How many CLE hours are required every reporting cycle in New York?

You report CLE credits in New York by certifying your compliance on your biennial Attorney Registration Form (due within 30 days after your birthday in alternate years).
New York uses a self-reporting model — you don’t submit each certificate to the CLE Board, but you must retain them for audit.

Overview of New York CLE Reporting

Experienced attorneys must complete 24 CLE credit hours every two years, including:
• 4 hours in Ethics & Professionalism
• 1 hour in Diversity, Inclusion & Elimination of Bias
• 1 hour in Cybersecurity, Privacy & Data Protection (effective July 1, 2023)
Newly admitted attorneys (first two years) must complete 32 transitional CLE hours (16 per year), with required categories including ethics, skills, law practice, and one cybersecurity hour.
You may carry over up to 6 credits from one cycle to the next.
You are exempt if you do not practice law in New York during the cycle, are a full-time active duty military, or are retired under Judiciary Law § 468-a.

Steps to Report CLE in New York

• Complete your required CLE hours before your registration due date (within 30 days after your birthday).
• Retain certificates, agendas, provider details, and proof of attendance for at least 4 years.
• When your biennial registration period arrives, complete your Attorney Registration Form and check the appropriate CLE certification box:
• Certification 1 – “Completed CLE credit requirement”
• Certification 2 – “Exempt from CLE requirement”
• Certification 3 – “Applied for extension, waiver, or modification”
• You do not attach certificates to the registration form; only certify compliance.
• If audited, provide your certificates and supporting documentation upon request.
• If you earned credits through Sprout Education, make sure your attendance records align with New York’s approved program criteria and that you maintain all documentation (we support recordkeeping but you must manage your certification).

Key Takeaway: New York attorneys certify CLE compliance via their biennial registration form, rather than by submitting each credit. You must complete 24 hours (or 32 hours if newly admitted), keep your records, and check the appropriate certification box when you file your registration.

No — New York does not require most attorneys to complete a minimum number of in-person or live webcast CLE credits.
Experienced attorneys may earn all required CLE credits through on-demand or recorded programs, provided the course is accredited and completed within the compliance period.

CLE Format Rules in New York

• Experienced attorneys (admitted more than two years) must complete 24 CLE credits every two years. All 24 credits may be earned via nonparticipatory (on-demand) programs, as long as the course is approved by the New York State CLE Board.
• Newly admitted attorneys (in their first two years of admission) are the exception:
  • Skills credits must be completed through a traditional live classroom or a fully interactive live videoconference.
  • Ethics and Professionalism credits must allow real-time interaction (such as live webcast or video).
  • Temporary provisions allow newly admitted attorneys to complete Skills credits via live interactive webcast or teleconference through December 31, 2025.
• There is no universal live-hour minimum for all attorneys under New York’s CLE rules.

Summary Table

Key Takeaway

New York does not impose a live or in-person CLE minimum for most attorneys — only newly admitted attorneys must take certain Skills and Ethics credits in live or interactive formats.

Yes — New York’s CLE rules exempt some attorneys, subject to conditions, under 22 NYCRR § 1500.5.

Attorneys who do not practice law in New York during their biennial reporting cycle, full-time active U.S. military members, attorneys temporarily admitted for a case, and those retired under Judiciary Law § 468-a are among those eligible.

Details / Exceptions

• Not Practicing in New York: Attorneys who certify that they did not provide legal advice or representation during the cycle are exempt.
• Active Military Duty: Full-time members of U.S. or State military services on active duty are exempt.
• Temporary Admission: Attorneys with offices outside New York temporarily admitted to practice in NY for specific proceedings are exempt.
• Retirement Certification: Attorneys who certify they are retired pursuant to Judiciary Law § 468-a are exempt.
• Waiver / Modification: In individual cases involving undue hardship or extenuating circumstances, the CLE Board may grant waivers or modifications.
• Prorated CLE: If an attorney begins or ceases practicing in New York mid-cycle, a prorated CLE requirement may apply.

Key Takeaway
New York does not blanket-exempt broad classes like judges or older attorneys, but provides targeted exemptions for non-practicing, military, temporary admissions, or retired attorneys, with room for waivers in hardship cases.

In New York, attorneys earn CLE credit by participating in Board-accredited programs, presenting or teaching, publishing legal works, or engaging in qualifying pro bono service, subject to format, documentation, and category rules.

These rules derive from 22 NYCRR Part 1500 and the NY State CLE Board’s policies.

Credit-eligible activities

• Attendance at accredited programs in formats such as live classroom, webinars, teleconferences, videoconferences, and recorded/on-demand courses, provided the sponsor is NY-approved.
• Presenting, teaching, moderating, or panel participation at accredited CLE programs; credit awarded for instruction time and in some cases preparation.
• Publishing legal writings, legal articles or books, when the CLE Board approves the content for credit.
• Involvement in legal education or service roles recognized by the CLE Board (e.g. judging moot court or supervising competitions).
• Out-of-state courses approved via the NY “Approved Jurisdiction” policy, converted to NY credit based on minute rules.

Key constraints & formatting rules

• Credit is calculated in 50-minute hours, in 0.5-hour increments.
• Experienced attorneys (bar > 2 years) must complete 24 credits every two years, including 4 in Ethics, 1 in Diversity, Inclusion & Elimination of Bias, and 1 in Cybersecurity (effective July 1, 2023).
• Newly admitted attorneys must complete 32 transitional credits in their first two years (16 credits per year) in required categories (Ethics, Skills, Law Practice Management, Cybersecurity).
• Ethics/Professionalism, Diversity, and Cybersecurity credits may require participation or interactivity (e.g. live or fully interactive webcast) depending on rules.
• Excess credits may carry over: experienced attorneys may carry over up to 6 credits.
• Attorneys must retain certificates for program completion (minimum four years) and report CLE compliance on the biennial attorney registration form.

Key Takeaway: In New York, CLE “counts” when attorneys attend NY-accredited programs, teach or publish with approval, or participate in legal education roles—including out-of-state programs under the Approved Jurisdiction policy—subject to minute-based credit calculations, required credit categories, and reporting rules under 22 NYCRR Part 1500.

Yes — New York allows carryover of CLE credits, with caps and rules depending on status (experienced or newly admitted).

Experienced attorneys may carry over up to 6 excess CLE credit hours into the next biennial reporting cycle.

Details & nuances

• Under the New York CLE “Carry-Over Credit FAQs,” once you complete your required 24 hours, you may carry forward a maximum of 6 excess credit hours, in any category.
• The New York Rules (NYCRR) similarly provide: “an attorney who accumulates more than the 24 hours of credit in any one biennial reporting cycle may carry over a maximum of six credits.”
• For newly admitted attorneys (in their transitional 2-year period), the carryover rules differ:
  • If in your first year you earn more than the required transitional 16 credits, you may carry over up to 8 credits into your second year.
  • Once the transitional period is over, you follow the 6-credit carryover maximum like experienced attorneys.
• Ethics/Professionalism credits cannot be carried over during the transitional period, although after you become an experienced attorney you may carry ethics credits in the 6-credit carryover.

Key Takeaway

In New York, experienced attorneys may carry over up to 6 CLE credits into the next biennial period; newly admitted attorneys have a higher carryover (up to 8 credits) only during their transitional period, but ethics credits aren’t allowed to carry over then.