What Are the CLE Requirements for New Jersey Attorneys?
Active New Jersey attorneys must complete 24 CLE credit hours every two years, including 5 credits in ethics and/or professionalism — at least 2 of which must cover diversity, inclusion and elimination of bias.
The Board on Continuing Legal Education (BCLE) of the Supreme Court oversees the requirement, at least half of the credits must be earned live, and compliance is certified with the annual attorney registration on a birth-month cycle.
Newly admitted attorneys follow additional practice-area rules.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Board on Continuing Legal Education (BCLE) of the Supreme Court, which oversees New Jersey's CLE requirement.
24 credit hours every two years.
Two-year compliance periods certified with the annual attorney registration: Group 1 (born January through June) certifies in even-numbered years, Group 2 (July through December) in odd-numbered years.
5 credits in ethics and/or professionalism, including at least 2 in diversity, inclusion and elimination of bias.
A minimum of one-half of the credits must be earned live; alternative verifiable learning formats are capped at half.
16 of the first 24 credits in at least 6 of 12 New Jersey practice areas.
A $50 noncompliance fee and a grace period; missing the grace period adds another $50 ($100 total) and risks administrative ineligibility.
How many CLE hours does New Jersey require?
Every active New Jersey licensed attorney in good standing is required to complete 24 credit hours of continuing legal education every two years.
The requirement reaches all active attorneys, even those who do not practice New Jersey law — the exemption categories are narrow and covered under carryover and exemptions below.
The Board on Continuing Legal Education (BCLE) of the Supreme Court oversees the program.
“every active New Jersey licensed attorney in good standing is required to complete 24 credit hours of continuing legal education every two years.”
What specialty credits are required (ethics, bias, wellness, tech)?
Of the 24 credits, 5 must be in ethics and/or professionalism, and at least 2 of those 5 must be in diversity, inclusion and elimination of bias.
Those are the specialty credits our research could verify.
The BCLE FAQ pages we read in October 2026 do not list a separate technology hour.
Our research made no finding on a wellness requirement or any other subject credit — check with the BCLE before you plan credits around any additional subject.
“five must be in ethics and/or professionalism and at least 2 of the 5 must be in diversity, inclusion & elimination of bias”
When is the deadline and how do you report?
New Jersey assigns compliance groups by birth month.
Compliance Group 1 — lawyers born from January 1 through June 30 — certifies compliance in even-numbered years, and Compliance Group 2 — lawyers born from July 1 through December 31 — certifies in odd-numbered years.
Certification happens on the annual attorney registration, so you report CLE compliance when you register.
Our research captured the group calendar but not the step-by-step filing mechanics; the BCLE's CLE pages cover how to report.
“Compliance Group 1, those born from January 1 through June 30, will certify compliance in even-numbered years and Compliance Group 2, those born from July 1 through December 31, will certify compliance in odd-numbered years”
What are the rules for newly admitted attorneys?
A newly admitted lawyer with a plenary license in New Jersey must obtain 16 credit hours in at least 6 of 12 New Jersey practice areas.
The BCLE's new-attorney page lists examples of the 12 subject areas, including estate administration, trial preparation, family law, real estate closings and trust accounting.
Those practice-area hours come out of the lawyer's first 24 credits, so the requirement shapes a new admittee's first cycle rather than adding to it.
“a newly admitted lawyer with a plenary license in New Jersey must obtain 16 credit hours in at least 6 of the following 12 subject areas”
Can you complete CLE online or on demand?
A minimum of one-half of the credits must be earned live.
On-demand courses and other alternative verifiable learning formats are capped at half the requirement, so the other half of each cycle still has to come from live programs.
The BCLE's FAQ describes one exception: lawyers who neither live nor work in a mandatory-CLE state may complete all of their credits through those alternative formats.
“A minimum of one-half of the credits must be earned live”
Carryover and exemptions
Up to 12 credit hours can be carried over to the next consecutive compliance period, and no further — the BCLE's FAQ limits carryover to that one next period; the same rule notes a 6-credit carryover for the transitional period.
On the exemption side, New Jersey's CLE requirement applies even to lawyers who do not practice New Jersey law.
The exemption categories the FAQ lists are limited: lawyers admitted 50 or more years, lawyers who have reached age 75 regardless of tenure at the bar, full-time military, VISTA and Peace Corps service, and fully retired lawyers.
Confirm any exemption with the BCLE before you skip a cycle.
“Up to 12 credit hours (6 for the transitional period) can be carried over to the next consecutive compliance period”
What happens if you miss the deadline?
A lawyer who misses the CLE deadline will be assessed a $50 noncompliance fee and given a grace period.
Letting the grace period lapse adds another $50 — $100 in total — and risks administrative ineligibility.
The amounts come from the BCLE's pages as we read them in October 2026, so confirm the current fee schedule with the BCLE if you are already past a deadline.
“will be assessed a $50 noncompliance fee and given a grace period”
Does New Jersey give CLE credit for publishing?
No. The BCLE's FAQ states directly that the Board does not grant CLE credit for publishing.
Treat writing as one of the activities outside your 24-credit plan, and check the BCLE's FAQ for what does and does not earn credit.
“No. The Board does not grant CLE credit for publishing.”
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the New Jersey 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 Board on Continuing Legal Education (BCLE) of the Supreme Court publishes.
For the rest of the picture in New Jersey, see bar admission rules in New Jersey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is New Jersey a mandatory CLE state?
Yes.
Every active New Jersey licensed attorney in good standing must complete 24 credit hours of continuing legal education every two years, including 5 in ethics and/or professionalism.
The Board on Continuing Legal Education (BCLE) of the Supreme Court oversees the requirement, and the obligation applies even to lawyers who do not practice New Jersey law.
Do New Jersey CLE credits carry over?
Up to 12 credit hours can be carried over to the next consecutive compliance period, and the BCLE's FAQ limits carryover to that one next period — anything beyond 12 hours, or past one cycle, does not roll forward.
The rule also notes a 6-credit carryover for the transitional period.
Ask the BCLE how the carryover rule applies to your cycle.
I live out of state — do I still need New Jersey CLE?
New Jersey's CLE requirement applies even to lawyers who do not practice New Jersey law, and residency in another state is not one of the exemption categories the FAQ lists.
One format exception exists: lawyers who neither live nor work in a mandatory-CLE state may complete all of their credits through alternative verifiable learning formats.
Otherwise the exemption categories are limited to 50 or more years admitted, age 75 or older, full-time military, VISTA or Peace Corps service, or full retirement.
Does New Jersey require a technology CLE credit?
Our research could not confirm one.
The BCLE FAQ and new-attorney pages we read in October 2026 list the specialty requirement as 5 credits in ethics and/or professionalism, including at least 2 in diversity, inclusion and elimination of bias, and do not list a separate technology hour.
Requirements change, so confirm the current subject list with the BCLE before you plan a cycle.
Which New Jersey CLE compliance group am I in?
It depends on your birth month.
Compliance Group 1 — lawyers born from January 1 through June 30 — certifies compliance in even-numbered years, and Compliance Group 2 — lawyers born from July 1 through December 31 — certifies in odd-numbered years, on the annual attorney registration.
Your registration materials or the BCLE's FAQ can confirm which year your next certification falls due.
More New Jersey Resources
Sources
- New Jersey Courts: Board on Continuing Legal Education CLE FAQ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- New Jersey Courts: CLE for New Attorneys (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- New Jersey Courts: Continuing Legal Education (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 Board on Continuing Legal Education (BCLE) of the Supreme Court.