How Do You Get Admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar?
The Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners admits lawyers under the Pennsylvania Bar Admission Rules the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania sets.
Applicants take the Uniform Bar Exam and need a scaled score of 270 (272 for exams taken before February 2024) plus an MPRE score of 75.
Admission on motion is open to lawyers from a reciprocal state who practised as a major part of their time for 5 of the last 7 years, and transferred UBE scores are accepted up to 30 months from the exam's first day.
Pennsylvania's first NextGen UBE administration is July 2028.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners, under the Pennsylvania Bar Admission Rules the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania sets.
The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), given since July 2022.
270 for exams from February 2024 onward; 272 for exams taken before February 2024.
75, with no time limit on when it was earned.
First administration in July 2028; minimum qualifying score 620.
Under Pa.B.A.R.
204, for lawyers from a reciprocal state who practised as a major part of their time for 5 of the last 7 years.
$750; the UBE-transfer fee is also $750, and a $115 laptop fee is listed.
Ways to get admitted in Pennsylvania
- Admission by examinationBy examination
Pass the Uniform Bar Exam with a scaled score of 270 or higher (272 for exams taken before February 2024) and an MPRE scaled score of 75.
- Admission on motionOn motion
For lawyers who come from a reciprocal state and have practised as a major part of their time for 5 of the last 7 years (Pa.B.A.R.
204).
- UBE score transferScore transfer
Apply under Pa.B.A.R.
206 with a UBE score no more than 30 months old, measured from the first day of the exam, that meets the passing standard in force when it was taken.
Who admits lawyers in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners handles bar admission in Pennsylvania.
The board administers admission under the Pennsylvania Bar Admission Rules (Pa.B.A.R.), which the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania sets.
Which bar exam does Pennsylvania give?
Pennsylvania gives the Uniform Bar Exam.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania adopted the UBE on January 4, 2022, and Pennsylvania has given it since July 2022.
The minimum passing scaled score is 270 for exams from February 2024 onward; applications that rely on exams taken before February 2024 still need 272.
“Beginning with the February 2024 UBE, the minimum scaled score required to constitute satisfactory completion of the UBE for purposes of Pennsylvania bar admission shall be 270.”
Who is eligible to sit for the Pennsylvania bar?
Bar admission runs through the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners under the Pennsylvania Bar Admission Rules, but our research did not verify the full set of eligibility criteria for sitting for the Pennsylvania bar exam.
Check the Board of Law Examiners' rules and exam information pages before you apply.
What MPRE score does Pennsylvania require?
Pennsylvania requires an MPRE scaled score of 75.
There is no time limit on when the score was earned, so an older MPRE result does not expire for Pennsylvania admission.
“scaled score of 75 in order to be admitted to the bar of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
How does character and fitness work in Pennsylvania?
Our research did not capture how Pennsylvania's character and fitness review works or what the application asks about.
Check the Board of Law Examiners' application materials for what the review asks, and direct questions about a specific history to the board.
Can out-of-state lawyers waive into Pennsylvania?
Yes, in two ways.
Admission on motion under Pa.B.A.R.
204 is open to lawyers who have practised as a major part of their time for 5 of the last 7 years and who come from a reciprocal state; the fee is $1,325 and the board publishes the list of reciprocal states.
Separately, Pa.B.A.R.
206 allows admission by UBE score transfer: Pennsylvania accepts a transferred score only if no more than 30 months have passed since the first day of the exam that produced it, and the score must meet the passing standard in force when it was taken.
“devoted a major portion of time and energy to the practice of law in one or more states.”
Pennsylvania bar exam results, pass rates and fees
The bar exam application fee and the UBE score-transfer fee are each $750, Pennsylvania lists a $115 laptop fee, and admission on motion costs $1,325.
For the February 2027 exam, held February 23-24, 2027 in Pittsburgh and Lancaster, the timely filing deadline is October 30, 2026, the late deadline is November 30, 2026, and the final deadline is December 15, 2026.
Our research did not capture a current first-time pass rate or a results release date; check the Board of Law Examiners for both.
The annual attorney registration fee was not verified either — confirm the current amount with the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board before relying on any figure.
When does Pennsylvania switch to the NextGen bar exam?
The board will first administer the NextGen UBE beginning in July 2028 (Order No. 1017, July 3, 2025).
Pennsylvania's minimum NextGen UBE score is 620, and score-transfer applications can rely on NextGen scores from September 1, 2026.
“Beginning in July 2028, the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners (Board) will administer the NextGen UBE”
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners publishes.
For the rest of the picture in Pennsylvania, see CLE requirements in Pennsylvania.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pennsylvania a UBE state?
Yes.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania adopted the UBE on January 4, 2022, and Pennsylvania has given it since July 2022.
The minimum passing score is 270 for exams from February 2024 onward, and Pa.B.A.R.
206 lets applicants seek admission by transferring a UBE score, as long as no more than 30 months have passed since the first day of the exam that produced it.
Does Pennsylvania have bar reciprocity with other states?
Pennsylvania's reciprocity-style route for out-of-state lawyers is admission on motion under Pa.B.A.R.
204; transferring a UBE score under Pa.B.A.R.
206 is the other route.
For admission on motion, the applicant must have devoted a major portion of time to the practice of law for 5 of the last 7 years and must come from a reciprocal state.
The Board of Law Examiners publishes the list of reciprocal states, and the admission-on-motion fee is $1,325.
How long is a UBE score good for transfer to Pennsylvania?
No more than 30 months may have passed from the first day of the UBE that produced the score.
The score must also meet the passing standard in force when it was taken — 272 for exams taken before February 2024, 270 from February 2024 onward.
Score-transfer applications can rely on NextGen UBE scores from September 1, 2026, with a minimum of 620.
How much does the Pennsylvania bar exam cost?
The bar exam application fee is $750, and Pennsylvania lists a $115 laptop fee.
The UBE score-transfer fee is also $750, and admission on motion costs $1,325.
For the February 2027 exam in Pittsburgh and Lancaster, the timely filing deadline is October 30, 2026, with late and final deadlines of November 30 and December 15, 2026.
More Pennsylvania Resources
Sources
- NCBE: Pennsylvania jurisdiction profile (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners: UBE information (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners: Rule 203 (minimum UBE score) (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners: NextGen UBE information (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners: MPRE information (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners: Rule 206 (UBE score transfer) (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners: Rule 204 (admission on motion) (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners: February 2027 exam information (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners (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 Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners.