🏛️ Your State & Period
📚 Completed Courses
📊 Compliance Status
How to Use This Calculator
- Select your state — The tool pre-loads your state bar's verified requirements: total credits, reporting period length, and specialty credit minimums (ethics, bias/diversity, wellness, and other).
- Enter your deadline — Put your actual compliance deadline date (not your reporting deadline). For Texas, this is the last day of the month before your birth month.
- Log completed courses — Add each CLE you've already taken with its credit hours and type. Be honest about the credit type; general credits cannot satisfy a specific ethics or specialty minimum.
- Read the gap analysis — The right panel shows a badge (Compliant / Gap remaining), total credits earned vs. required, and a bar for each category so you see exactly which types you still need.
- Print or export — Use Print / Save PDF to keep a personal record, or Export CSV for your files. Share the tool URL with colleagues.
CLE Requirements Quick Reference — 19 States
| State | Total | Period | Ethics min. | Other specialty | Carryover limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 12 | 1 yr | 1 hr ethics | — | Limited (≤6 online) |
| Arizona | 15 | 1 yr | 3 hrs ethics | — | 15 hrs (3 ethics) |
| Arkansas | 12 | 1 yr | 1 hr ethics | — | 12 hrs (1 ethics) |
| California | 25 | 3 yrs | 4 hrs ethics | 2 bias (1 implicit), 2 competence, 1 tech, 1 civility | — |
| Colorado | 45 | 3 yrs | 7 hrs ethics | — | — |
| Florida | 30 | 3 yrs | 5 hrs combined ethics/prof/bias/wellness | — | — |
| Georgia | 12 | 1 yr | 1 hr ethics + 1 hr prof. | — | — |
| Idaho | 30 | 3 yrs | 6 hrs professional responsibility | — | 10 hrs |
| Illinois | 30 | 2 yrs | 6 hrs professional responsibility | 1 diversity, 1 mental health (within 6) | — |
| Indiana | 36 | 3 yrs | 6 hrs ethics | — | — |
| Iowa | 15 | 1 yr | 1 hr ethics | 1 wellness or diversity | 30 (2 yrs) |
| Kansas | 12 | 1 yr | 2 hrs ethics/prof. | — | 10 general |
| Kentucky | 12 | 1 yr | 2 hrs ethics | — | — |
| Minnesota | 45 | 3 yrs | 3 hrs ethics | 2 bias, 1 mental health/substance use | None |
| Missouri | 15 | 1 yr | 3 hrs ethics/prof. | — | — |
| New Jersey | 24 | 2 yrs | 5 hrs ethics/prof. | 2 diversity/bias (within the 5) | — |
| New York | 24 | 2 yrs | 4 hrs ethics/prof. | 1 diversity/bias, 1 cybersecurity | — |
| North Carolina | 24 | 2 yrs | 4 hrs professional responsibility | 1 technology, 1 wellness | — |
| Texas | 15 | 1 yr | 3 hrs ethics/prof. | — | 15 hrs (3 ethics) |
Source: Individual state bar MCLE/CLE regulations; data verified against official bar websites. Requirements subject to change — always confirm with your state bar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CLE credits do I need as an attorney?
It depends on your state. Requirements range from 12 hours/year (Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky) up to 45 hours over 3 years (Colorado, Minnesota). Most states also require a subset of those hours in ethics or professional responsibility — typically 1–6 hours — and many now add specialty categories like diversity/bias elimination, substance abuse/mental health awareness, or technology. Use the calculator above to see your exact requirements.
Can I carry over CLE credits to the next reporting period?
Many states allow limited carryover. Texas allows up to 15 credits (including 3 ethics). Arizona allows up to 15 credits (including 3 ethics). Arkansas allows 12 credits (1 ethics). Kansas allows 10 general credits forward. Minnesota allows zero carryover. California, New York, and several others have no explicit carryover provision. The carryover fields in this tool let you credit any prior-period excess against your current requirement.
Do ethics CLE credits count toward my total hours?
Yes, in virtually every state, ethics/professional responsibility credits count toward your total required hours — they are not extra requirements on top of the total. For example, if Texas requires 15 total hours including 3 ethics, you need 12 non-ethics hours plus 3 ethics hours to reach your total of 15. This calculator tracks both the category minimum and the overall total together.
What happens if I miss my CLE deadline?
Penalties vary by state. Most impose a late fee (Texas charges $100–$300), a cure period of 30–90 days, and ultimately license suspension if the deficit isn't remedied. Some states send a non-compliance notice with a specific window to cure before any suspension action. The "Days until deadline" countdown in this tool is designed to prompt you before you reach that point.
What is the difference between CLE and MCLE?
CLE (Continuing Legal Education) and MCLE (Mandatory Continuing Legal Education) refer to the same attorney licensing requirement. MCLE simply emphasizes that completion is mandatory. California formally uses "MCLE"; Texas uses "MCLE" on its bar page; many other states just say "CLE." For practical purposes they are interchangeable terms for the same obligation.
My state isn't listed — what should I do?
Choose "Custom / Other state" from the dropdown. You can manually enter your state's total credit requirement, reporting period, and any specialty minimums (ethics, diversity/bias, wellness, or other). Look up your requirements on your state bar's official MCLE page, then plug the numbers in. The calculations work the same way.
Can I use this tool to track CLE across multiple states?
This version handles one state at a time. If you're admitted in multiple states (e.g., New York and New Jersey), run separate sessions or use the Custom option for the second jurisdiction. Because state bars generally count credits independently, you'll need to track each bar separately. The Export CSV button lets you save your course log for each jurisdiction.