You can look up any California attorney’s bar number, license status, admission date, and public disciplinary record for free using the State Bar of California’s online Attorney Search at apps.calbar.ca.gov.1State Bar of California. Attorney Search – The State Bar of California No account, no fee. A California bar number lookup takes about 30 seconds if you already have the number, and only a little longer if you’re searching by name. Most people run it before hiring a lawyer, to confirm the person is actually authorized to practice.
How to Run the Search
If you already have the bar number, type it in for an exact match. Otherwise, search by last name, first name, or both. Each name field has a matching option: “Is exactly,” “Begins with,” “Contains,” or “Sounds like.” Use “Sounds like” when you’re not sure of the spelling.
Common names return dozens of results, so the filters matter. You can narrow by:
- Firm name
- Location, including city, state, zip code, California county, or State Bar district
- Certified legal specialty, such as family law, criminal law, estate planning, immigration, or taxation
- Languages spoken, with dozens of options from Spanish and Mandarin to American Sign Language
- Self-reported practice areas the attorney has chosen to list on their profile
Click any name in the results to open that attorney’s full public profile.
What the Profile Shows
Each attorney’s profile displays the bar number, full name, current license status, and date of admission to the California State Bar.2State Bar of California. Step 6 – What to Know After Submitting Your Completed Form It also shows the attorney’s address of record and, where applicable, links to public disciplinary actions or State Bar Court case documents.3The State Bar of California. Public Records and Information
One quirk to know about. The bar number is assigned only after the State Bar receives the attorney’s completed registration paperwork, but the official admission date is the date the attorney took the oath. A newly sworn-in attorney may not appear in the system for a week or two.4State Bar of California. State Bar Enrollment and Receiving Your Bar Number If you can’t find someone who was just admitted, that’s usually why.
Reading the License Status
The status field tells you whether the attorney can legally represent clients right now. That’s the single most important line on the profile. The designations you’ll see:5The State Bar of California. Licensee Status Definitions
- Active. Authorized to practice law in California. Only attorneys with this status may represent clients.
- Inactive. The attorney chose this status voluntarily and cannot represent clients. They can transfer back to active by paying required fees and meeting compliance obligations, including fingerprinting if applicable.
- Not Eligible to Practice Law. A catch-all covering suspension, involuntary transfer to inactive status, or failure to pay mandatory fees. Check the profile for any linked disciplinary records to see which.
- Disbarred. The California Supreme Court has ordered the attorney removed from the practice of law. This is the most severe disciplinary outcome.
- Resigned. The attorney’s resignation was accepted by the California Supreme Court. It may have been submitted with or without disciplinary charges pending, so this status sometimes reflects a resignation in lieu of contested discipline.
You’ll occasionally see two limited-practice designations for out-of-state attorneys. RIHC (Registered In-House Counsel) means the attorney is registered to practice in California on a limited basis, typically for a single employer. RLAA (Registered Legal Aid Attorney) means the attorney is registered through a legal aid organization on a limited basis.5The State Bar of California. Licensee Status Definitions Neither is authorized for ordinary private client representation. For that, you want “Active.”
One nuance about “Not Eligible to Practice Law.” An attorney can land there administratively, without any misconduct, by falling behind on Minimum Continuing Legal Education, missing annual fees, or slipping on another compliance obligation.6The State Bar of California. MCLE Requirements So the label doesn’t always signal wrongdoing. If you’re weighing whether to hire someone who recently returned to active status, the profile’s disciplinary section will tell you which kind of lapse you’re looking at.
Checking for Public Discipline
When an attorney has faced public discipline in California, the profile links to the relevant records. The Attorney Search covers an attorney’s history from admission to the present, and for cases filed since 2000, many documents are available directly through the profile or the State Bar Court’s public docket.3The State Bar of California. Public Records and Information
Public discipline ranges in severity. A public reproval is the least severe, essentially a formal censure that stays on the record. Suspension removes the ability to practice for a defined period. Disbarment is permanent revocation by the California Supreme Court. The profile notes which was imposed and usually links to the underlying decision.
If you see no disciplinary records on a profile, no public action has been taken in California. That doesn’t mean no complaints were ever filed. Complaints that are investigated and closed without charges remain confidential.
Discipline in Other States
California’s Attorney Search only reflects discipline imposed by California. If the attorney is licensed elsewhere too, misconduct in another jurisdiction may not appear. The ABA National Lawyer Regulatory Data Bank is the only national repository of public regulatory actions against lawyers across all U.S. jurisdictions and will run a name search on written request.7American Bar Association. National Lawyer Regulatory Data Bank Start with the state where the attorney is known to be licensed.
If Something Is Wrong
Two things you can do if your search or your own experience turns up a problem, both free.
File a complaint. The State Bar accepts complaints about unethical conduct or violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct at no cost, through an online form or by phone at 800-843-9053.8The State Bar of California. File Complaints and Claims The Office of Chief Trial Counsel investigates and, if warranted, files charges in the State Bar Court. Even if you later withdraw your complaint or settle privately, the State Bar can continue the case at its discretion.9The State Bar of California. Title 5 Discipline – Rules of the State Bar
Apply to the Client Security Fund. Discipline punishes the attorney; it doesn’t return your money. The Client Security Fund reimburses clients for financial losses caused by an attorney’s dishonest conduct, such as theft of settlement funds, failure to refund unearned fees, or borrowing from a client without the ability to repay. Reimbursement can reach up to $100,000 per claim.10The State Bar of California. Apply for Reimbursement Through Client Security Fund Applications are free, don’t require a lawyer, and are available online in English and Spanish, with PDF versions in Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Chinese, and other languages. Paper applications are available by calling 213-765-1140 or emailing clientsecurityfund@calbar.ca.gov.
The fund has real limits. It does not cover losses from negligence, malpractice, or incompetence, and it does not cover interest, expenses, or consequential damages like the cost of hiring a new attorney. Relatives, business partners, employers, employees, and government entities of the attorney are ineligible. You have to prove the attorney actually received the money or property at issue.