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All State Bar charges come from Appendix A to the Rules of the State Bar, the Schedule of Charges and Deadlines (Appendix A web page; Appendix A PDF). The NCBE's California chart mirrors the exam and laptop figures (NCBE chart). Last verified: September 24, 2026.
There are two fee tiers. A lawyer admitted in another country is an attorney applicant (Rule 4.3(B)) even though they sit the two-day General Bar Exam. A foreign law graduate who is not admitted anywhere is a general applicant (Title 4 rules PDF). Which tier applies to you is explained on Eligibility for foreign-trained lawyers.
The Board of Trustees raised these fees on November 20–21, 2025 (Board release, November 2025). The general exam fee rose from $850 to $878, a 3.3 percent cost-of-living increase. The attorney-applicant exam fee rose from $1,500 to $1,650. Prep sites still quoting $850 and $1,500 are out of date.
All charges in one table
| Item | Rule | General applicant | Attorney applicant | Notes and source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 4.16 | $155 | $310 | Documents and fees due within 60 days or the registration is abandoned with no refund. Registration |
| Legal Education Evaluation (optional, foreign degree) | 4.33 | $106 | Not needed | Three to four weeks. Legal Education Evaluation |
| Credential evaluation by an approved agency (Route B) | Guideline 1 | About $110 to $244 | Not needed | Paid to the agency, not the State Bar; third-party pricing, unofficial. Approved services |
| Moral character determination | 4.41(B) | $900 | $1,054 | Withdrawal within 30 days refunds 60 percent; nothing after. Application Process |
| Moral character extension | 4.52(A) | $360 | $496 | Filed 30 to 36 months after a positive determination. Application Process |
| Appeal of an adverse moral character determination | 4.47(A) | $531 | $531 | Appendix A PDF |
| First-Year Law Students' Examination (Route C only) | 4.58(A) | $925 | Not applicable | Late fees $50 then $250. FYLSX |
| California Bar Exam application | 4.61(A) | $878 | $1,650 | Same fee for a repeat sitting. Appendix A |
| Late filing, first window | 4.61(A) | +$50 | +$50 | November 3–30 for February; April 2–30 for July. Dates and Deadlines |
| Late filing, final window | 4.61(A) | +$250 | +$250 | December 1 to the final deadline for February; May 1 to June 1 for July. Dates and Deadlines |
| Laptop fee (typing the essays and PT) | 4.61 | $153 | $153 | Handwriting is free. Laptops for Bar Exam |
| Late change from handwriting to laptop | 4.61(A) | $60 | $60 | Appendix A PDF |
| Card processing | n/a | 2.5 percent | 2.5 percent | ACH bank transfer is free. California Bar Examination |
| MPRE (paid to the NCBE) | 4.59 | $185 | $185 | All 2026 and 2027 administrations. NCBE MPRE registration |
| Certification of an MPRE score older than 15 years | n/a | $27 | $27 | Appendix A PDF |
| Letter of Verification (registration, fees, admission) | n/a | $17 | $17 | The closest official document to a visa-support letter; requested through a General Request in the Portal. Appendix A PDF |
| Selected Answers booklet (hard copy) | n/a | $25 | $25 | Plus $5 overseas postage. July 2025 Unsuccessful Bulletin |
| Supreme Court enrollment fee | n/a | $5 | $5 | Appendix A PDF |
| Wall certificate | n/a | Standard free; custom $92 | Standard free; custom $92 | The Schedule lists an "Admission Certificate $95," but the more recent Successful Applicants Bulletin says the standard certificate is free. Successful Applicants Bulletin |
| First annual license fee (active, 2026) | 2.11–2.12 | $598 | $598 | $299 if you take the oath from June 1 to November 30; none for that year if you take it in December. Step 4; Appendix A PDF |
| NCBE technology fee, NextGen UBE from July 2028 | NCBE | $145 | $145 | "Currently"; State Bar fees for 2028 not yet published. Notices page |
What a foreign candidate actually pays
Our arithmetic from the table, for one sitting with a laptop, before card fees:
- Lawyer admitted abroad (Route A, attorney applicant): $310 registration + $1,054 moral character + $1,650 exam + $153 laptop + $185 MPRE = $3,352.
- LL.M. graduate with a foreign law degree (Route B, general applicant): $155 + $900 + $878 + $153 + $185 = $2,271. Add $106 if you request the Legal Education Evaluation, plus the agency's credential-evaluation fee.
- Repeat sitting: the exam fee ($878 or $1,650) and the laptop fee again. Registration and moral character are not repeated while the determination is valid (36 months, Rule 4.51).
- Not on the schedule: certified translations, a Certificate of Good Standing from your home bar, fingerprint cards and courier costs. Add travel to California, lodging for at least three nights, and bar preparation.
Paying by card adds 2.5 percent; an ACH transfer from a U.S. bank account is free (California Bar Examination).
Things to know before you pay
- Fees can change. The Appendix A page carries no year label; the current amounts follow the Board's November 2025 action. The State Bar's 2025 Annual Report projects that 2026 bar exam costs will exceed revenues by about $2.8 million, so a further change is possible (2025 Annual Report). Check Appendix A before each payment.
- No fee waiver applies now. The waiver given to February 2025 takers covered only their first exam through July 2026 and has expired (July 2026 exam page).
- No refund for an abandoned registration. Rule 4.16(B) deems a registration abandoned if documents and fees are not received within 60 days, with no refund (Registration).
- A foreign lawyer pays the attorney tier but sits the general exam. The one-day Attorneys' Exam, also $1,650, is only for lawyers with four years of active U.S. licensure (Attorney Applicants).
Deadlines for each sitting are on Dates and deadlines, and the order in which you pay each fee is on How to apply.