Do ethics credits roll over to the next year?

Lawyers in North Carolina generally do not self-report CLE; approved CLE sponsors submit attendance to the State Bar within 40 days of the program. If a lawyer is asked to cure a CLE deficiency, they may self-report attendance (by mailing, faxing, or emailing certificates) to the CLE department.

Key Details:

• Most sponsors of CLE programs must report attendance directly to the NC State Bar CLE department within 40 days.
• If a lawyer receives a notice of a prior year’s deficit, they may self-report attendance via submission of the certificate(s) to the CLE department.
• The State Bar provides a “Report of Attendance at a CLE Program” form for sponsors.
• Attorneys must maintain records and certificates in case the Bar audits the compliance certificate.

Key Takeaway: In North Carolina, the reporting format is primarily sponsor-driven attendance submission, with attorneys only self-reporting in corrective or deficiency contexts.

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.

Alabama attorneys must complete 12 CLE credit hours per year, including 1 hour in ethics.

This obligation applies to all non-exempt active attorneys under Alabama’s MCLE rules.

Details

• At least 6 hours must come from “live” or synchronous activity; up to 6 hours may be from on-demand formats.
• Excess credits may carry over: attorneys may carry over up to 12 credits (including 1 ethics) into the next year.
• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt from the annual requirement for the remainder of the year in which they are admitted.
• If an attorney fails to meet the requirement by December 31, they must submit a deficiency plan by February 15 and complete it by March 1; noncompliance may incur sanctions.

Key Takeaway: Alabama requires 12 CLE hours each year (with 1 hour ethics), with half from live formats, carryover allowed, and deficiency procedures in place for late compliance.

Rhode Island attorneys must complete 10 CLE credit hours each year. That includes at least 2 hours in legal ethics and, starting July 1, 2025, 1 hour in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Annual CLE Requirements in Rhode Island

• Total requirement: 10 credit hours per reporting year
• Ethics requirement: 2 credit hours
• DEI requirement: 1 credit hour (effective July 1, 2025)
• Minimum live credit: 4 credit hours
• Maximum video replay/distance learning: 6 credit hours
• Reporting deadline: June 30 annually

Carryover & Exemptions

• Up to 10 excess live credits may carry forward one year
• Ethics credits in excess may also be carried over
• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt from the CLE requirement during the reporting year they are admitted and the next full reporting year; they must complete a “Bridge the Gap” program

Key Takeaway: Rhode Island requires 10 CLE hours each year, including 2 in ethics, 1 in DEI (from July 2025), with minimum live credits, limited carryover, and a Bridge the Gap requirement for new attorneys.

A CLE deficiency notice is an official notification sent by a state bar or MCLE board when an attorney has not completed or reported the required CLE credits by the deadline. It alerts the attorney to the deficiency and provides a cure period before penalties or suspension are imposed.

What It Includes

• The number of CLE credits still outstanding.
• Categories of credits missing (e.g., ethics, professionalism, specialty).
• Deadlines for curing the deficiency (often 30–60 days).
• Instructions for submitting proof of compliance and paying late fees.

Key Takeaway: A CLE deficiency notice is the bar’s formal warning that you are out of compliance, giving you a final chance to fix missing credits before fines or suspension take effect.

Attorneys in Iowa certify CLE compliance annually through the Iowa Judicial Branch CLE online reporting portal. The compliance period runs on a calendar-year basis, and attorneys must complete required credits by December 31 and certify compliance by March 10 of the following year.

Iowa CLE Reporting Format

• Completion deadline: All required CLE credits (15 hours, including 1 ethics and 1 wellness or diversity/inclusion credit) must be earned by December 31.
• Reporting deadline: Attorneys must log in to the Iowa Judicial Branch CLE portal and certify compliance by March 10 of the following year.
• Online certification: Reporting is done electronically — no written or mailed form is required.
• Provider submissions: CLE sponsors may report attendance to the Commission, but attorneys are responsible for confirming that all earned credits appear accurately before certification.
• Audit documentation: Attorneys must retain attendance certificates and course records for at least three years in case of audit.

Key Takeaway

In Iowa, attorneys certify CLE compliance annually via the Judicial Branch’s online CLE portal by March 10, following a December 31 completion deadline.