How Do You Get Admitted to the Kentucky Bar?
Kentucky admits lawyers through the Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions (KYOBA), and has given the Uniform Bar Examination since the February 2021 exam.
An applicant needs a UBE score of 266, an MPRE scaled score of 80 and a character-and-fitness review run by KYOBA itself.
Lawyers already licensed elsewhere can qualify without the exam after practicing in a reciprocal state for five of the seven years before applying, or by transferring a UBE score of 266 or higher.
Kentucky's first NextGen UBE is planned for July 2027.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions (KYOBA) in Lexington.
The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), given since the February 2021 exam.
266 on the legacy UBE; a transferred NextGen score needs 616.
A scaled score of 80.
Kentucky intends to first administer the NextGen UBE in July 2027.
Practice in a state with reciprocity with Kentucky for five of the seven years before applying (SCR 2.110).
$875 for non-attorneys and $1,200 for attorney applicants by the regular deadline.
Ways to get admitted in Kentucky
- Admission by examinationBy examination
Take the UBE in Kentucky, score 266 or higher and meet the MPRE, character-and-fitness and application requirements.
- UBE score transfer (SCR 2.090)Score transfer
Apply with a UBE earned in another jurisdiction of 266 or higher; a transferred NextGen score needs 616.
- Admission without examination (SCR 2.110)On motion
Practice five of the seven years before applying in a state with reciprocity with Kentucky; the fee is $1,500.
- Military spouse provisional admission (SCR 2.113)Other
A provisional admission path for military spouses, with an $875 fee.
Who admits lawyers in Kentucky?
The Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions (KYOBA), based in Lexington, runs bar admission in Kentucky.
NCBE's jurisdiction listing for Kentucky names KYOBA as the state's bar admission agency, and KYOBA's own site carries the application rules, deadlines and fee schedule.
The office also administers the routes for lawyers already licensed elsewhere: UBE score transfer and admission without examination.
Which bar exam does Kentucky give?
Kentucky gives the Uniform Bar Examination, and has since the February 2021 exam.
The exam is given twice a year, on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July, and has been administered in Lexington for the last three years.
The passing score is 266, which is also the minimum UBE score Kentucky accepts on transfer from another jurisdiction.
“Beginning with the February 2021 examination, the Board began administering the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE).”
Who is eligible to sit for the Kentucky bar?
The full eligibility rules Kentucky applies before an applicant may sit for the exam — the legal education and other prerequisites — are not established in our research, which read KYOBA's UBE, reciprocity and fee pages and NCBE's Kentucky listing.
KYOBA's application instructions carry the current requirements; read them or contact the office before you file.
What MPRE score does Kentucky require?
Kentucky requires an MPRE scaled score of 80.
NCBE's jurisdiction page for Kentucky lists 80 as the state's minimum passing MPRE score.
How does character and fitness work in Kentucky?
Kentucky does not use NCBE's character-and-fitness services.
KYOBA runs its own review, and NCBE's Kentucky page directs applicants to contact Kentucky directly for filing instructions.
How KYOBA weighs a specific issue in that review is not established in our research — those questions belong with the Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions before you apply.
Can out-of-state lawyers waive into Kentucky (admission on motion or UBE transfer)?
Yes.
Kentucky's routes include admission without examination and UBE score transfer, plus a provisional path for military spouses.
Admission without examination (SCR 2.110) requires practice for five of the seven years before filing in a state that has reciprocity with Kentucky, and the fee is $1,500.
UBE transfer applicants instead apply with a UBE earned in another jurisdiction of 266 or higher; a transferred NextGen score needs 616.
Kentucky also allows practice pending admission (SCR 2.117) for reciprocity and UBE-transfer applicants who are already licensed in another state, and charges $875 for military spouse provisional admission (SCR 2.113).
“Applicants may apply for this type of admission if they have taken a UBE in another jurisdiction and scored a 266 or higher.”
Kentucky bar pass rates, fees and results timing
Exam application fees are $875 for non-attorneys and $1,200 for attorney applicants when filed by the regular deadline — October 1 for the February exam and February 1 for the July exam.
Late filing costs $1,125 or $1,450 through November 10 or March 10, and extended-late filing is $1,375 or $1,700.
Admission without examination costs $1,500, and military spouse provisional admission $875.
Our research did not find a current Kentucky pass rate or a published results date; KYOBA is the place to ask about both.
When does Kentucky switch to the NextGen bar exam?
Kentucky's last legacy UBE is February 2027 and its first NextGen UBE is July 2027.
NCBE's Kentucky page records that Kentucky intends to first administer the NextGen UBE in July 2027, and the state has set a NextGen passing score of 616.
For transferred scores the two thresholds differ: a legacy UBE score of 266 meets Kentucky's transfer minimum, while a transferred NextGen score needs 616.
What happens after you are admitted to the Kentucky bar?
Admission starts a clock: every newly admitted Kentucky lawyer must complete the Kentucky Bar Association's New Lawyer Program within 12 months following the date of admission on the certificate of admission, and the program is free for lawyers required to take it.
It is a post-admission requirement of the Kentucky Bar Association, separate from the application steps KYOBA runs before licensure.
“Within 12 months following the date of admission as set forth on the certificate of admission, each person admitted to membership to the Kentucky Bar Association shall complete the New Lawyer Program.”
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Kentucky 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 Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions (KYOBA) publishes.
For the rest of the picture in Kentucky, see CLE requirements in Kentucky.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kentucky a UBE state?
Yes.
Kentucky has administered the Uniform Bar Examination since the February 2021 exam, given twice a year in Lexington on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July.
The passing score is 266, which is also the minimum UBE score Kentucky accepts from another jurisdiction.
Kentucky's last legacy UBE is February 2027, and its first NextGen UBE is planned for July 2027 with a passing score of 616.
What UBE score do I need to transfer to Kentucky?
266 on the legacy UBE.
Kentucky accepts applicants who took the UBE in another jurisdiction and scored a 266 or higher; a transferred NextGen score needs 616.
Score transfer is a different route from admission without examination, which instead asks for five of the seven years before applying in practice in a state with reciprocity with Kentucky.
How much does the Kentucky bar exam cost?
The exam application is $875 for non-attorneys and $1,200 for attorney applicants when filed by the regular deadline: October 1 for the February exam and February 1 for the July exam.
Late filing costs $1,125 or $1,450 and extended-late filing $1,375 or $1,700.
Admission without examination costs $1,500, and military spouse provisional admission is $875.
Can you practice in Kentucky while your bar application is pending?
Kentucky allows practice pending admission under SCR 2.117, but only for reciprocity applicants under SCR 2.110 and UBE-transfer applicants under SCR 2.090 who are already licensed in another state.
The Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions administers the rule, so confirm the current conditions with KYOBA before counting on it.
What is the Kentucky New Lawyer Program?
A post-admission requirement of the Kentucky Bar Association: every newly admitted Kentucky lawyer must complete the New Lawyer Program within 12 months following the admission date on the certificate of admission.
The program is free for lawyers who are required to take it.
It sits after licensure, apart from the exam, MPRE and character-and-fitness steps KYOBA runs during the application.
More Kentucky Resources
Sources
- NCBE: Kentucky jurisdiction page (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions: UBE information (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions: reciprocity and UBE transfer (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions: exam application fees (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions: fees by admission type (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Kentucky Bar Association: New Lawyer Program information (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 Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions (KYOBA).