The Arkansas bar application is filed with the State Board of Law Examiners and requires a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school, a $1,000 non-refundable fee paid by cashier’s check or money order, and submission of the original paper application by the Board’s deadline for the exam cycle you want to sit for. Arkansas has no residency requirement. Attorneys already licensed elsewhere can skip the exam through admission on motion for a $1,500 fee if they meet the practice-history threshold.
Who Can Apply
Every applicant for admission by examination must hold a Juris Doctor from an ABA-approved law school. Graduates of unaccredited or state-accredited programs are not eligible, and there is no exception. You do not have to live in Arkansas or plan to practice there to sit for the exam.
Deadlines
Arkansas does not accept late applications. Miss the date and you wait for the next cycle. The February 2026 deadline was November 17, 2025. The July 2026 deadline is April 1, 2026.1National Conference of Bar Examiners. Uniform Bar Examination Jurisdictions – Bar Examination Information and Dates
The application must physically arrive at the Office of Professional Programs by the deadline. A postmark on the deadline does not count. Only the original application is accepted; copies and scans are rejected.2Arkansas Judiciary. Arkansas Bar Examination Application Filing Instructions and Information
Fees and How to Pay
The application fee is $1,000, non-refundable. Payment must be by cashier’s check or money order made out to the Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners. Cash, personal checks, business checks, and credit cards are not accepted.2Arkansas Judiciary. Arkansas Bar Examination Application Filing Instructions and Information
Budget separately for the MPRE registration fee, set by the NCBE, and a laptop software fee if you plan to type your exam. Those add a few hundred dollars on top of the $1,000.
What the Application Asks For
The form is more invasive than most people expect. You will account for your complete residential and employment history back to age eighteen, with dates, addresses, and explanations for any gaps. Every stretch of time needs an entry, including unemployment and travel.
You provide a full financial disclosure listing outstanding debts: student loans, mortgages, judgments. The Board cares less about how much you owe than whether you are handling it. Loans in repayment, deferment, or forbearance are generally fine. Loans in default draw scrutiny and can delay admission.
You supply personal and professional references who can speak to your character. You disclose and explain past legal and academic issues, including traffic citations, lawsuits, academic discipline, and financial delinquencies. Honesty matters more than a clean record. The Board’s investigation routinely turns up items applicants left off, and an undisclosed parking ticket causes more trouble than a disclosed misdemeanor.
The Character and Fitness Investigation
Arkansas runs its own investigation rather than routing it through the NCBE. Investigators verify what you disclosed by checking academic records, employment history, credit history, and any legal or disciplinary matters. You will sign authorizations giving the Board access to confidential records.
If something raises a question, the Board may request additional documentation or call you in for an interview. Processing usually takes several weeks; complex files take longer. Answering follow-up requests quickly is the best way to keep your timeline intact.
The Exams You Must Pass
Arkansas uses the Uniform Bar Examination. You need a combined UBE score of at least 270 to pass.3National Conference of Bar Examiners. Arkansas Bar Application Requirements and Process A qualifying UBE score earned in another state can be transferred to Arkansas without any local law component.4National Conference of Bar Examiners. Uniform Bar Examination Jurisdictions – Admission by Examination or by Transferred UBE Score One exception: if you failed the Arkansas bar exam within the past five years, a transferred score will not get you around that.
You also need a scaled score of at least 85 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination.3National Conference of Bar Examiners. Arkansas Bar Application Requirements and Process The MPRE is offered three times per year and can be taken before or after the UBE.
Admission on Motion for Attorneys Already Licensed
If you already hold an active law license elsewhere, you may be able to skip the bar exam. Admission on motion requires an ABA-accredited J.D. and active practice for at least three of the five years immediately before you apply. You must be in good standing in every jurisdiction where you are licensed. If you failed an Arkansas-administered bar exam within the past five years, you are not eligible for admission on motion. The filing fee is $1,500 and non-refundable.5National Conference of Bar Examiners. Admission on Motion – Years of Practice and Definition of Practice of Law
After You Pass
Passing the exams and clearing character and fitness does not itself make you a lawyer. You take the oath of admission, swearing to support the constitutions of the United States and the State of Arkansas and to carry out your duties as an attorney.6Justia Law. Arkansas Code 16-22-205 – Oath
Once admitted, you owe an annual license fee to the Bar of Arkansas. Starting in 2026, attorneys licensed three or more years pay $250, those licensed fewer than three years pay $175, and attorneys age 65 or older pay $25.7Justia Law. In Re Bar of Arkansas Annual License Fees (Per Curiam) You must also complete 12 hours of continuing legal education each year, including at least one hour of ethics, to keep your license active.