Washington

Washington attorneys must complete 45 CLE (MCLE) credits every three years. That includes at least 15 credits in law & legal procedure and 6 credits in ethics, and as of 2023 one ethics credit must be on equity/inclusion/bias mitigation.

Cycle & Deadlines

• Reporting period: 3 years (varies by group)
• Credits must be completed by December 31 of the final year of the cycle
• Certification/reporting deadline: February 1 of the year following the cycle

Credit Subcategories & Carryover

• Minimum required: 15 law & legal procedure credits
• Ethics/Professional Responsibility: at least 6 credits, of which at least 1 must focus on equity, inclusion, and bias mitigation
• Carryover: up to 15 excess credits may carry into the next reporting period, including up to 2 ethics credits

New Admittees & Special Rules

• Newly admitted attorneys are exempt from MCLE in the year of admission and the following calendar year
• All approved credits (live, recorded, teaching, mentoring, pro bono, etc.) may be applied so long as they comply with WSBA rules

Key Takeaway: Washington requires 45 CLE credits every three years, with minimums in law & procedure and ethics (including an equity-focused ethics credit), and allows up to 15 credits to carry forward.

Washington attorneys must complete 45 MCLE credit hours every three years, including 6 hours in ethics (with at least 1 hour addressing equity, inclusion, and bias).

Of those 45, at least 15 must be law & legal procedure credits.

Details

• Compliance period: three years; credits must be earned by December 31 of the final year and certified by February 1.

Yes — Washington permits late reporting of CLE credits (after the February 1 certification deadline), but doing so triggers a late fee (starting at $150) and continued noncompliance may lead to administrative suspension.

Under APR 11 and WSBA MCLE rules, attorneys must complete credits by December 31 of the reporting period and certify by February 1; certification or credit-completion after those dates is accepted with a late-filing fee.

Detailed Explanation

• Under Washington’s MCLE rules, all credits must be earned by December 31 of the last year of the 3-year

No — Washington does not require CLE to be in person. Attorneys may complete all required CLE credits by live webcast, prerecorded courses, or other approved formats, because Washington abolished its live-credit mandate.

Washington CLE Rules & Format Policies

• Total requirement: 45 credit hours per three-year reporting period.
• Live requirement history: Washington eliminated the obligation to attend courses in real time (in-person or webcast) as of January 1, 2016 — attorneys may now earn all credits through approved formats (live or recorded).
• Online / distance learning: Attorneys may take live webcasts or previously recorded courses (distance learning) for all credits, provided they comply with WSBA MCLE accreditation.
• Course accreditation: WSBA regulates approved CLE sponsors and courses; recorded products are accepted for credit.

Key Takeaway: In Washington, there is no requirement for in-person attendance — attorneys may satisfy their full CLE requirement using live webcasts or approved recorded/distance formats.

The CLE reporting deadline in Washington is February 1 following the end of your reporting period.

Washington attorneys must complete all required MCLE credits by December 31 of the last year of the reporting period, then certify compliance by February 1.

Washington MCLE Deadlines & Reporting

• Completion deadline: December 31 of the last year in your 3-year cycle
• Reporting /

You report CLE (MCLE) credits in Washington by certifying your compliance via the WSBA MCLE Online System by February 1 following the end of your three-year reporting period.
You must complete all required credits (by December 31 of the final year) and ensure both sponsor-reported and self-reported activities are reflected before certifying.

Overview of Washington MCLE Reporting

• Washington attorneys must complete 45 MCLE credits in every three-year reporting period, including at least 15 credits in law & legal procedure and 6 ethics credits (one of which must be in equity, inclusion & the mitigation of bias for reporting periods 2023–2025 and onward).
• Attorneys are grouped into three reporting groups based on year of admission.
• All credits must be earned by December 31 in the last year of your cycle.
• You must certify (report) your credits by February 1 following that December 31 deadline.
• Sponsor reports: accredited CLE sponsors must submit attendance records (for live, webcast, teleconference events) within 30 days after the event.
• Self-reporting: for on-demand, recorded, or non-sponsor-reported credits, you must enter them yourself via the MCLE Online System (within 30 days of completing the course).
• Carryover: you may carry forward up to 15 credits (including up to 2 ethics credits) into the next reporting period.
• Late filing / noncompliance: failure to complete or certify on time may subject you to late fees or suspension under APR 11 and APR 17.

Steps to Report CLE in Washington

1. During your three-year cycle, complete your 45 credits (including the law, ethics, and equity credits).
2. Retain certificates, agendas, provider information, course IDs, and proof of completion.
3. After December 31 of the cycle’s final year, review your transcript in the MCLE Online System to ensure sponsor-reported credits have posted.
4. Enter any missing credits (especially on-demand or non-sponsor-reported) using the “Add Credit” or “Self-Report” function (within 30 days of course completion).
5. By February 1, log into the MCLE Online System and certify your compliance for that reporting period.
6. If audited, be ready to present supporting documentation (certificates, agendas, etc.).
7. If you earned credits through Sprout Education, confirm that for live or sponsor-reportable courses we submitted attendance; and manually enter non-sponsorable credits before your certification.

Key Takeaway: Washington attorneys must meet 45 credits every three years, ensure all earned credits are posted (via sponsor reporting or self-reporting), and then certify compliance by February 1 following the December 31 deadline. Sprout Education assists reporting where permitted, but verifying and certifying your record is your responsibility.

Yes — Washington’s MCLE rules provide carved-out exemptions for judges, legislative members, the Governor, and Supreme Court clerks; newly admitted attorneys also receive an exemption for their admission year.

These exemptions are defined under Washington’s Admission & Practice Rule 11 (APR 11).

Details / Exceptions

• Judicial Exemption: Judges who are non-practicing are exempt from MCLE obligations under APR 11.
• Supreme

Yes — Washington allows carryover of CLE credits, up to 15 credits (of which up to 2 may be ethics/professional responsibility).
Under APR 11, lawyers (and LLLTs/LPOs) may carry forward excess credits from one reporting period to the next (maximum 15) if certified.

Details & nuances

• If in a reporting period you exceed the required 45 credits, up to 15 of the excess may carry over into the next period.
• Of those 15 carryover credits, up to 2 may be ethics / professional responsibility credits.
• To count as carryover credit, the activity must have been certified in the prior period (or supplemented via a supplemental certification if not originally certified).
• Washington’s MCLE page confirms this carryover rule: “You may carry over to the next reporting period up to 15 excess credits, two of which may be ethics credits.”
• CLE aggregators (such as NBI) also report the same carryover cap and ethics limit.

Key Takeaway
In Washington, you can carry over up to 15 excess CLE credits, including up to 2 ethics credits, into your next reporting period — provided those credits are properly certified.

The grace period for CLE reporting in Washington runs until February 1 after the December 31 deadline. Attorneys must complete credits by December 31, but they have until February 1 to certify compliance before late fees or suspension apply.

Key Deadlines:

• Credits must be completed by December 31 of the reporting cycle.
• Certification (reporting) is allowed until February 1 of the following year.

Consequences of Missing the Grace Period:

• A late fee applies if certification is not completed by February 1.
• Continued failure may result in administrative suspension until certification is completed.

Key Takeaway: Washington attorneys effectively get one extra month to certify CLE compliance, but missing February 1 risks penalties.

No — Washington does not require a fixed number of in-person classroom CLE hours.

The state’s MCLE rules allow attorneys to earn all required credits via approved online, recorded, or live-interactive programs without a live-credit minimum.

Details

• Under Washington’s APR 11 rules, a lawyer must complete 45 CLE credits in a three-year cycle, including at least 15

Inactive attorneys in Washington are not required to report or complete MCLE while their status remains inactive.

Upon reactivation, they must meet all MCLE obligations as an active member and may incur additional reinstatement conditions depending on how long they have been inactive.

Details

• The Washington State Bar allows inactive status for members not practicing law; while inactive, MCLE reports are not

In Washington, you can begin entering CLE credits into your MCLE transcript as soon as you complete a qualifying activity (especially for courses that require self-reporting). Providers and attorneys may submit credits before the end of the cycle.

However, you cannot formally certify your CLE compliance until after the reporting period ends (December 31). The deadline to certify your credits is February 1 of the following year.

Key Details

• Washington attorneys must complete 45 MCLE credit hours every three years.
• All credits must be earned by December 31

No — in Washington, judges are not governed by a separate CLE regime; they participate under the same MCLE rules that apply to attorneys (with some special allowances for judicial ethics).

Washington’s MCLE rules (APR 11) include judges (classified as “judicial members”) among those required to satisfy CLE, and the state separately provides Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) credit, especially in ethics, as part of judicial training.

Details

• Under APR 11, “judicial members” (i.e. judges or administrative law judges) must complete 45 credits every three

Yes — Washington attorneys may request an extension of time (or modification) to satisfy MCLE reporting requirements by filing a petition for undue hardship. APR 11 expressly authorizes waiver, modification, or extension of education or reporting obligations in cases of undue hardship.

Washington MCLE Structure & Deadlines

• Washington attorneys must complete 45 MCLE credits in each three-year period, including 15 law & legal procedure, 6 ethics (1 equity) credits.
• Credits must be earned by December 31 of the reporting period’s final year.
• Certification (reporting) is due by February 1 following the period.
• A late fee is imposed if credits are late or certification is late.

Hardship / Extension / Modification Authority

• Under APR 11(d)(2)(vi), the MCLE Board “shall waive or modify a lawyer’s … education or reporting requirements” upon a showing of undue hardship.
• APR 11(i)(5) permits petitioning for extension, waiver, or modification “at any time” in a form prescribed by the Bar.
• A petition filed more than 30 days after an APR 17 presuspension notice cannot stay suspension.

What You Should Do

1. Evaluate whether your situation qualifies as “undue hardship.”
2. Get the official petition form for extension/modification/waiver from WSBA or the MCLE Board.
3. File the petition before or shortly after your February 1 certification deadline.
4. Explain your hardship, prior compliance efforts, and timeline to complete what remains.
5. Continue earning CLE while your petition is pending — extension doesn’t pause obligations.
6. If granted, follow the Board’s modified schedule or conditions.

Limitations & Considerations

• The extension is discretionary, not a right.
• Filing a petition doesn’t automatically prevent suspension unless timely under the rule limits.
• If denied and noncompliance continues, administrative suspension under APR 17 is possible.
• The duration of any extension is determined case by case.

Key Takeaway

Under Washington’s APR 11, attorneys may file a hardship petition to obtain an extension, waiver, or modification of MCLE reporting obligations — but relief is discretionary, subject to procedural limits, and must be justified and timely.

Yes — Washington attorneys can submit (i.e. self-report) many CLE credits online through the WSBA MCLE Online System.

The system allows you to view your transcript, add credits (especially for recorded courses), and certify compliance for your reporting cycle.

Details:

• The WSBA MCLE page states you can “Login to Your MCLE Account to view, report, or apply for credits.”
• In its

No — Washington’s MCLE rules do not distinguish between part-time and full-time attorneys; all who are required to comply must satisfy the same credit requirement.

Washington’s MCLE requirements call for 45 credit hours over each three-year reporting period, including 15 in law & legal procedure and 6 in ethics (one of which must address equity/inclusion).

Details:

• Credits may be earned through live or self-study formats; there is no reduction based on how many hours one actually

Washington attorneys report CLE through the WSBA’s MCLE Online System, where they certify credits after earning them and sponsors submit attendance data. Reporting is done at the end of each three-year cycle, with certification due by February 1 following the December 31 cutoff.

Key Details:

• Attorneys log into the MCLE Online System (same credentials as MyWSBA) to view their reporting period, roster of activities, and certify compliance.
• Sponsors of live courses must report attendance within 30 days of the activity.
• Certification consists of checking a “Certify” box on your roster, agreeing to the certification statement, and submitting via the portal.
• Attorneys may also add courses, request comity credits, or correct pending items before certification.

Key Takeaway: In Washington, CLE reporting is conducted entirely online via WSBA’s MCLE system, with attendance submitted by sponsors and attorneys certifying their compliance at cycle’s end.

If you miss Washington’s CLE deadline, you will incur a $150 late reporting fee (which increases in subsequent reporting cycles) and may face administrative suspension if you do not become compliant. Attorneys must complete 45 MCLE credits over a three-year reporting period (including ethics, law & legal procedure, equity), finish by December 31, and submit their MCLE certification by February 1.

Washington CLE Deadline & Reporting

• December 31: All required credits must be earned by this date.
• February 1 (following year): Deadline to submit MCLE certification and pay any late fees.

Consequences & Suspension Procedure

• The default late fee is $150; each additional late reporting period adds $300 to the fee.
• If you fail to comply (by certification date or approved extension), the MCLE Board sends a pendency notice of suspension proceedings.
• You may petition for an extension, waiver, or agreement to cure the deficiency within 10 days of the notice.
• If no petition is filed or compliance is not achieved, the Board reports your noncompliance to the Supreme Court for automatic suspension.
• Reinstatement requires completing all deficient credits, paying late fees and compliance fees, and filing proof under the MCLE rules.
• Time spent while suspended or inactive requires special provisions when returning to active status.

Key Takeaway: In Washington, missing your CLE deadline results in escalating late fees, a formal suspension notice with opportunity to petition, and suspension if noncompliance persists — you must cure the deficiency, pay fees, and file proof to restore active status.

In Washington, CLE credit counts when earned through approved live, recorded, teaching, mentoring, pro bono, writing, or law-school activities under APR 11 and WSBA MCLE rules.

Lawyers must complete 45 credits every three-year reporting period, including at least 15 credits in law & legal procedure, 6 ethics credits (one of which must be in equity/implicit bias).

Qualifying CLE activities

• Attending approved realtime programs (live, webinars)
• Viewing or listening to approved prerecorded