What Are the CLE Requirements for Alaska Attorneys?
Alaska's CLE requirements ask every active Alaska Bar member to complete at least 12 continuing legal education credit hours each calendar year, at least 3 of them in approved ethics.
The Alaska Bar Association administers the program under Alaska Bar Rule 65, effective January 1, 2025, and members certify compliance by February 1 of the following year.
Up to 12 credits carry forward from the prior year, recorded and online courses carry no cap, and lawyers admitted during a year are exempt for that year.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Alaska Bar Association, which administers MCLE under Alaska Bar Rule 65; the Alaska Bar Rules are adopted by the Alaska Supreme Court.
At least 12 MCLE credit hours per calendar year for active members, effective January 1, 2025.
The calendar year, with compliance certified by February 1 of the following year.
At least 3 of the 12 hours in approved ethics CLE (MECLE); no other specialty category appears in the Rule 65 text we read.
Allowed with no cap on recorded or technology-delivered courses; approvals from other mandatory-CLE jurisdictions are automatically recognized.
Exempt for the calendar year of first admission; inactive members are also exempt.
Notice of noncompliance, then 30 days to cure before the Bar petitions the Supreme Court for suspension; reinstatement requires a fee.
How many CLE hours does Alaska require?
Every active member of the Alaska Bar Association must complete at least 12 MCLE credit hours per calendar year, and at least 3 of those hours must be in approved ethics CLE, which the rule calls MECLE.
The requirement sits in Alaska Bar Rule 65 and took effect January 1, 2025.
The Alaska Bar Rules, including Rule 65, are adopted by the Alaska Supreme Court, and the Alaska Bar Association administers the MCLE program the rule creates.
“Every active member of the Alaska Bar Association shall complete at least twelve credit hours per year of approved MCLE.”
What specialty credits are required (ethics, bias, wellness, tech)?
The one specialty minimum our research confirmed is ethics: at least 3 of the 12 hours must be approved ethics CLE (MECLE).
No separately designated bias, wellness or technology credit appears in the Alaska Bar Rule 65 text we read, so this page does not describe one.
Credit categories can change, so confirm the current list with the Alaska Bar Association before you plan a year's credits around a specific category.
When is the deadline, and how do you report?
Alaska's MCLE year is the calendar year.
By February 1 of each year, each member must certify compliance on a form prescribed by the Association.
The first certification deadline under the 12-hour rule was February 1, 2026, covering calendar year 2025.
The rule text we read sets out the certification duty but not a separate transcript-filing step, so a question about reporting mechanics belongs with the Alaska Bar Association.
What are the rules for newly admitted attorneys?
Alaska Bar Rule 65 does not apply to a new member during the calendar year in which the member is first admitted to the practice of law in Alaska.
Inactive members are also exempt from the MCLE requirement.
From the next calendar year, the standard 12 hours — including the 3 ethics hours — and the February 1 certification apply.
“This rule does not apply to a new member of the Alaska Bar Association during the calendar year in which the member is first admitted to the practice of law in Alaska.”
Can you complete CLE online or on demand?
Yes.
Alaska sets no cap on recorded or technology-delivered CLE: studying audio, video or other technology-delivered approved courses counts toward the year's 12 hours, and the rule text we read sets no ceiling on how many credits can be earned that way.
Separately, any course or continuing legal education activity approved for credit by another mandatory-CLE jurisdiction is approved for credit in Alaska under the rule, so a course approved elsewhere does not need a separate Alaska approval.
Carryover and exemptions
An active member may carry forward a maximum of 12 credits earned in the immediately preceding calendar year — a cushion equal to one full year's requirement.
On exemptions, Rule 65 does not apply to new members during their admission calendar year, and inactive members are exempt.
What the rule text we read does not address is whether a carried-forward credit can satisfy the ethics minimum, so a member planning to cover the 3 MECLE hours with carryover should confirm with the Alaska Bar Association.
What happens if you miss the deadline?
A member who misses the MCLE or reporting requirement receives a notice of noncompliance and then has 30 days to remedy it.
If the member does not cure the noncompliance, the Bar petitions the Supreme Court for suspension.
Reinstatement requires a reinstatement fee.
The dollar amounts of any late or reinstatement fees are not established in our research, so check the Alaska Bar Association's current fee schedule.
“Within 30 days after receiving a notice of noncompliance, the member shall either remedy the noncompliance”
Have Alaska's CLE requirements changed recently?
The framework described on this page dates to January 1, 2025, when the 12-hour requirement under Alaska Bar Rule 65 took effect, and the first certification deadline under it was February 1, 2026.
This page reflects the rule as we read it in October 2026.
Because the 12-hour structure took effect only in 2025, older descriptions of Alaska's requirement may not reflect it; confirm any figure you see elsewhere against the Alaska Bar Association's current MCLE pages.
Can pro bono work or out-of-state courses count toward Alaska CLE?
Pro bono can.
A member may receive one general credit hour for every two hours of pro bono service as provided in the rule, which the rule ties to free civil legal services supervised by a qualified legal services provider.
Out-of-state coursework can too: any course approved for credit by another mandatory-CLE jurisdiction is approved for credit in Alaska.
The rule text we read does not say a pro bono credit can count toward the 3 MECLE hours, so that question belongs with the Alaska Bar Association.
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 CLE requirements 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 bar admission rules in Alaska.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Alaska require CLE for attorneys?
Yes.
Alaska Bar Rule 65, effective January 1, 2025, requires every active Alaska Bar member to complete at least 12 MCLE credit hours per calendar year, at least 3 of them in approved ethics CLE.
Members certify compliance by February 1 of the following year.
Newly admitted lawyers are exempt for their admission year, and inactive members are exempt.
What is the Alaska CLE deadline?
The MCLE year is the calendar year, and certification is due by February 1 of the following year on a form prescribed by the Alaska Bar Association.
The first deadline under the 12-hour rule was February 1, 2026, covering calendar year 2025.
A member who misses the requirement receives a notice of noncompliance and 30 days to cure.
Do online or recorded courses count for Alaska CLE?
Yes, without a cap.
Alaska sets no limit on recorded or technology-delivered CLE, so audio, video and other technology-delivered approved courses can count toward the year's 12 hours.
Courses approved by any other mandatory-CLE jurisdiction are automatically approved for credit in Alaska, so a course approved elsewhere does not need a separate Alaska approval.
Can I carry over extra CLE credits in Alaska?
Up to 12.
An active member may carry forward a maximum of 12 credits earned in the immediately preceding calendar year, which equals one full year's requirement.
Whether a carried-forward credit can satisfy the 3-hour ethics minimum is not addressed in the rule text we read, so confirm that with the Alaska Bar Association before you rely on carryover for your MECLE hours.
Are new Alaska attorneys exempt from CLE?
Yes, for their admission year.
Rule 65 does not apply to a new member during the calendar year in which the member is first admitted to the practice of law in Alaska.
Inactive members are also exempt.
From the following calendar year, the full 12-hour requirement — including the 3 ethics hours — and the February 1 certification apply.
More Alaska Resources
Sources
- Alaska Bar Rules (Alaska Supreme Court) (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: Alaska jurisdiction profile (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.