE credits online via The Missouri Bar’s “My MCLE” system.

Attorneys report MCLE hours, check compliance status, and pay any fees through that online reporting portal.

Details:

• The Missouri Bar’s MCLE Home page allows you to “record hours & submit your Annual Report” online.
• The MCLE FAQ states the annual report must be filed electronically: “MCLE annual reports are to be filed exclusively online.”
• In the “Standard Filing for Active Licensees” instructions, it says the MCLE annual compliance report is filed electronically at MoBar.org/MCLEReporting.
• If a program sponsor has not submitted for accreditation, you may submit a program accreditation request through the online reporting system.

Key Takeaway
In Missouri, yes — you must submit CLE credits electronically via The Missouri Bar’s “My MCLE” portal (the only permitted method for MCLE reporting).

Yes — Missouri requires that at least 9 of the 15 CLE credits each year be earned through “live interactive” formats (in-person, live webcasts, teleseminars).
Missouri limits “self-study” (on-demand / archived) credit to no more than 6 hours per year, and ethics / bias credits must be earned via live programs.

Missouri’s Format Requirements in Detail

• Under Missouri Supreme Court Rule 15 and related regulations, attorneys may receive up to 6 hours of self-study credit each reporting year.
• Self-study credit cannot satisfy ethics, professionalism, or elimination of bias credit requirements.
• Rule 15 also mandates that “live programs” include webinars or synchronous interactive courses, provided they occur in real time with a qualified instructor available.
• A secondary non-official source (NACLE) states that 9 live interactive credits are required.
• The rule further requires that a minimum of nine hours of instruction cover substantive legal topics in Missouri or federal law (the “Annual Law Update” equivalent) which must be delivered live or interactive.

Summary Table

Key Takeaway

Missouri does require a substantial live-interactive component: attorneys must earn at least 9 of their 15 CLE credits via live or interactive programming, with up to 6 credit hours from self-study (on-demand), and ethics or bias credits must be obtained through live formats.

Yes — in Missouri, some judges (especially municipal judges) are subject to separate continuing judicial or judicial-CLE requirements beyond the general attorney CLE rules.

However, the separate requirement applies only to certain judicial categories and is not universal for all judges.

Details

• Under Missouri Rule 18, municipal judges must complete continuing education: non-lawyer municipal judges must earn and report 15 hours annually in accredited programs and also 3 hours in judicial ethics/professionalism.
• Lawyer municipal judges (i.e. judges who are attorneys) under Rule 18 must earn 5 hours of judicial training annually in addition to their attorney CLE obligations.
• The municipal judge education rules are administered by the Municipal Judge Education Committee via the Office of State Courts Administrator.
• For other types of judges (e.g., circuit, appellate), no distinct judicial CLE program is identified in Missouri’s rules beyond the general Missouri attorney MCLE requirement (15 hours per year under Rule 15).

Key Takeaway

Missouri imposes distinct continuing education obligations for municipal judges under Rule 18, with different credit minima for lawyer and non-lawyer judges, while other judges generally adhere only to the standard attorney MCLE framework.

Yes — Missouri attorneys may request a hardship accommodation (which can include an extension) for CLE reporting. The Missouri Bar’s MCLE rules permit requests for extensions or adjustments in cases of disability, military service, or good cause.

Deadlines & Reporting in Missouri

• The MCLE (CLE) reporting period runs from July 1 through June 30.
• The annual MCLE report is due by July 31.
• If a lawyer did not complete the required credits by June 30, Missouri offers a “deficiency plan” process.

Hardship / Extension Authority

• Regulation 15.05.3 allows attorneys to request a “hardship accommodation,” which may include an extension of time, permission to do self-study, or waiver of requirements, for physical or mental disability, military service in isolated locations, age, or good cause.
• To use a deficiency plan, the lawyer must submit it between July 1 and July 31, and then become compliant by September 30 to avoid late fees.

What You Should Do

1. Determine whether your situation qualifies under Regulation 15.05.3 (e.g. disability, military service, or other “good cause”).
2. File a hardship accommodation request at least 60 days before the end of the reporting year if possible.
3. If past deadline, submit a deficiency plan between July 1 and July 31.
4. In your request or plan, specify the relief you seek (time extension, waiver, self-study) and provide supporting documentation.
5. Comply with the adjusted schedule (by September 30 under a deficiency plan) to avoid penalties.

Limitations & Considerations

• The hardship accommodation is discretionary — approval is not automatic.
• The rules do not guarantee how long an extension will run.
• If you fail to comply by September 30 under a deficiency plan, late fees will apply starting October and increase monthly.
• Lawyers not in compliance and without approved accommodation or plan may face suspension or other disciplinary action.

Key Takeaway
Missouri allows attorneys to request a hardship extension or use a deficiency plan to complete CLE late, but you must act promptly (often by July 31) and document your need, and relief is discretionary.

Missouri attorneys must complete 15 CLE credit hours each reporting year. Within those 15 hours, at least 3 must be in ethics, and 1 of those must address elimination of bias.

Annual CLE Requirements in Missouri

• Total requirement: 15 credit hours per year between July 1 and June 30
• Ethics requirement: 3 credit hours
• Elimination of bias requirement: 1 of the ethics hours
• Live minimum: at least 9 credit hours must be from live or interactive programs
• Self-study limit: up to 6 credit hours may be self-study (on-demand, etc.)
• Reporting deadline: July 31
• Excess hours (beyond 15) earned in a year may carry forward (live or ethics credits within limits)

Provider Support

• Sprout Education tracks Missouri CLE credits and assists with reporting compliance to The Missouri Bar

Key Takeaway: Missouri requires 15 CLE hours annually, including 3 ethics hours (1 in bias), with a live minimum, self-study cap, and carryover options.

If an attorney in Missouri holds an inactive license (under Rule 6.03), they have no obligation to complete CLE hours or file an annual MCLE report during that inactive period.

However, to return to active status, the attorney must complete at least 15 credit hours of continuing legal education within the 12 months prior to applying, including at least 3 hours of ethics (with 1 hour on bias/diversity).

Details:

• Missouri’s MCLE rules allow inactive or “non-practicing” attorneys to claim exemption from the standard 15-hour requirement during their inactive period.
• Upon applying for return to active status under Rule 6.06, the lawyer must submit certification of completing 15 CLE credits (3 ethics, 1 on bias/diversity) in the preceding 12 months.
• Up to 6 of the 15 hours may be earned by self-study, but self-study credit cannot satisfy the mandatory ethics or bias credits.
• Missouri does not accredit on-demand programming; such content may only count as self-study credit, not toward the ethics/bias requirement.
• CLE earned toward reactivation may also count for the regular MCLE reporting period under Rule 15 if the credits fall within that cycle.

Key Takeaway:
Missouri grants inactive attorneys an MCLE exemption during inactivity, but demands a 15-credit CLE package (with ethics and bias credits) within the prior 12 months to restore active status.