You can join the District of Columbia Bar without taking another bar exam through a process called admission on motion, or waiving in. D.C. Court of Appeals Rule 46 gives you two main routes: transfer a qualifying Uniform Bar Examination score under Rule 46(d), or apply based on three years of active bar membership elsewhere under Rule 46(e)(3)(A). Whichever route fits, you will also need to clear a character and fitness investigation, pay the application and investigation fees, take the attorney oath, and complete the Mandatory DC Bar Course within 12 months of being sworn in. The D.C. Bar waive-in requirements below walk through each step in the order you will encounter it.
The Two Waive-In Pathways
Pick the wrong track and you lose time and money, because the applications are separate and the fees are nonrefundable.
UBE Score Transfer Under Rule 46(d)
If you sat for the Uniform Bar Examination in any jurisdiction and earned a scaled score of at least 266, you can transfer that score to D.C. The score stays valid for five years after it was published, so a July 2021 score still qualifies through 2026.1District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Updates for the February 2026 Bar Exam You also need an MPRE score of at least 75.2District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Application for Admission by Transferred UBE Score Instructions
On the education side, a J.D. or LL.B. from an ABA-approved law school satisfies the requirement. Graduates of non-ABA schools have an alternative path: earn at least 26 credit hours at an ABA-approved school in courses covering subjects substantially tested on the UBE.3District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Admission by Transferred UBE Score – General Information
Three-Year Provision Under Rule 46(e)(3)(A)
If you have been a member in good standing of the bar in any U.S. state or territory for at least three years immediately before you apply, you qualify under the three-year provision.4District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Rule 46(e)(3)(A) – Motion by 3-Year Provision Some older guides say five years; the rule requires three. You still need a J.D. or LL.B. from an ABA-approved law school.5District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Notice to Bar Exam Applicants
This track does not require a UBE score or an MPRE score. It is the common choice for mid-career attorneys relocating to D.C. or adding the District to an existing practice.
Character and Fitness Investigation
Both pathways route through the National Conference of Bar Examiners for character and fitness. You open an NCBE account, complete a detailed background questionnaire covering residential history, employment, and any disciplinary or legal issues, and pay the investigation fee directly to the NCBE. The fee depends on your profile:
- Category II ($395) if your J.D. or LL.B. is expected within a year or less and you have never been authorized to practice law.
- Category III ($550) if your U.S. law degree was awarded more than a 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 fees apply if the NCBE has prepared a report for you before, and the NCBE may pass along the cost of obtaining records during the investigation.6National Conference of Bar Examiners. District of Columbia Fee Schedule
This is the most time-consuming part of the process. Give accurate contact information for every reference and former employer. Incomplete entries are the most common cause of delays.
Documents You Need to Upload
The Committee on Admissions runs an online portal where you submit the application and supporting documents electronically.7District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Committee on Admission What you upload depends on your track.
For the UBE score transfer, you need an official NCBE score report showing at least 266 and proof of an MPRE score of 75 or higher. You can upload an unofficial MPRE score report while the official transfer processes.2District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Application for Admission by Transferred UBE Score Instructions A Certificate of Good Standing is not required for UBE transfer applicants.8District of Columbia Courts. Frequently Asked Questions
For the three-year provision, you do not need a UBE or MPRE score, but you do need to upload a Declaration of Three Years’ Good Standing. A formal Certificate of Good Standing from every jurisdiction where you hold a license is not required at the application stage, despite what some guides suggest.8District of Columbia Courts. Frequently Asked Questions
Both tracks require proof of your law degree and completion of the NCBE background questionnaire. Confirm that your NCBE application number is linked correctly in the portal, because the committee cannot process the application until the character report arrives.
What It Costs
Every application fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable. The Committee on Admissions accepts payment through its portal by credit card. The amounts:
- UBE Score Transfer: $405
- Three-Year Provision: $595
- Special Legal Consultant: $450
Each of these sits on top of the NCBE investigation fee.9District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Motion Application Fees A typical U.S.-trained attorney using the three-year provision pays $595 plus $550 to the NCBE, or $1,145 before the mandatory course. Nothing comes back if the application is denied or you change your mind.
The Mandatory DC Bar Course
Every attorney admitted on motion must complete the Mandatory DC Bar Course within 12 months of being sworn in. The course costs $229 and runs as an online, on-demand video you can pause and resume between sections.10DC Bar. Mandatory Course
The curriculum covers the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct, pro bono obligations, the D.C. disciplinary system, nondisciplinary attorney regulation programs, and D.C. court and administrative practice. Even long-practicing attorneys should take it seriously. D.C. ethics rules diverge from the ABA Model Rules in places, especially around conflicts of interest and imputed disqualification.
The 12-month window runs from the month of your swearing-in. Sworn in on September 15, 2025, you have until September 30, 2026 to finish. Miss the deadline and you receive a Notice of Noncompliance with a 60-day grace period. Still not done after those 60 days? Administrative suspension follows.10DC Bar. Mandatory Course
Taking the Oath
Once the Committee on Admissions approves the application and the court issues a certification, you take the attorney oath, swearing or affirming that you will conduct yourself according to the law and support the Constitution of the United States. The D.C. Court of Appeals allows swearing in “in absentia,” so you do not have to appear at the courthouse in person.8District of Columbia Courts. Frequently Asked Questions
You can complete the oath by signing a declaration under penalty of perjury rather than having it notarized.11District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Attorney Oath of Admission to the District of Columbia Bar Once you file the signed oath and pay your initial licensing dues, you are a member of the D.C. Bar.
Dues, CLE, and Pro Bono After Admission
Your first dues are prorated based on when you swear in. After that, the D.C. Bar bills annually for a cycle running July 1 through June 30. For the 2026–2027 year, active members pay $357. Inactive status, for members who want to keep the license but do not intend to practice in the District, costs $222.12DC Bar. Membership Classes and Fees
One feature that surprises attorneys from other jurisdictions: the District of Columbia has no mandatory continuing legal education requirement. There are no CLE credits to track and no compliance reports to file.13DC Bar. CLE Obligations for D.C. Bar Members
Pro bono service is encouraged under Rule 6.1 through aspirational goals rather than enforced through discipline.14DC Bar. Pro Bono Public Service
Foreign-Trained Lawyers: A Different Track
If your first law degree was earned outside the United States, Rule 46 also offers admission as a Special Legal Consultant. This is not full bar membership. It is a limited license to give legal advice on the law of the foreign country where you are authorized to practice. Applicants must be at least 26, produce a certification of good standing from the foreign disciplinary authority, show that the foreign country offers reciprocity for D.C.-licensed attorneys, and demonstrate intent to maintain an office in the District.15District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Special Legal Consultant Application Instructions The application fee is $450 plus the NCBE Category IV investigation fee of $925.9District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Motion Application Fees Annual licensing dues match active members at $357.12DC Bar. Membership Classes and Fees