How do I report CLE credits in North Carolina?

No — North Carolina’s CLE rules do not provide a reduced obligation for part-time attorneys; all active bar members must satisfy the same standard (unless exempt or prorated for partial first period).

All active members of the North Carolina State Bar must complete 24 hours of approved CLE over each two-year reporting period, including 4 hours in professional responsibility (ethics), 1 hour in technology training, and 1 hour in professional well-being.

Details:

• Members may carry forward up to 12 credit hours (but specialty credits like ethics, technology, or well-being must be earned in each period).
• Lawyers admitted in “odd” years will have a one-time, one-year/12-hour requirement to stagger reporting periods; those admitted in “even” years go directly into the full two-year/24-hour cycle.
• Exemptions may be claimed under 27 NCAC 1D, Rule .1517 for disability, hardship, or other reasons.
• Credit for nontraditional programs (e.g. teaching law courses) is allowed under Rule .1523, subject to Board approval.

Key Takeaway: In North Carolina, part-time vs full-time practice makes no difference — all active attorneys must comply with the full 24-hour, two-year CLE requirement (barring exemptions or the special first-period prorating rule).

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.

You may begin having CLE attendance reported in North Carolina almost immediately after a program is completed — most CLE sponsors have 40 days to submit attendance to the NC CLE department.

If a sponsor fails to report, you can self-report your certificate of attendance, especially if contacted about a prior-year deficiency.

Key Details

• North Carolina’s CLE reporting period is two years, running March 1 through February 28 (or 29).
• Attorneys must complete 24 hours during each reporting period, including required content in ethics, technology, and professional well-being.
• CLE sponsors must report attendance within 40 days of the program.
• If needed, lawyers may forward certificates of attendance directly to the CLE department (mail, fax, email) to ensure prompt credit posting.
• You don’t wait until end of cycle — reporting of each completed course begins as soon as the sponsor (or you, in some cases) submits attendance.

Key Takeaway
In North Carolina, CLE credits begin being reported as soon as programs conclude and sponsors submit attendance (within 40 days). Your formal compliance occurs at the end of the two-year reporting period.

North Carolina attorneys must complete 24 CLE credit hours every two years. At least 4 of those hours must be in ethics, 1 hour in technology, and 1 in professional well-being.

Reporting Period & Cycle

• Reporting period: March 1 through February 28 (biennial)
• Carryover: up to 12 credit hours may be carried into the next reporting period (carryover hours count toward total but cannot satisfy ethics, technology, or well-being mandates)

Required Subcategory Hours

• Ethics: ≥ 4 hours in the cycle
• Technology: ≥ 1 hour
• Professional well-being: ≥ 1 hour

New Admittee Requirement

• A Professionalism for New Attorneys program must be completed in the first reporting period; credit counts toward the 24-hour requirement

Key Takeaway: North Carolina’s CLE cycle is two years, requiring 24 credits with minimums for ethics, tech, and well-being, and allows up to 12 general carryover credits.

North Carolina does not provide a grace period for CLE reporting — hours must be completed within the reporting period itself. Under Rule .1522(b), attorneys may finish hours by the last day of February (end of reporting year), but no extensions beyond that are allowed.

North Carolina CLE Timing & Grace Rule

• Reporting period (new rules): March 1 through the end of February.
• Under prior rules: attorneys were allowed to complete required hours by the last day of February following the reporting year; that window was termed a “grace period,” but no extensions beyond it could be granted.

Consequences of Missing Deadline

• Filing a compliance report after February’s end triggers a $75 late filing penalty.
• Noncompliance may be referred for suspension unless the attorney shows good cause within 30 days of notice.

Key Takeaway: North Carolina has eliminated a true post-deadline grace period — attorneys must finish CLE by the end of the reporting cycle (February) or face penalties and suspension proceedings.

No — North Carolina’s CLE rules do not provide for a formal “extension” of time to report CLE, but they do authorize one-year exemptions for “special circumstances” like undue hardship. The Board may exempt an active member from CLE obligations for up to one calendar year on a showing of unique hardship.

North Carolina’s Rules & Exemptions

• Under 27 NCAC 01D, Rule .1517, the Board may exempt an active member from CLE requirements “for a period of not more than one year at a time” for “special circumstances unique to that member constituting undue hardship or other reasonable basis.”
• The NC CLE Exemptions page advises that attorneys may apply in writing to the Exemption Committee, explaining reasons and supplying documentation.
• The FAQ and Exemptions pages do not mention any separate extension or grace-period mechanism beyond the exemption process.

What You Should Do

1. Prepare a written request to the Exemption Committee of the NC CLE Board, stating your special circumstances and hardship.
2. Submit it together with your annual dues or at the time when exemptions are claimed, including supporting documentation (medical records, travel disruption, etc.).
3. If granted, the Board may exempt you from CLE obligations for one calendar year under Rule .1517.
4. If not granted, you must complete and report CLE as required in the regular reporting period.

Limitations & Considerations

• The exemption is discretionary — not every request will be approved.
• Rule .1517 limits exemptions to one year at a time; repeated exemptions for the same hardship may not be allowed.
• An exemption relieves your obligation for a period; it does not operate like an “extension” of reporting deadlines.
• During years without an exemption, you must satisfy CLE requirements under the standard schedule or face noncompliance consequences.

Key Takeaway
North Carolina does not allow extensions of CLE reporting, but you may petition for a one-year exemption under Rule .1517 for special hardship — success is discretionary.