How many CLE credits do Hawaii attorneys need?

Yes — Hawaii allows carryover of CLE credits, up to 3 hours, but ethics credits cannot be carried forward.

This carryover relates particularly to the Hawaii Professionalism Course for new attorneys and more generally to unused credits from the prior year.

Details & nuances

• Under Hawaii rules, active members must complete 3 CLE credit hours per year, with at least one ethics/professional responsibility hour every three years.
• According to the Hawaii MCLE FAQ, “up to 3 credit hours can be carried over to the next compliance period,” provided those credits were earned in the prior calendar year.
• The ABA’s jurisdiction summary notes that for the required Hawaii Professionalism Course (which is mandatory for new attorneys), the course is worth 4.5 credits, 3 of which can be carried forward into the first reporting year.
• Provider materials (e.g. NACLE) state that “Attorneys may carry over 3 credits … Ethics credits cannot be carried over.”
• There is no authoritative source indicating a broader or larger carryover beyond 3 credits, or carryover of ethics credits as ethics credit.

Key Takeaway

In Hawaii, you may carry forward up to 3 CLE credits (but not ethics credits) into the next compliance year — beyond that, extra credits don’t count toward future obligations.

You may begin reporting CLE for Hawaii when you file your annual attorney registration, which includes certifying your prior year’s compliance (i.e. “reporting” occurs in January after the year ends).
Hawaii’s compliance period is the calendar year (January 1 to December 31), and attorneys certify CLE compliance on their annual registration form the following year.

Key Details

• Active Hawaii attorneys must complete 3 CLE credits per calendar year, inclusive of 1 ethics credit every three years.
• CLE credits must be earned by December 31 of that year.
• Reporting is done through the annual attorney registration form, where you certify that you satisfied the CLE requirement for the previous year.
• Providers (e.g. NBI) report attendance to the Hawaii State Bar so that your transcript is up to date by registration time.
• You must maintain documentation (certificates, course records) for three reporting periods in case of audit.
• Sprout Education reports attendance on behalf of attorneys (within 30 days where permitted) and helps ensure those credits appear when you register.

Key Takeaway: You can “report” your Hawaii CLE compliance only when you complete your annual registration (typically in January following year-end), not before — all required CLE must be earned by December 31.

You report CLE credits in Hawaii by certifying your CLE compliance on your annual attorney registration form (due after December 31).
Hawaii requires a minimum of 3 CLE credit hours per calendar year, with at least 1 ethics hour every three years.

Overview of Hawaii MCLE Reporting

Hawaii’s Mandatory CLE (Rule 22) obligates all active attorneys to complete at least 3 CLE credit hours each year.
Of those, at least 1 credit hour of ethics or professional responsibility must be completed once every three years, and that hour counts toward the annual requirement.
Attorneys are not required to submit certificates yearly unless selected for audit; records must be maintained for three reporting periods.

How to Report CLE in Hawaii

• Complete your 3 credit hours by December 31 of each year, including ethics when required.
• Retain your CLE certificates, program titles, dates, and provider credentials for at least three years.
• When you file your annual attorney registration, certify the number of CLE hours you completed (and ethics if due).
• If audited, provide certificates and any requested documentation to verify your reported hours.
• If you earned credits through Sprout Education, confirm that you have the proper documentation; where Hawaii allows provider reporting, we support that transmission, but you must still make your registration certification.

Key Takeaway: In Hawaii you fulfill 3 CLE credits annually and report compliance via your registration form. Sprout Education assists with reporting where allowed, but attorneys must maintain records and make their own certification.

Missing Hawaii’s CLE deadline triggers a certified notice of noncompliance and automatic suspension if not cured within 60 days. Hawaii attorneys must complete 3 CLE credits (including 1 ethics credit every three years) and report compliance by December 31.

Rule 22 Noncompliance Procedure

• The Board sends a certified notice of noncompliance after the review or audit. ([HSBA CLE Regulations](https://hsba.org/images/hsba/MCLE/CLE_Regulations.pdf))
• You have 60 days from the notice to submit evidence of completion of missing credits and pay the late fee, or prove the notice was issued in error. ([HSBA CLE Regulations](https://hsba.org/images/hsba/MCLE/CLE_Regulations.pdf))
• If you fail to cure within 60 days, you are automatically and immediately suspended. ([HSBA CLE Regulations](https://hsba.org/images/hsba/MCLE/CLE_Regulations.pdf))

Key Takeaway: In Hawaii, missing the CLE or reporting deadline starts a 60-day cure window under Rule 22, and failure to comply by its end leads to automatic suspension until you complete the requirements and pay fees.

Yes — Hawaii provides several exemptions from its CLE (MCLE) requirement, such as for full-time federal/state judges, newly licensed attorneys in their admission year, and inactive bar members (among others under Rule 22).

Under Hawaii’s Rule 22 (RSCH), active members generally must complete 3 CLE hours annually, but exemptions include full-time judges (federal, ALJ, bankruptcy, etc.), new admittees in their admission year, and inactive members.

Details / Exceptions

• Full-time judges and judicial officers: Federal judges, magistrate judges, bankruptcy judges, U.S. Court of Federal Claims judges, administrative law judges are exempt from CLE. RSCH Rule 22(h).
• Newly licensed attorneys: Attorneys who elect active status in the year they are licensed are exempt from the 3-hour CLE requirement for that year. RSCH Rule 22(j).
• Inactive members: Attorneys in inactive status are exempt from CLE obligations.
• Status change (inactive → active): If an attorney moves from inactive to active status, they must complete 3 CLE hours (including 1 ethics) within 3 months of electing active status. RSCH Rule 22(i).

Key Takeaway
Hawaii does exempt certain attorneys — notably full-time judges, new admittees in their first year, and inactive members — but active attorneys in other categories generally have to meet the 3-credit annual CLE requirement under Rule 22.

In Hawaii, CLE credit counts for attending approved programs, teaching, writing scholarly legal articles, in-house courses, and out-of-state or alternate-format programs—so long as they satisfy HSBA standards under Rule 22.

These activities must be approved by the Hawaii State Bar or accepted jurisdictions and meet quality, content, and delivery requirements set in the CLE Regulations.

Details

• Active attorneys must complete at least 3 credit hours annually, including 1 hour of ethics every three years.
• Attending approved courses or activities (e.g. bar programs, webinars, in-house seminars) qualifies.
• Teaching or presenting CLE: credit may include preparation time (up to 2 hours prep per 50 minutes of teaching).
• Writing approved legal or scholarly articles: up to 2 credit hours per 1,500 published words, under CLE Regulation 3.
• In-house programs (firm, corporate, government) may qualify if they satisfy CLE standards and are approved.
• Alternate formats (recorded, online, teleconferences, DVD, self-study) count if previously approved under Regulation 4.
• Out-of-state courses: if offered by an approved jurisdiction, they can be claimed without prior HSBA approval. Otherwise, approval must be sought via application.
• Excess credits: up to 3 credit hours may carry forward one year.

Key Takeaway

Hawaii allows CLE credit from approved courses, teaching, writing, in-house programs, and alternate formats—including out-of-state credit—so long as the activity meets HSBA approval standards under Rule 22 and the CLE Regulations.