Can I submit CLE credits online in Texas?

Texas attorneys must complete 15 CLE credit hours each MCLE compliance year, including 3 hours in legal ethics.

The “compliance year” is determined by your birth month (for those licensed two or more years), or a 24-month initial period for newly licensed attorneys.

Details

• Accredited CLE: At least 12 out of the 15 hours must be from MCLE-approved activities.

• Ethics requirement: At least 3 hours must address ethics or professional responsibility, and up to 1 of those may be self-study.

• Self-study cap: A maximum of 3 hours per year may be earned via self-study (including 1 hour ethics).

• Carryover: Excess CLE credits (up to 15) may be carried forward to the next compliance year (including ethics).

• Newly licensed attorneys: Their first compliance period spans 24 months (rather than 12) and all CLE credits must comply with the same requirements.

Key Takeaway: Texas requires 15 CLE hours per year—3 in ethics—with accreditation and self-study limits, carryover allowed up to 15 hours, and a 24-month first cycle for new admittees.

The CLE reporting deadline in Texas is the last day of the attorney’s birth month.

Texas attorneys must complete and submit their required CLE hours by that date to avoid noncompliance penalties.

Texas MCLE Deadline & Reporting Rules

• Compliance Year: Runs from the first day of your birth month to the last day of the preceding month the next year (initial term for new attorneys is 24 months).
• Reporting Deadline: All CLE hours must be received by the MCLE Director by the last day of your birth month.
• Grace Period: Attorneys have automatic grace until the end of their birth month to finish and report CLE.
• New Attorneys: Initial compliance year may cover 24 months before aligning with the birth-month cycle.

Key Takeaway: In Texas, your CLE must be completed and reported by the last day of your birth month each compliance cycle.

Yes — Texas allows carryover of CLE credits, up to 15 hours (including ethics).
Under the Texas MCLE Regulations, a member may carry forward excess credit hours beyond the 15-hour minimum to the immediately following compliance year, with a cap of 15 hours including legal ethics/professional responsibility.

Details & nuances

• Texas requires 15 CLE hours per compliance year (or in the initial 24-month period for new attorneys), with 3 hours required in ethics/professional responsibility.
• MCLE Regulation Article XII, Section 3.3 explicitly provides: “A member may carry forward CLE credit hours earned in excess of the minimum 15-hour requirement to the following year’s requirement up to a maximum limit of fifteen (15) credit hours.”
• The carryover may include ethics credit, and the State Bar’s reporting instructions indicate that up to three ethics hours may be carried forward.
• Self-study and accredited CLE distinctions: Texas limits self-study credit to 3 hours per year (including up to 1 ethics) whether earned in the current or carried period.
• The carried hours are applied first in your next compliance year toward meeting the 15-hour requirement.
• Carryover is valid only to the next compliance year; you cannot carry forward beyond that.

Key Takeaway
Texas permits carrying over up to 15 excess CLE credits (including ethics) into the next compliance year, but the carryover must be applied immediately and cannot extend beyond one year.

No — Texas does not require CLE to be in person. Attorneys may satisfy their CLE obligation through live webcasts or recorded programs, subject to the state’s self-study rules.

Texas CLE Rules & Format Options

• Total requirement: 15 hours per compliance year.
• Ethics requirement: 3 of the 15 hours must be in ethics/professional responsibility.
• Self-study limit: Up to 3 hours may be self-study (reading, podcasts, MP3s, etc.).
• Accredited CLE formats: Includes in-person seminars, live webcasts, previously recorded versions of live programs, downloadable recordings, and self-study materials.

Key Takeaway: In Texas, there is no requirement for in-person attendance — attorneys may use live webcasts or approved recorded/self-study formats to satisfy most or all of their CLE obligation, with the only format restriction being that only up to 3 hours may be self-study.

You report CLE (MCLE) credits in Texas by logging into your “My Bar Page” and submitting any non-reported credits via the Credit Input Form before your reporting deadline (the last day of your birth month).
Sponsors of accredited CLE activities are required to submit attendance to the MCLE Director, but you must verify your record and supply missing credits if needed.

Overview of Texas MCLE Reporting

• Attorneys must complete 15 CLE hours per compliance year, including 3 hours in Professional Responsibility/Ethics.
• The compliance year begins on the first day of your birth month and ends the day before your next birth month.
• CLE sponsors must submit attendance to the MCLE Department within deadlines, but the individual reporting deadline is yours alone.
• If a sponsor fails to report your credit, you may enter it via the Credit Input Form (available on your My Bar Page).
• Credits submitted after your birth-month deadline may incur noncompliance fees or subject you to disciplinary action.

Steps to Report CLE in Texas

1. Complete your 15 CLE hours (with 3 in ethics) within your compliance year (birth month to next birth month).
2. Retain all course certificates, agendas, provider names, and documentation.
3. Check your MCLE record on your My Bar Page to ensure attendance submissions are posted.
4. If credits are missing, submit them via the Credit Input Form (online) before your reporting deadline (last day of your birth month).
5. Pay any noncompliance or late fees if you report after your deadline.
6. If you earned credits through Sprout Education, confirm our attendance report was submitted on your behalf (where permitted) and include any missing credits in your input form.

Key Takeaway: In Texas, CLE reporting is done through your Bar portal—sponsors report your attendance automatically, but you must verify your record and submit any missing hours via the Credit Input Form by the last day of your birth month.

You can begin having your CLE credits reported in Texas as soon as your provider submits them or you (if applicable) submit them yourself. Providers often submit credit to the State Bar of Texas, which must receive all CLE hours by the last day of your birth month.

But you cannot formally “certify” your compliance until the end of your MCLE compliance year (which ends on the last day of the month preceding your birth month). That month is also your reporting deadline.

Key Details

• Texas attorneys must complete 15 CLE hours each compliance year, including 3 hours in legal ethics or professional responsibility.
• The compliance period runs from the first day of your birth month to the last day of the month preceding your next birth month.
• All CLE hours must be received by the State Bar (via provider or self-report) by your reporting deadline, which is the last day of your birth month.
• You may manually report credits (for example, for self-study or out-of-state courses) using the Bar’s “Credit Input Form” via MyBarPage.
• If a provider’s reporting is delayed and your deadline is near, you should either request expedited reporting or self-report remaining credits to ensure your records are accurate in time.

Key Takeaway
In Texas, CLE credits begin being reported as soon as they are submitted (by providers or attorneys), but your formal compliance certification is only due at the end of your birth-month based cycle.