The licensing fee bill, AB 3279, increased 2025 licensing costs for active and inactive licensees. Additionally, dates and deadlines to pay your fees and complete annual compliance requirements are changing.

Licensing fees

• Total fees for active licensees will rise from $510 to $598.
• Total fees for inactive licensees will increase from $182.40 to $205.
• Inactive licensees age 70 or over will continue to have their fees waived.

License renewal and compliance dates
The renewal cycle will open February 1, 2025, and close March 30, 2025.

Planning to switch from active to inactive status? You must submit your Application for Transfer to Inactive by December 1, 2024, and the effective date must be on or before December 31, 2024, to qualify for the inactive fee in 2025.

MCLE compliance deadline update:

• Last names A-G: Extended to a single 38-month cycle ending March 29, 2025. Report deadline: March 30, 2025.
• Compliance groups 2 and 3: Extended to a single 38-month cycle ending March 29, 2026, or 2027. Report deadline: March 30.
• After the single 38-month cycle, each group returns to a standard 36-month cycle starting March 30 of their respective year and ending the day before the deadline 36 months later.

Find your MCLE compliance group.

Annual CTAPP compliance: The reporting steps under the Client Trust Account Protection Program (CTAPP) are an annual requirement and must also be completed by March 30. CTAPP applies to all licensed attorneys, including government attorneys.

Need a bar card to get into your local courthouse or jail? With the change in the renewal cycle, you will not be able to pay fees in December and order a 2025 bar card to use in January. The State Bar is working to create a temporary bar card you can download and print until you can pay 2025 licensing fees in February. More to come, but, as always, the security policy of your courthouse or jail may require screening regardless of bar status.