Step 6: What to Do After You Pass the Bar Exam or have been approved for admission on UBE score transfer or for BLE Rule 5 Admission Without Examination
If you have recently passed the Michigan bar exam, been approved for admission by UBE score transfer, or for BLE Rule 5 Admission Without Examination, CONGRATULATIONS!
There are just a few more steps you need to take before you will be able to practice law in Michigan:
- You have been approved for admission if the Board of Law Examiners (BLE) has sent your admission approval packet that includes the original letter of qualification signed by the BLE Executive Director indicating that you have met all the requirements. If you have any questions regarding your admission approval, contact the BLE at (517) 373-4453 or BLE-Info@courts.mi.gov.
- Ensure that your file has been approved by Character and Fitness. If you have questions regarding your character and fitness approval, contact Character and Fitness at (517) 367-6510 or at cfquestionsforms@michbar.org.
- Swearing-in Ceremony: Participate in a local bar association or court ceremony to take the oath and receive your order of admission.
- Submit Admissions Application: File the final licensing application with your admission order and pay dues.
- The State Bar of Michigan (SBM) will assign a P#. You are not eligible to practice law until you have a P#.
For examinees, the Board of Law Examiners (BLE) will post results by seat number on its website the same day the results are mailed. If you passed the examination and have met all the admission requirements, official results that include the letter of qualification are mailed to examinees. For UBE score transfer and BLE Rule 5 admission applicants who have been approved for admission, the BLE will send the admission packet that includes the letter of qualification.i
Following the receipt of the BLE’s licensure approval, a swearing-in ceremony must be scheduled.
Swearing-In Ceremonies
Upcoming Swearing-In Ceremonies:
Information about upcoming group swearing-in ceremonies will be posted here when it is available.
- Grand Rapids Bar Association: TBA
- Kalamazoo County Bar Association: May 21, 2026
- Oakland County Bar Association: TBA
Please note that there may be upcoming group swearing-in ceremonies that have not been reported to the State Bar of Michigan. Check with your local bar association for updated information.
The State Bar of Michigan does not usually host a mass swearing-in ceremony, nor can it assist with scheduling a private swearing-in ceremony.
The following are a list of active and consistent bar associationsii that usually host mass swearing-in ceremonies or may assist in private swearing-in ceremonies:
Southeast Michigan
West Michigan
Mid-Michigan
Group Swearing-In Ceremony Information:
To be sworn in to the Michigan bar, qualified applicants must have a Michigan attorney in good standing to make a motion before the court. This may be an attorney of your choice, or you may need to reach out to an attorney you respect to request they make the motion. Group swearing-in ceremonies have an attorney on hand to assist with this process but please note that you most likely will not be allowed to have an attorney of your choice make the motion at the group swearing-in ceremony. If you prefer this option, you will need to schedule a private swearing-in ceremony.
Group swearing-in ceremonies are usually held twice per year, following the release of the bar passage results. Anyone approved for admission to the Michigan bar may participate in a group swearing in ceremony (examinees, UBE score transfers, and BLE Rule 5 admissions). Upcoming group swearing-in ceremonies are as follows:
Private Swearing-In Ceremony Information:
Outside of the group swearing-in ceremonies, qualified applicants may contact a circuit court in their local area to request a private swearing-in ceremony. You must have a Michigan attorney in good standing of your choice to make this motion. While the court cannot assist you with this, your local bar association may be able to assist you. To find a court’s contact information, please visit the Michigan Trial Court Directory.
Virtual Swearing-In Ceremony:
The group swearing-in ceremony may be able to provide a remote option. You must check with the host bar association to determine whether this option is available.
For a virtual private swearing-in ceremony, contact the preferred court to ensure they have the capability to provide a remote option. If they are unable to provide a remote option, contact your local bar association for courts that may be able to assist you.
Ceremony
You may invite family and friends to the ceremony but there may be a limit to the number of people for group swearing-in ceremonies due to limited space.
You will be responsible for paying the motion filing fee of $25.iii This must be remitted to the court at the time of the swearing-in ceremony. Following the motion, the court will administer the Lawyer’s Oath and enter an order of admission to the State Bar of Michigan. Following the ceremony, the court will provide information as to when you will receive the court’s order admitting you to the practice of law and assurance that it will be provided to the State Bar of Michigan. You must join the State Bar and obtain a P# within three years of the BLE’s letter of qualification.iv
Application to the State Bar of Michigan for your license to practice law
After you have been sworn in, you must submit an online SBM application. Your application is not complete without a copy of the order of admission from your swearing-in and payment of all licensing fees. Once your SBM application, payment, and order of admission have been received and processed, the SBM will assign your “P number,” which registers your license to practice law in Michigan. You can expect an email containing your P number about 10 business days after all documents and payment have been received, and if you choose to receive a bar card, it should arrive in the mail two to three weeks later.
For additional information regarding admission ceremonies, please email sectionevents@michbar.org.
Federal Court Admission
Individuals seeking admission to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan or to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan are required to submit their application and pay their admission fee electronically through an individual PACER account. You may register your account via the following link: https://pacer.uscourts.gov//.
i. The BLE Certification expires 3 years from the date on the letter of qualification. You must be sworn in and join the State Bar within the 3-year period or you will be required to reapply, including taking the bar examination if you are seeking admission by examination. See BLE Policy Statement 4(A)-1.
ii. If you are a bar association that regularly hosts mass swearing-in ceremonies and assists in setting up private swearing-in ceremonies with local courts, please contact sectionevents@michbar.org to have your bar association listed here.
iv. BLE R 4(d); BLE Rule 4a(E); BLE Rule 5(E).