The D.C. bar exam is given twice in 2026: February 24–25 and July 28–29. Both administrations run on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of their month, following dates set by the National Conference of Bar Examiners. The registration windows are short, and they close automatically once seats fill, so the deadline that matters is often earlier than the one on the calendar.
2026 Registration Deadlines
Registration for the February 2026 exam opened November 25, 2025, and closed December 5, 2025, at 11:59 PM Eastern. Registration for the July 2026 exam opens March 2, 2026, at 9:00 AM Eastern and closes March 31, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern. Either window can shut earlier if seating capacity is reached first.1District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Bar Exam Fees and Deadlines
There is no late filing period. The Committee on Admissions has stated this explicitly and makes no exceptions.2District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Updates for the February 2026 Bar Exam Miss the window and you wait for the next cycle.
Applications are filed through the Committee on Admissions website. You create an account, complete the electronic forms, upload supporting documents, and pay the fees online.3District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Committee on Admission
What the Two Days Cover
D.C. administers the Uniform Bar Examination. The Tuesday session runs the Multistate Essay Examination and two Multistate Performance Test tasks over roughly six hours. The Wednesday session is the Multistate Bar Examination, a 200-question multiple-choice test that accounts for half your total score.4District of Columbia Courts. District of Columbia Code Rule 46 – Admission to the Bar
A passing UBE score in D.C. is 266.5District of Columbia Court of Appeals. District of Columbia Bar Admissions – Application Information You also need a scaled score of 75 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, which is a separate ethics test given by NCBE at its own times throughout the year and is not part of the two-day bar exam.6District of Columbia Court of Appeals. District of Columbia Court of Appeals Rule 46 – Admission to the Bar
What It Costs to Register
The exam application fee is $405 for first-time applicants and retakers. If you take the exam on your own laptop, add a $150 software fee.1District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Bar Exam Fees and Deadlines
First-time applicants also pay an NCBE background investigation fee that varies by category:
- Category II ($395) if your J.D. will be awarded within one year and you have never been authorized to practice law.
- Category III ($550) if your J.D. was awarded more than one year ago, or you have been authorized to practice in the United States.
- Category IV ($925) if your first law degree was earned outside the United States, or you have been authorized to practice in a foreign country.
Reduced supplemental fees of $120 to $450 apply if NCBE already prepared a report for you in another jurisdiction.7National Conference of Bar Examiners. District of Columbia Fee Schedule All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. If you withdraw or miss the exam, the money is gone.
Where the Exam Is Held
For July 2026, the standard testing sites are the Washington Hilton at 1919 Connecticut Ave., NW, the Andrew Mellon Auditorium at 1301 Constitution Ave., NW, and the DC Bar building at 901 4th St., NW. Applicants who receive testing accommodations are assigned to the Historic Courthouse at 430 E St., NW, or George Washington University Law School at 2000 H St., NW.8District of Columbia Court of Appeals. July 2026 Bar Exam News
Seating at standard venues is randomly assigned. You cannot request a location, venues can change, and the Committee posts final assignments closer to exam day through your account on the admissions portal.
Requesting Testing Accommodations
Requests for accommodations such as extended time or a separate room must be submitted with your completed bar exam application. Late requests are not accepted, which ties the accommodation deadline to the same registration window as everyone else.9District of Columbia Courts. Request for District of Columbia Bar Examination Testing Accommodations
You will need a diagnostic report from a qualified professional trained in differential diagnosis of your condition. The report must be typed on letterhead, dated, and signed, and it must cover the nature of the disability and how it was diagnosed, current functional limitations relevant to taking the bar exam, a rationale linking each requested accommodation to those limitations, and supporting history such as academic records, prior IEPs or 504 Plans, and developmental or medical background. Evaluations prepared by family members are not accepted.
When Scores Are Released
February 2026 results are scheduled to post to applicant accounts on Friday, April 17, 2026, no later than 12:00 PM Eastern, roughly seven to eight weeks after the exam. Results roll out gradually and will not appear in every account at the same moment.10District of Columbia Court of Appeals. February 2026 Bar Exam Score Release News
Passing the exam does not admit you on its own. You still have to clear the character and fitness review, which NCBE begins after you pay the background investigation fee. Straightforward files move faster; disclosed issues or incomplete records extend the process.
If You Already Have a UBE Score
You may not need to sit in D.C. at all. A qualifying UBE score of 266 or higher earned in another jurisdiction can be transferred to D.C. within five years of the exam date.5District of Columbia Court of Appeals. District of Columbia Bar Admissions – Application Information You still need an MPRE score of 75 or higher and you still go through the same character and fitness review.2District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Updates for the February 2026 Bar Exam The transfer application fee is $405 plus the applicable NCBE investigation fee. Scores earned on a fifth or subsequent attempt in any jurisdiction cannot be transferred to D.C.
The NextGen Change Comes in 2028
D.C. will switch from the current UBE to the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination starting with the February 2028 administration, with a NextGen passing score of 616.4District of Columbia Courts. District of Columbia Code Rule 46 – Admission to the Bar The July 2026 and February 2027 exams will still use the current UBE format with the 266 threshold, so candidates sitting in 2026 are testing under the existing rules.