Step 2: Application
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Current Bar Exam Applicants
Please contact the Character & Fitness Department at cfquestionsforms@michbar.org if you have questions about your application.
Applications for the February 2025 bar exam will be accepted after August 15, 2024, and must be electronically submitted prior to midnight EST, December 15, 2024.
Applications for the July 2025 bar exam will be accepted after January 15, 2025, and must be electronically submitted prior to midnight EST, May 15, 2025.
Please review the application instructions prior to beginning your bar exam application.
Uniform Bar Examination Transfer Application
Applications to transfer Uniform Bar Exam scores to Michigan are accepted January 15–May 15 and August 15–December 15. Please see the Uniform Bar Exam Transfer instructions to begin an application. Updates and additional information about the UBE process are posted on the Board of Law Examiners website.
Michigan Law Basics
The Michigan Law Basics online training is required for all applicants to the Michigan Bar. Applicants for admission by examination may not complete the training until the completion of law school.
The training is a collaboration between the Board of Law Examiners and The Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE).
Information regarding the training (FAQs) is available here.
Register for the training here.
Re-Examinee and Transfer Information
Re-Exams. A re-exam form is provided to applicable applicants with their official exam results. A duplicate re-exam form may be obtained by contacting the State Board of Law Examiners by email at BLE-info@courts.mi.gov.
Exam Transfer. To transfer to another exam date, send a written notice to the State Board of Law Examiners, P.O. Box 30052, Lansing, MI 48909. Please contact the Board of Law Examiners for information at BLE-info@courts.mi.gov and see the Bar Exam Application Instructions for fee information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Board of Law Examiners—Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Character and Fitness review consider?
As representatives of clients and officers of the court, lawyers hold a special position of trust within society. The Character and Fitness portion of the bar examination evaluates whether an applicant possesses the “good moral character” needed to practice law. Applicants are examined based on a number of factors, such as past criminal conduct, academic misconduct, violations of court orders, employment misconduct, and drug and alcohol dependency. Political statements and opinions are not considered in determining an applicant’s fitness to practice law. An applicant’s candor throughout the character and fitness process is often the most telling indicator of the applicant’s current fitness to practice law.
Related: Unraveling the mystery of the Character and Fitness process
Who do I contact for assistance with a problem/error message received when processing my application? Please contact the Character & Fitness Department, cfquestionsforms@michbar.org or (517) 367-6510. Note: Our office hours are 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday.
How long is my C&F certification valid? Character and Fitness clearance is valid for three years. The three-year period begins on the date clearance is obtained. Applicants not passing the examination within three years after receiving clearance must again be approved by the State Bar Standing Committee on Character and Fitness, (Rules for the Board of Law Examiners Policy Statement 2(C)-1. Duration of Character and Fitness Clearance.)
What is required to receive certified bar examination results? The Board of Law Examiners must receive certification of the applicant's:
- Graduation from law school
- Character & Fitness
- Passing score on the MPRE
- Michigan Law Basics online training
Who do I notify if I will not be able to sit at the exam for which I applied? Notify the State Board of Law Examiners in writing if you wish to transfer to a future exam or wish to withdraw from the Michigan exam, BLE-info@courts.mi.gov. There is a $100 fee to transfer to a future exam. Please note that the Character & Fitness process will continue unless you also, withdraw (in writing) your application, cfquestionsforms@michbar.org.
I need to re-take the exam. How do I sign up? The Board of Law Examiners includes a re-exam form with certified notification of failing bar exam scores. Complete the re-exam form and return it, with the re-exam fee, to the Board of Law Examiners. Please see Rules for the Board of Law Examiners Policy Statement 2(E). Character & Fitness certification is valid for 3 years from date of issuance. Contact the Board of Law Examiners to determine your eligibility to retake the bar exam. If your Character & Fitness certification has expired, you must submit new Affidavit of Personal History (bar application) and fees to the Character & Fitness Department, and submit a re-exam form and fee to the Board of Law Examiners, a minimum of 60 days prior to the exam date.
Can I submit my application without my out-of-state criminal clearances or driving records? Yes. Electronically submitting the application is the first step. Then, after you submit the required Waiver and Release to the Character & Fitness Department, the forms needed to request the out-of-state criminal clearances and driving records will be mailed to you. Using the provided forms to request this third-party information will make the task much easier for you.
Where do I find information about the MPRE? Information can be obtained from the National Conference of Bar Examiners. The application for the MPRE may also be available at a Michigan law school. For records, contact the NCBE. Score information is available at BLE FAQ Questions About the Bar Examination.
How do I transfer my MBE score? See the F-2 form or contact the Board of Law Examiners at (517) 373-4453. For information on the MBE exam please see the NCBE website. Please note, there is a deadline to perfect the right to transfer your MBE scores to the Board of Law Examiners.
I need special accommodations when I take the bar exam. How do I make arrangements? Special accommodations are available on a showing that the applicant has a disability or medical condition warranting such accommodations. The Board of Law Examiners employs the Americans With Disabilities Act standard, i.e., that a person is disabled if that individual has "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual." See 42 USC 12102. A Special Accommodations Questionnaire and Affidavit is available from the Board. The request must be filed not later than May 15 for the July examination and not later than December 15 for the February examination.
When will I get my admission certificate for the bar examination? During the first week of the month of your scheduled bar examination, the State Board of Law Examiners will mail your admission certificate and information about the bar examination to your "Permanent Address," as provided on the Application to Sit (F-1) form. Once the admission certificates are deposited in the mail, you must wait 10 days prior to contacting the BLE for a duplicate mailing. If you have a change in address, you must notify the Board in writing, please use the Permanent Change of Address form.
Where is the exam held? What are the exam dates? Please see the Exam Dates/Location information. Updates and information on the exam location will be posted on the Board of Law Examiners website.
What can I bring to the Bar Exam? Please consult the Board of Law Examiners’ Exam Security and Conduct Policy for information on items that may be brought into the examination room and/or testing area.
How do I know if the State Bar of Michigan has received my application? A payment receipt will be issued immediately upon completing the submission process. The payment receipt is your assurance that the application and fees have been received at the State Bar of Michigan. However, as stated in the instructions, work will not begin on your Character & Fitness application until the executed Waiver and Release is received. The Waiver and Release must be submitted to the Character & Fitness office within two weeks of uploading the application and paying fees.
Other bar applicants have already received their Character & Fitness certification, and I haven't received mine. All applications are reviewed individually and the amount of time necessary to process and investigate is dependent upon each applicant's circumstances, cooperation, and the receipt of third-party responses. If the Character & Fitness Investigators need additional information, you will be notified by email or letter. "Status" letters are e-mailed periodically to notify bar applicants of outstanding application information. A bar applicant’s timely responses to requests for additional information, and follow up with outside agencies, greatly impacts the speed with which their file can be completed and moved on to the next step, either approval or referral for a District Committee interview.
Do I need a certified driving record from a state in which I lived but never held a driver's license? See Required Third Party Information Instructions at Step 3.
My out-of-state criminal clearances haven't been received yet. Will I be charged late fees? Electronically submitting the application is the first step. Then, after you submit the required Waiver and Release to the Character & Fitness Department, the forms needed to request the out-of-state criminal clearances and driving records will be mailed to you. Using the provided forms to request this third-party information will make the task much easier for you.
I do not have five people who have known me for 5 years to list as references. What do I do? You must supply a written explanation if a reference person has not known you for the required five-year time period, and ask for a waiver of that requirement. An F-6 Supplemental Answer Sheet must be used for your waiver request and it should be submitted with the executed Waiver and Release. Anyone related to you through blood or marriage may not serve as a reference, although your references may be related to each other.
What if I cannot remember the complete address for my residence or employment history? Please be as specific as possible by providing all available information to the best of your recollection. For example, if you do not recall the dormitory or apartment number for a previous residence, indicate the street address or dormitory name with the city and state. Do not provide mailing addresses (such as post office boxes), but rather the addresses of the places where you actually resided. When completing your employment history, list the address of the location where you worked, not the company's corporate headquarters.
Do all of my application exhibits need to be notarized? No. The only exhibits that need to be notarized are foreign documents translated into English.
Where do I send my application? Electronic application submission and fee payment is required. Supplemental materials should be sent after your application has been electronically submitted and mailed/delivered to the State Bar of Michigan. Step 4.
Can I send personal checks for the examination and investigation fees? No. Electronic fee payment is required for the initial examination and investigation fees. Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Contact the Board of Law Examiners for payment information for exam transfers and re-examination fees.
Should supplemental application materials be single or double sided? Original documents received from third-party agencies, such as police stations and courts, may be double sided. When submitting supplemental documents, please use paper clips and binder clips; do not use staples, plastic comb binding, 3-ring binder, or tabs.
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Who to Contact
State Board of Law Examiners
Email: BLE-Info@courts.mi.gov
Mail: P.O. Box 30052, Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: (517) 373-4453
State Bar of Michigan Character & Fitness Department
Email: cfquestionsforms@michbar.org
Mail: State Bar of Michigan, Attn: C&F, 306 Townsend St., Lansing MI 48933
Phone: (517) 367-6510
- Bar exam application registration, completion, and payment questions.
- Information about the character and fitness process can be found in the application instructions .
National Conference of Bar Examiners
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