How Do You Get Admitted to the Alaska Bar?
The Alaska Bar Association admits lawyers to practise in Alaska, under Alaska Bar Rules adopted by the Alaska Supreme Court.
The exam route is the two-day Uniform Bar Exam with a scaled score of 270, an MPRE score of 80 or higher and a character and fitness review.
Lawyers who actively practised law at least 750 hours a year for three of the five years before applying can seek admission on motion without the exam, and Alaska accepts transferred UBE scores of 270 or above.
Alaska plans to switch to the NextGen exam in July 2028.
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At a glance
The Alaska Bar Association, through its Law Examiners Committee and Board of Governors, under Alaska Bar Rules adopted by the Alaska Supreme Court.
The legacy Uniform Bar Exam: six MEE essays and two MPTs on day one, the MBE on day two.
No Alaska-specific law component.
270 on the UBE, the same score Alaska accepts on a transferred score.
80 or higher, from an exam taken no more than eight years before the application.
Planned for July 2028; adoption is a Board proposal pending before the Alaska Supreme Court, not yet a final rule.
No exam after at least 750 hours a year of active practice for three of the five years before applying.
$876 first-time or $618 reapplicant for the 2027 exams, including a 3% transaction fee; laptop registration is $129.
Ways to get admitted in Alaska
- Admission by examinationBy examination
Pass the UBE with a scaled score of 270, score 80 or higher on the MPRE, view the Board's ethics course, file the Bar Rule 64 affidavit and clear the character and fitness review.
- Admission on motionOn motion
No exam for lawyers who actively practised law at least 750 hours per year for three of the five years immediately before applying; the application fee is $1,545 including the 3% transaction fee.
- UBE score transferScore transfer
A UBE scaled score of 270 or above earned within five years before the application; the transfer application fee is $1,030 including the 3% transaction fee.
- Law clerk (law office study)Other
Alaska Bar Rule 2 lets someone with at least one academic year at an ABA- or AALS-accredited law school sit the exam after completing the clerkship program under AS 08.08.207.
Who admits lawyers in Alaska?
Bar admission in Alaska is handled by the Alaska Bar Association, working through its Law Examiners Committee and Board of Governors.
The Alaska Bar Rules that govern admission are adopted by the Alaska Supreme Court.
Applicants file through the Bar's admissions site at admissions.alaskabar.org.
Which bar exam does Alaska give?
Alaska gives the legacy Uniform Bar Exam, which NCBE coordinates.
The exam runs two days: day one is the written component, with six Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) essays and two Multistate Performance Test (MPT) tasks, and day two is the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).
Alaska sets no Alaska-specific law component for UBE applicants — no local exam or course.
A scaled score of 270 passes, and it is the same score Alaska accepts on a transferred UBE score.
“Alaska administers the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). The UBE is a two day examination, consisting of a one-day written component and a one-day Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) component.”
Who is eligible to sit for the Alaska bar?
The clearest line our research records comes from Alaska Bar Rule 2: someone with at least one academic year at an ABA- or AALS-accredited law school who then completes Alaska's law clerk (law office study) program under AS 08.08.207 can sit for the bar exam.
Our research did not establish the eligibility conditions the Bar Rules set for conventional law-school graduates, so confirm them with the Alaska Bar Association before you apply.
One rule applies to every examinee: Alaska does not offer courtesy seating, so anyone who takes the exam must certify they are taking it to be admitted in Alaska.
What MPRE score does Alaska require?
Alaska requires an MPRE scaled score of 80 or higher, from an exam taken no more than eight years before your application for admission.
The MPRE itself is a two-hour, 60-question multiple-choice exam offered three times a year.
Alaska's 80 sits alongside the other minimums on NCBE's list: 21 jurisdictions use 85 and 20 use 80.
“with a scaled score of 80 or higher at an exam taken not more than eight years prior to your application for admission.”
How does character and fitness work in Alaska?
Character and fitness review applies to every Alaska applicant, and the Board of Governors makes the finding that an applicant meets the standard.
Two more admission requirements sit alongside it: applicants view a Board-prescribed attorney ethics course and file an affidavit under Alaska Bar Rule 64 that they have read the Alaska Rules of Professional Conduct.
The Bar's own admissions materials say the review can take at least 3-4 months, depending on the application, and applicants supply fingerprints and a notarized authorization and release.
Questions about how an individual history is weighed belong with the Alaska Bar Association, not a general guide.
“This can take at least 3-4 months, depending on each individual application.”
Can out-of-state lawyers waive into Alaska?
Yes, in two ways.
Admission on motion skips the exam for lawyers who have engaged in the active practice of law in one or more states, territories, or D.C. for three of the five years immediately before applying, at a rate of at least 750 hours per year; the motion application fee is $1,545 including the 3% transaction fee.
Practice in any of those jurisdictions counts — our research records no reciprocal-state requirement in the rule.
Alternatively, Alaska accepts transferred UBE scores of 270 or above earned within five years before the application; that application fee is $1,030 including the 3% transaction fee, effective January 15, 2026.
“the applicant must have engaged in the active practice of law in one or more states, territories, or D.C. for three of the five years immediately preceding the date of application.”
Alaska bar pass rates, fees and results timing
For the February 2027 and July 2027 exams, the application fee is $876 for a first-time applicant or $618 for a reapplicant, both including a 3% transaction fee; laptop registration adds $129.
Applications are due December 1 for the February exam and May 1 for the July exam, and a late application accepted for good cause pays a total late fee of $125.
The exam is administered in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau; the upcoming dates are February 23-24, 2027 and July 27-28, 2027.
Our research did not confirm a current pass rate or a results date for the Alaska exam; the Alaska Bar Association's admissions site is where results are posted by exam.
“A total late filing fee of $125.00 shall be paid for applications accepted after May 1 and December 1.”
When does Alaska switch to the NextGen bar exam?
Alaska plans to first administer the NextGen UBE in July 2028, and NCBE lists February 2028 as the legacy UBE's final Alaska administration, as of September 2026.
The switch is not final: on August 27, 2026, the Alaska Bar Board of Governors voted to send the Alaska Supreme Court a rule proposal adopting the NextGen UBE.
That proposal would accept transferred NextGen scores of 620 or above — mapped to the legacy 270 — from July 2026.
Until the court acts, the legacy UBE with a 270 passing score remains the exam in force.
What is Alaska's law clerk (law office study) route?
Alaska's one documented alternative is the law clerk (law office study) program under AS 08.08.207: it is open to someone with at least one academic year at an ABA- or AALS-accredited law school who then completes the clerkship program, so it is not a no-law-school route.
Our research did not verify the program's details, such as its length and supervision arrangements, so ask the Alaska Bar Association about it directly.
We also did not find an Alaska alternative-pathway (non-exam) licensure pilot in the Alaska Bar Rules or the admissions site as of October 2026.
“has successfully completed a clerkship program under AS 08.08.207”
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Alaska court rules, board and bar pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state bar admission rules series, current as of October 2026.
It is not a substitute for the instructions the Alaska Bar Association publishes.
For the rest of the picture in Alaska, see CLE requirements in Alaska.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alaska a UBE state?
Yes.
Alaska administers the legacy Uniform Bar Exam: a two-day exam with six MEE essays and two MPT tasks on day one and the MBE on day two.
The passing score is 270, and Alaska accepts transferred UBE scores of 270 or above earned within five years before the application.
Alaska sets no state-specific law component on top of the UBE.
What MPRE score do you need for the Alaska bar?
Alaska requires a scaled MPRE score of 80 or higher, from an exam taken no more than eight years before your application for admission.
For context, NCBE's jurisdiction list shows 21 jurisdictions requiring an 85 and 20 requiring an 80; Alaska's requirement is an 80.
How much does the Alaska bar exam cost?
For the February 2027 and July 2027 exams, $876 for a first-time applicant or $618 for a reapplicant, both including a 3% transaction fee, plus $129 to register a laptop.
A late application accepted for good cause pays a total late fee of $125.
Admission on motion costs $1,545 including the transaction fee, and a UBE score transfer costs $1,030.
Can you take the Alaska bar without going to law school?
Not by any route our research documents.
Alaska's law clerk (law office study) route under AS 08.08.207 still requires at least one academic year at an ABA- or AALS-accredited law school before the clerkship program, so it is not a no-law-school path.
Our research also did not find a non-exam alternative-pathway pilot in the Alaska Bar Rules or the admissions site as of October 2026.
Does Alaska offer courtesy seating for the bar exam?
No. The Alaska Bar Association does not offer courtesy seating, so anyone who sits for the Alaska exam must certify they are taking it to be admitted in Alaska.
The exam is not an option for an applicant who is not seeking admission in Alaska.
More Alaska Resources
Sources
- NCBE: Alaska jurisdiction page (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Alaska Bar Association: admission by bar examination (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Alaska Bar Association: UBE transfer and NextGen proposal (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Alaska Bar Association: admission requirements (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Alaska Bar Association: bar exam dates and fees (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Alaska Bar Association: admission on motion (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Alaska Court System: Alaska Bar Rules (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: UBE local components (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: UBE minimum scores (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: About the UBE (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: About the MPRE (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: Illinois jurisdiction page (MPRE minimum score) (retrieved 2026-10-02)
Sourced from the documents listed above.
Verified October 2026.
This is career information, not legal advice.
Confirm current rules with the Alaska Bar Association.