Rhode Island

The CLE reporting deadline in Rhode Island is June 30 of each reporting year.

Attorney compliance and reporting occur on the same date—credits must be completed and certified in the MCLE portal by June 30.

Rhode Island CLE Reporting Rule

• Reporting period: July 1 through June 30 annually.
• Credit requirement: 10 credit hours per year,

No — Rhode Island’s MCLE rules do not provide a different requirement for part-time vs full-time practice; all active attorneys under the program are bound by the same CLE obligation (unless exempt).

Rhode Island requires active attorneys to complete 10 CLE credits per year, including at least 2 credits in legal ethics and (going forward) 1 in DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion).

Details:

• At least 4 credits must be from “live” programs.
• Up to 6 credits may be earned via video replay (on-demand) courses.

In Rhode Island, formal “reporting” of CLE credits (i.e. certifying your compliance) can only occur by the June 30 deadline at the end of the annual cycle. You cannot submit your CLE report before that date.

That said, approved CLE sponsors must submit attendance verification within 30 days after each program, so credits begin appearing on your transcript relatively soon after the event.

Key Details

• Rhode Island attorneys must complete 10 CLE hours per year, including 2 in legal ethics (and, effective July 1, a DEI

Yes — Rhode Island attorneys can submit CLE compliance online via the Rhode Island Supreme Court Attorney Portal.

The MCLE Commission requires attorneys to certify completion of the required credits annually, and the Portal is the official means to file that certification.

Details:

• Active attorneys must complete 10 CLE credit hours per reporting period, including 2 ethics credits.
• The certification

Rhode Island has a 90-day cure period after June 30 to correct CLE noncompliance. The MCLE Commission sends a notice of delinquency, and attorneys must remedy deficiencies within 90 days or face sanctions.

Rhode Island CLE Enforcement Timeline

• June 30: Deadline to complete and report all required CLE credits (10 hours per year).
• Within 90 days of a delinquency notice: Must cure deficiencies and submit proof.

Fees & Sanctions

• A makeup or late filing fee is assessed for credits completed after the 90-day period.
• If noncompliance is not corrected in 90 days, the attorney may be subject to Supreme Court sanctions.

Key Takeaway: Rhode Island gives attorneys up to 90 days after a delinquency notice post–June 30 to cure CLE deficiencies — missing that window can trigger fees and disciplinary actions.

No — Rhode Island’s CLE rules do not authorize a standalone “extension” for reporting; they allow waiver or alternative compliance requests for “good cause” or extreme hardship under MCLE Rule 3.2.

Rules & Relief Options in Rhode Island

• Rule 3.2(a) requires all active attorneys to complete 10 MCLE credit hours per reporting year (July 1 to June 30), including ethics and DEI credits.
• For attorneys with a disability that makes physical attendance an extreme hardship, the rules permit substitution of a different program or alternative plan, via application to the MCLE Commission by June 30.
• Other “good cause” requests for alternative programs, waivers, or exemptions must also be submitted by June 30 on the summary reporting form (Appendix G via the MCLE Portal) with a full explanation.
• The MCLE Commission reviews and grants or denies such relief based on the factual basis — there is no guarantee of approval.

What You Should Do

1. Check whether your circumstance qualifies under the “disability / extreme hardship” or “good cause” categories in Rule 3.2.
2. Complete the summary reporting form (Appendix G) by June 30 of the reporting year.
3. Explain your hardship or excusable reason in the form and propose an alternative plan (substitute program, extended schedule, waiver).
4. Submit supporting documentation (medical, travel, etc.).
5. Wait for the MCLE Commission’s decision; if granted, comply with the relief schedule or alternative compliance plan provided.

Limitations & Considerations

• Relief is discretionary — approval is not guaranteed.
• Requests must be submitted by June 30 — there is no rule permitting late extension filings.
• Approval does not alter the underlying rule — you remain responsible unless relief is granted.
• Relief is annual — repeated requests for the same hardship may be treated more strictly.

Key Takeaway
Rhode Island does not grant general extensions for CLE reporting — you must submit a relief request by June 30 under Rule 3.2 for waiver or alternative compliance, showing extreme hardship or good cause, and the decision is discretionary.

You report CLE credits in Rhode Island by logging into the MCLE & Payment for Indigent Defense Services Portal and submitting your credits (Appendices) by June 30.
Rhode Island requires 10 credit hours annually, including 2 in ethics, and compliance is reported on a single annual form via the MCLE portal.

Overview of Rhode Island MCLE Reporting

• The reporting period runs from July 1 through June 30.
• Attorneys must complete 10 CLE credits each year, of which 2 credits must be in ethics/professionalism.
• A new requirement (effective July 1, 2025) also mandates 1 credit in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) each year.
• At least 4 credits must be live or interactive (in-person or live webcast).
• Program sponsors report attendance to the RI MCLE system; attorneys use Appendices D, E, F, and G to submit courses not auto-reported.
• If you miss the June 30 filing, late fees may apply, and noncompliance may lead to removal from the master roll.

Steps to Report CLE in Rhode Island

• Complete your 10 required CLE credits (including 2 ethics and 1 DEI, if applicable) by June 30 of the reporting year.
• Retain your certificates, agendas, provider names, and course materials for at least three years.
• Log into the MCLE & Payment for Indigent Defense Services Portal.
• Use the correct Appendix forms (G for accredited sponsor-reported, D for unaccredited programs, E for authorship, F for teaching) to submit your credits.
• If a program you attended isn’t showing, attach the supporting certificate or syllabus when submitting via the portal.
• Certify your compliance in the portal by June 30.
• If you earned credits through Sprout Education, verify that your attendance was submitted properly—and that any non-auto-reported credits are included when you file.

Key Takeaway: In Rhode Island, attorneys must earn 10 CLE credits (including ethics and soon DEI) by June 30 and file via the MCLE Portal using the Appendices system. Sprout Education supports attendance reporting where allowed, but you must verify your record and certify compliance yourself.

No – Rhode Island does not impose a separate CLE requirement for judges; full-time state or federal judges and magistrates who are not engaged in the practice of law are exempt from MCLE.
Judicial education is administered by the Judiciary’s Education Office, while standard MCLE obligations apply to attorneys who do not fall within this exemption.

Details:
– Full-time judges and magistrates who are not practicing law are expressly exempt from MCLE under Article IV of the Supreme Court Rules.
– The Rhode Island Judiciary’s Education Office runs judicial education and also oversees MCLE for attorneys, but the MCLE exemption removes full-time judges from the attorney reporting requirement.
– Judges who are not within the exemption (for example, not full-time or engaged in the practice of law) remain subject to MCLE as active practitioners.

Key Takeaway
Rhode Island has no separate judges-only CLE requirement; instead, full-time judges who are not practicing law are

Rhode Island does not provide a CLE exemption for inactive attorneys—only “active practitioners” are subject to MCLE obligations.

If an attorney is moved to inactive status, they are removed from the active practitioner roster and must satisfy any outstanding CLE requirements upon reinstatement.

Details

• Article IV, Rule 1 states that on assuming inactive status, an attorney is removed from the active rolls until

In Rhode Island, CLE credit counts when earned through approved educational programs or activities accredited by the MCLE Commission, including live seminars, video replay, teaching, in-house training, authorship, and certain service roles.

Attorneys must complete 10 credit hours annually, including at least 2 hours in legal ethics and, beginning July 1, 2025, 1 hour in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Qualifying activities that count

• Live or interactive programs (in-person, webinars, teleseminars) with attendance verified.
• Video

Rhode Island attorneys must complete 10 CLE credit hours each year, including 2 hours in ethics and 1 hour in diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) (effective for reporting years starting July 1, 2025).

The CLE year runs July 1 through June 30, with credit reporting due June 30.

Details

• Minimum total: 10 credit hours per reporting year.

• Ethics: At least 2 of those 10 hours must cover ethics or

Yes — Rhode Island requires that at least 4 of an attorney’s 10 annual CLE credits be earned in “live” formats (in-person, live webcast, or teleconference). The remainder may be earned through video replay or other non-live formats, subject to limitations.

Rhode Island CLE Requirements

• Total requirement: 10 credit hours per reporting year (July 1–June 30) with at least 2 in ethics.
• Live-credit minimum: At least 4 credits must be earned in live programs (in-person, teleseminar, or webinar).
• Video replay limit: Attorneys may earn up to 6 credits per year via video replay or prerecorded courses.
• Credit types allowed: In-person, webcast/webinar, teleseminar, and video replay are all eligible (within limits).

Key Takeaway: In Rhode Island, attorneys must earn at least 4 of their 10 CLE credits annually via live formats (in-person or interactive webcast/teleconference); up to 6 credits may come from video replay/non-live programs.

Rhode Island attorneys must complete 10 CLE credit hours each year. That includes at least 2 hours in legal ethics and, starting July 1, 2025, 1 hour in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Annual CLE Requirements in Rhode Island

• Total requirement: 10 credit hours per reporting year
• Ethics requirement: 2 credit hours
• DEI requirement: 1 credit hour (effective July 1, 2025)
• Minimum live credit: 4 credit hours
• Maximum video replay/distance learning: 6 credit hours
• Reporting deadline: June 30 annually

Carryover & Exemptions

• Up to 10 excess live credits may carry forward one year
• Ethics credits in excess may also be carried over
• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt from the CLE requirement during the reporting year they are admitted and the next full reporting year; they must complete a “Bridge the Gap” program

Key Takeaway: Rhode Island requires 10 CLE hours each year, including 2 in ethics, 1 in DEI (from July 2025), with minimum live credits, limited carryover, and a Bridge the Gap requirement for new attorneys.

Yes — Rhode Island requires a minimum of 4 credit hours annually in live formats (in-person or synchronous).

Attorneys must complete 10 MCLE credit hours per year, of which up to 6 may be via recorded or on-demand programs.

Details

• Rhode Island’s MCLE rules mandate 10 total credit hours annually, including 2 hours in ethics and 1 in

Yes — Rhode Island allows carryover of CLE credits, up to 10 credits into the next reporting period.
The Rhode Island MCLE Commission confirms this carryover in its 2026 filing notice.

Details & nuances

• According to the 2026 Reporting Year MCLE Filing Notice, Rhode Island attorneys may carry over up to 10 credits; those carryover credits will automatically compute and apply to the next year but not thereafter.
• NBI’s Rhode Island CLE overview likewise states that attorneys “can carry over 10.00 CLE credits to your first reporting period.”
• Lawline’s CLE state summary similarly notes “Carry Over Credits: Attorneys may carry over 10 credits into the next reporting period.”
• Rhode Island requires 10 CLE hours per reporting year, including 2 hours in ethics (and, starting July 1, 2025, 1 hour in DEI).
• The carryover is limited to one year — credits not used in the next year do not continue carrying further.

Key Takeaway
In Rhode Island, you may carry forward up to 10 CLE credits into the next reporting period (including ethics), but unused carryover beyond that one year is lost.

Yes — Rhode Island’s MCLE rules expressly provide a number of exemptions or waiver categories, but attorneys must file the required certification or waiver with the MCLE Commission.

Under Article IV, Rule 3.2(b) of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Rules, the following attorneys may be exempt from the 10-credit CLE requirement (or parts thereof): those with disability, inactive or retired attorneys, public officials not practicing law, full-time judges, newly admitted attorneys (via the “Bridge the Gap” rule), longstanding board or committee members, attorneys aged 70+, and full-time military personnel.

Details / Exceptions

• Disability / Hardship: Attorneys for whom physical attendance imposes extreme hardship may request alternate

Yes — Rhode Island allows late reporting of CLE credits, provided you pay the required late-filing/makeup fees. The later you file, the higher the fee, and failure to cure within a reasonable period may lead to removal from the Master Roll of Attorneys.

Rhode Island’s MCLE rules impose late fees and makeup credit fees for untimely submissions (after June 30) and give attorneys a finite window (180 days from noncompliance notice) to remedy noncompliance before removal from the roll.

Detailed Explanation

• The Rhode Island MCLE reporting period is July 1 through June 30, with a June 30 deadline for both

Attorneys in Rhode Island report CLE through an online MCLE Portal, submitting a “Credit Reporting Appendix G” for each reporting year by June 30. Providers also submit attendance data to match the attorney’s submissions.

Key Details:

• The MCLE year runs July 1 through June 30. Filings (credit reporting, teaching, out-of-state, waivers) must be done via the MCLE Portal; paper submissions or emailed certificates are not accepted.
• The Credit Reporting Appendix G form is the primary reporting vehicle; attorneys check a certification box and submit via the portal.
• Attorneys must retain certificates for three years; the MCLE Commission cross-matches attorney submissions with provider reports.
• Late filing incurs additional fees if submitted after June 30; attorneys 70 and older after the June 30 cutoff may be exempt.

Key Takeaway: In Rhode Island, CLE reporting is done exclusively online through the MCLE Portal using Appendix G by June 30, and certificates are retained—not mailed or emailed.

If you miss Rhode Island’s CLE deadline, the MCLE Commission may refer you to the Supreme Court for sanctions and removal from the Master Roll. Attorneys in active status must complete 10 MCLE credit hours (including 2 in ethics and 1 in diversity, equity & inclusion) during the reporting year of July 1 to June 30 and submit proof by June 30.

Rhode Island CLE Deadline & Reporting

• July 1 – June 30: MCLE reporting year in which credits must be completed.
• June 30: Deadline to submit credit reporting or certification.

Consequences & Sanctions

• Failures to comply may lead the Commission to refer noncompliant attorneys to the Supreme Court for imposition of sanctions and removal from the Master Roll.
• Attorneys may also face administrative penalties or requirements for reinstatement under the rules authorized by Article IV, Rule 3.2.

Key Takeaway: In Rhode Island, missing your MCLE deadline risks formal referral to the Supreme Court, potential sanctions, and removal from the Master Roll unless you remedy the deficiency.