Are carryover CLE credits allowed in Missouri?

Yes — Missouri requires that a significant majority of CLE hours be earned in “live” formats (in person or live webcasts). Specifically, at least 9 of the 15 required CLE hours each year must be in live programming; only up to 6 hours may come from on-demand/self-study formats.

Missouri CLE Format Rules

• Annual requirement: 15 CLE hours per reporting year under Supreme Court Rule 15.
• Live / “live programming” requirement: At least 9 hours must be earned in live programs (in person, teleconference, or web broadcast).
• Self-study / on-demand limit: No more than 6 hours may come from self-study formats (recorded or asynchronous), and ethical or elimination-of-bias credits must be earned via live programming.
• Accreditation standards: Programs (live or recorded) qualify only if they include interactive elements (e.g., instructor/moderator access) and satisfy Missouri Bar accreditation criteria.

Key Takeaway: Missouri mandates that at least 9 of the 15 annual CLE hours be earned in interactive live formats (in person or live webcast); only up to 6 hours may be via on-demand/self-study formats, and ethics/bias credits must be live.

Yes – Missouri allows late CLE reporting through a deficiency plan and late-fee schedule, but fees escalate the longer compliance is delayed.
A deficiency plan must be filed by July 31 to avoid immediate late fees, and final compliance must be established by September 30 or late fees apply.

• Earn CLE hours by June 30 and file the annual report by July 31.
• If you do not submit a deficiency plan by July 31 and are not compliant by August 31, a $200 late fee is assessed, increasing by $50 per month until compliance, up to a $500 cap.
• If you do submit a deficiency plan by July 31 but fail to establish compliance by September 30, a $250 late fee is assessed, then increases by $50 per month until compliance, up to a $500 cap.
• On or before March 1, noncompliant lawyers are reported to the Supreme Court of Missouri and are automatically suspended until they complete compliance and pay all fees.

Key Takeaway
Yes – Missouri permits late CLE reporting via deficiency plans and late fees, but missing the July 31 plan deadline or the September 30 cure deadline triggers escalating fees and possible automatic suspension by March 1.

Lawyers in Missouri report CLE through an online Annual Report of Compliance filed via The Missouri Bar’s “My MCLE” portal. The compliance period runs from July 1 through June 30, and the report is due by July 31 each year.

Key Details:

• Use the “Report Your Hours — My MCLE” section of the Missouri Bar’s website to submit your Annual Report of Compliance.
• CLE activities for that year are entered in the report under “Report Program Attendance.”
• If you did not practice during the period, or fall under certain exemptions, you must still file the annual report to claim exemption.
• Providers accredited in Missouri must file attendance reports by July 31 each year.
• If the required hours aren’t completed by June 30, attorneys may submit a deficiency plan and then finalize reporting under that plan by a later deadline.

Key Takeaway: Missouri attorneys must self-report via the My MCLE online portal by July 31, with all CLE activities entered under that year’s report.

Missouri allows a deficiency plan extension as a de facto grace period: attorneys may request a plan by July 31 to complete missing CLE and report by September 30. If no plan is filed by July 31, a $200 late fee is assessed and increasing monthly fees apply until compliance.

Missouri CLE Deadlines & Deficiency Plan

• June 30: Deadline to complete required MCLE credits.
• July 31: Deadline to request a deficiency plan or file your Annual Report.
• September 30: Deadline to complete CLE under the deficiency plan to avoid harsher penalties.

Late Fee & Penalty Framework

• If you do not request a plan or comply by August 31: $200 late fee.
• Each additional month after August 31 accrues $50 more (capped at $500).
• If noncompliance continues, your name is reported for suspension under Rule 15.06.

Key Takeaway: Missouri doesn’t call it a “grace period” per se — instead, attorneys have until July 31 to request a deficiency plan, which grants a grace window until September 30 to catch up before escalating fines and suspension.

No — Missouri’s CLE (MCLE) rules require uniform obligations for all active attorneys; there is no separate reduced requirement for part-time status.

Missouri has a mandatory CLE requirement under Supreme Court Rule 15: every active attorney must complete 15 credit hours annually, including 2 hours of professionalism/ethics or malpractice prevention.

Details:

• The MCLE reporting period is July 1 through June 30, with annual reports due July 31.
• At least 3 of the 15 hours must be devoted exclusively to ethics-related subjects (including bias/diversity).
• Attorneys may carry over excess live credit hours (not self-study) to the next year (up to limits); self-study hours generally do not carry over.
• New admittees are exempt from MCLE in the reporting year in which they are admitted.
• Inactive licensees are exempt from the CLE requirement while on inactive status.

Key Takeaway: Missouri does not treat part-time attorneys differently — all active attorneys must satisfy the same 15-hour annual requirement (subject to standard carryover, exemptions, and rules on format).

In Missouri, CLE credit “counts” when earned through accredited programs, self-study (within limits), speaking, authorship, legislative service, and certain in-house offerings, subject to Rule 15 and its regulations.

Missouri attorneys must earn 15 credit hours per reporting year, including 3 hours in ethics (one of which must be in elimination of bias).

Qualifying CLE activities

• Attendance at accredited programs, seminars, or activities (live or interactive) — credit granted based on instructional time.
• Self-study (recorded courses, videotapes, audiotapes, written materials) — up to 6 hours per year.
• Speaking/presenting at accredited programs (with no compensation beyond reasonable expenses) — credit for presentation and prep time, within defined caps.
• Authorship of legal writings (published works) — credit for research and writing time, subject to per-work caps.
• In-house programs, seminars, or activities offered by an employer (if offered by an accredited or identified sponsor) and meeting accreditation criteria.
• Legislative service — for members or employees of the Missouri General Assembly, credit for service during that session (with limits).

Rules, limits & special requirements

• Instruction time is measured in 50-minute credit hours; breaks, introductions, and business portions do not count.
• Specialty hours (ethics, professionalism, malpractice prevention, explicit/implicit bias) must be earned in live or interactive programs — not via self-study.
• Self-study hours do not satisfy the specialty credit requirements and may not carry over.
• Carryover: excess accredited program hours (excluding self-study) may be carried forward, up to 15 hours.
• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt from reporting in the year of admission.
• To report attendance at a program not already accredited, an attorney may submit a request for accreditation via The Missouri Bar’s online MCLE system.

Key Takeaway: In Missouri, approved attendance, self-study (within limits), speaking, authorship, in-house programs, and legislative service may count toward the 15-hour CLE requirement—subject to caps, specialty hour rules, measurement standards, and reporting procedures.