Yes — Arizona attorneys can submit CLE (MCLE) credits online by filing an affidavit via the State Bar’s member dashboard.
The State Bar makes the online affidavit available beginning in June and attorneys must certify compliance annually.
Details:
Yes. Arizona exempts some lawyers from MCLE under Supreme Court Rule 45.
Exempt or deemed-compliant categories include inactive and retired members, certain court personnel who meet COJET requirements, retired judges subject to assignment, lawyers who turned 70 before January 1, 2009, newly admitted lawyers (full exemption if admitted Jan 1–Jun 30; two-thirds of the annual hours if admitted Jul 1–Dec 31), active members residing in and complying with another MCLE jurisdiction, and members granted a one-year hardship exemption or deadline extension.
Arizona attorneys must complete 15 CLE credit hours each educational year. That requirement includes a minimum of 3 hours in ethics.
Key Takeaway: Arizona requires 15 CLE hours annually, inclusive of 3 ethics hours, with the cycle ending June 30 and the reporting deadline falling on September 15.
No — Arizona does not mandate that CLE be completed in person; live webcasts and other interactive formats meet the “live program” requirement. Arizona allows “live” programs delivered via webcast or simulcast, and also treats certain on-demand interactive programs as qualifying for credit.
Key Takeaway: Arizona permits live webcasts and interactive on-demand formats to satisfy its CLE requirements; in-person attendance is not required so long as the program meets the “live/interactive” standard.
No — Arizona’s CLE rules do not provide a reduced or different requirement for part-time attorneys; all “active” attorneys must meet the same standards.
Arizona Supreme Court Rule 45 requires each active member to complete 15 CLE credit hours per educational year (July 1 through June 30), including a minimum of 3 hours in professional responsibility (ethics).
Details:
Yes — in Arizona you can report CLE credits late, but doing so will require paying late fees and possibly face suspension if you delay too long. The Bar permits post-deadline affidavit filing subject to their fee schedule and noncompliance rules.
Details & Arizona Rules:
Inactive or retired Arizona attorneys are exempt from the annual CLE requirement so long as they remain in that status for the full educational year.
Key Takeaway: In Arizona, inactive attorneys don’t have to meet or report CLE credits while in inactive status — but to reactivate, they must catch up on CLE for the years they were inactive.
Yes — Arizona does impose a separate continuing education requirement for judges, distinct from the attorney CLE regime.
Under Arizona law and court rules, judges (termed “judicial members”) are exempted from the State Bar’s mandatory CLE program and instead must satisfy judicial education through COJET (Council on Judicial Education and Training).
Meanwhile, active attorneys must complete 15 CLE hours per year under Rule 45, of which 3 hours must be in professional
...Arizona attorneys must complete 15 CLE credit hours each year, including 3 hours in ethics.
The educational cycle runs July 1 through June 30, and attorneys must file an affidavit of compliance by September 15.
Acceptable CLE credit in Arizona includes: live CLE programs, webcasts, on-demand (recorded) courses, teaching approved legal education, writing legal articles, and qualifying pro bono service under Rule 45.
To count, activities must have attorneys as the primary audience, present significant legal or ethical content, supply an agenda/materials, issue attendance certificates, and be claimed only once per year.
No — Arizona does not impose a requirement that attorneys attend a minimum number of CLE hours in a physical, in-person setting.
Its MCLE framework permits credit for “Interactive CLE,” which includes live webcasts, teleconferences, and programs with real-time participation, as well as “Self-study” (recorded, non-interactive formats) subject to limits.
Details
The CLE reporting deadline (affidavit filing) in Arizona is September 15 each year.
The annual Arizona CLE compliance period runs from July 1 through June 30.
If you miss Arizona’s CLE deadline, you may incur late fees and face summary suspension if not brought into compliance. Arizona attorneys must complete 15 hours (including 3 ethics) by June 30 and file an affidavit by September 15; failure to file by December 15 triggers possible suspension.
Key Takeaway: Arizona enforces escalating late fees and potential summary suspension for failure to file the CLE affidavit by December 15 under Rule 45 — timely compliance is critical.
Yes — in Arizona you can request a hardship waiver of MCLE requirements (which can function like an extension) for good cause, but the Bar does not offer a general extension for late reporting.
Arizona’s Rule 45 and MCLE policies allow members to apply to the State Bar’s MCLE program for a waiver of the MCLE obligation or associated fees because of medical, financial, or military hardship.
You may begin reporting CLE credits in Arizona when the affidavit filing system opens in early June, immediately after the compliance year ends on June 30.
The reporting window then remains open until the September 15 deadline.
Key Takeaway: In Arizona, you can begin reporting as soon as the affidavit window opens in early June, and you must file no later than September 15 for the prior compliance year.
Yes — Arizona allows carryover of CLE credits, but only up to the amount required in the next reporting period (i.e. up to 15 credits, including ethics).
This is laid out in Arizona’s MCLE Regulations, which permit excess CLE hours above the annual requirement to be applied to the succeeding year, subject to the same category rules.
You report CLE credits in Arizona by filing an electronic affidavit through your State Bar member dashboard by September 15.
This affidavit certifies credits earned during the compliance year ending June 30.
The compliance cycle runs July 1 through June 30.
Attorneys must complete 15 hours annually, including 3 ethics.
Arizona does not preapprove providers; attorneys self-report credits.
Affidavits are due September 15; late credits or filings may incur fees, and failure to comply by December 15 may lead to suspension.
The grace period for CLE reporting in Arizona begins July 1 and extends through September 15 following the end of the reporting year. This allows attorneys extra time after the June 30 deadline to file their affidavit of compliance without the most severe penalties.
Key Takeaway: Arizona gives attorneys a three-month grace window after June 30 — until September 15 — to file their CLE affidavit, though increased fees apply for delayed submissions.
Attorneys in Arizona must file an annual MCLE affidavit through the State Bar’s online CLE Tracking Dashboard. You log into your Member Dashboard, verify your reported CLE hours, then click “File Affidavit” before the September 15 deadline.
Key Takeaway: Arizona attorneys self-report CLE annually via the Bar’s online affidavit system using the CLE Dashboard, with a hard filing deadline of September 15.
