What is the grace period for CLE reporting in Tennessee?

Tennessee attorneys report CLE via an Annual Report Statement filed after the compliance year ends (deadline March 1); providers submit attendance, and attorneys may use a notarized Affidavit if needed to prevent penalties.

Key Details:

• The CLE compliance period ends December 31; attorneys must file their Annual Report Statement by March 1.
• Providers have 30 days after completion of the program to report attendance to the Commission.
• If reported credits aren’t posted by deadline, the attorney may submit a notarized Affidavit of Compliance for already-accredited courses to prevent suspension or extra fees.
• For out-of-state or unaccredited programs, attorneys may submit a “Request for Credit” or “Application for Accreditation” along with supporting materials.
• Attorneys must keep their certificates and documentation; the Commission matches provider reports with the attorney’s record.

Key Takeaway: In Tennessee, attorneys certify CLE compliance through an Annual Report Statement by March 1, relying on provider-reported attendance—or, when necessary, a notarized Affidavit—to secure their compliance status.

In Tennessee, CLE credits begin being recorded as soon as providers submit attendance (within 30 days of the course). However, you cannot formally certify your CLE compliance until after the calendar year ends (December 31) — the reporting deadline is March 31 of the following year.

Key Details

• Attorneys must complete 15 CLE credit hours each year, including 3 hours of Ethics/Professionalism.
• Providers are required to report attendance and credits to the Commission within 30 days after the event.
• Compliance is assessed after the year closes: hours must be earned by December 31.
• The Annual Report Statement (for reporting) is issued in March, and attorneys must submit any missing or corrected hours by March 31.
• The Commission does not begin to assess compliance until the 30-day provider reporting window has passed after December 31.

Key Takeaway
You can start having CLE credits entered into your record right after completing courses (via provider reporting), but your formal CLE compliance reporting can only occur after December 31, with a March 31 deadline for submission.

Tennessee attorneys must complete 15 CLE credit hours per year, including 3 hours in ethics.

The CLE reporting cycle is the calendar year (January 1 to December 31), with reporting due by March 31.

Details

• Breakdown: 12 hours general + 3 hours ethics.
• Carryover: Up to 15 hours (including 3 ethics) may be carried forward to the next year.
• Delivery: All hours—live, webcast, or distance learning—are eligible without limitation under current rule.
• Reporting: Credits should be reported when earned (or as soon thereafter as practical), but no later than one year from date earned.
• Noncompliance: If CLE is not completed by December 31, a non-completion notice goes out around March 31, with the attorney given until May 31 to cure deficiencies.
• Special credit types: Teaching, bar exam service, pro bono, and other activities may yield CLE credit under specific caps (e.g. teaching materials with ≥ 5 pages gives 4 credits per presentation hour).

Key Takeaway: Tennessee requires 15 CLE hours annually (3 ethics), allows full flexibility in delivery, offers carryover, and enforces a grace cure period after reporting.

You report CLE credits in Tennessee by submitting the Annual Report Statement to the Tennessee Commission on CLE by March 31 (or, if claiming an exemption, by that date), certifying that you completed the required credits by December 31.
The CLE year is calendar (January 1 – December 31), and all attorneys must earn 15 credit hours (including 3 in ethics/professionalism) under Rule 21 of the Tennessee Supreme Court.

Overview of Tennessee CLE Reporting

• Under Supreme Court Rule 21, attorneys must earn 15 CLE hours annually, of which 3 must be ethics/professionalism (“EP”) credits.
• CLE providers must submit attendance lists and pay reporting fees within 30 days of the program.
• The Commission sends each attorney an Annual Report Statement (paper or electronic) by February 28.
• Attorneys must complete and deliver the Report Statement by March 31, either showing compliance, claiming an exemption, or filing a substitute program request.
• If compliance is late, noncompliance fees apply and attorneys may cure the deficiency via a late filing or affidavit by May 31.
• Attorneys may carry forward up to 15 excess hours (including EP) into the next compliance year.

Steps to Report CLE in Tennessee

• Complete your 15 CLE hours (with 3 ethics) by December 31.
• Keep your certificates, attendance records, provider information, and agendas.
• Confirm that providers submitted your attendance to the Commission within 30 days.
• Around February, you will receive the Annual Report Statement from the CLE Commission.
• Fill out and return the Report by March 31, indicating compliance or claiming exemption or substitution, and pay any fees due.
• If your Report shows noncompliance, cure by filing an affidavit or making up the CLE plus paying the noncompliance fee by May 31.
• If you earned credits through Sprout Education, ensure we’ve submitted your attendance (when permitted) and that your certificates support your filing.

Key Takeaway: In Tennessee, you complete 15 CLE hours by December 31, then submit the Annual Report Statement by March 31. Sprout Education supports attendance reporting where allowed, but verifying credits and meeting deadlines is your responsibility.

No — judges in Tennessee do not have a separate CLE regime; they are generally exempt from the attorney CLE requirement while serving as judges.

Under Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 21, the CLE requirement applies to attorneys, but Justices, Judges, and Magistrate Judges are exempt on the basis of their judicial continuing education or comparable programs.

Details

• Rule 21 lists as an exemption: “All Justices, Judges, and Magistrate Judges … shall not be subject to the requirements of this Rule 21 … in view of their required comparable continuing legal education programs.”
• Municipal court judges in Tennessee are required to complete 3 hours of training or continuing education annually through or with approval of the Administrative Office of the Courts, distinct from general CLE requirements.
• Judges involved in child custody cases must complete 2 hours annually of training in domestic violence / child abuse topics.

Key Takeaway

In Tennessee, judges are exempt from the general attorney CLE rule (Rule 21), so there is no separate “judicial CLE” regime for them broadly — though certain judges (municipal, custody court) have targeted training mandates.

No — Tennessee does not require CLE to be in person. Under current Tennessee law, attorneys may satisfy all credit hours via approved distance learning (live or recorded), as the prior limitation on online credits was removed as of November 1, 2022.

Tennessee CLE Format Rules

• Rule 21 of the Tennessee Supreme Court allows credit earned via in-person or distance learning formats without restriction.
• An attorney may receive credit for live-streamed sessions (webcasts) and prerecorded programs as long as they are approved and satisfy the Commission’s interactivity or format criteria.
• The Order effective November 1, 2022 eliminated caps on distance learning credit, meaning all required CLE credits may now be earned via online or on-demand methods.
• On-demand distance learning is allowed, but no credit is allowed for viewing a recorded program if the participant has already received credit for the original live presentation.

Key Takeaway: In Tennessee, attorneys are no longer required to attend in person — live webcasts and approved recorded/distance learning courses now satisfy the CLE requirement entirely.