District of Columbia Bar Reciprocity

District of Columbia Admission on Motion: Years of Practice and Qualifying Practice

Requirement	District of Columbia
Admission on Motion	Yes
Practice Requirement	3 of the past 5 years
Admission on Motion Fee	$595 (plus Character & Fitness fee)
Is the MPRE required?	No, for admission on motion

Note: The current Rule 46(e)(3) motion pathway is based on active practice and good standing and does not separately require an MPRE score. The MPRE remains required for other D.C. admission pathways, including admission by transferred UBE score.

What Work May Qualify as Practice in the District of Columbia?

Client representation
Government agency
Military
Law teaching
In-house corporate counsel
Judge in a court of record
Judicial law clerk

I’m Licensed in the District of Columbia: Where Can I Apply for Admission on Motion?

Attorneys licensed in the District of Columbia may qualify to apply for admission on motion in:

AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, CT, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY

Can Attorneys From Other States Apply for Admission on Motion in the District of Columbia?

Yes. Attorneys licensed in any U.S. state may apply for the District of Columbia’s admission on motion. It is not limited to attorneys from reciprocal jurisdictions.

Other District of Columbia Admission on Motion Requirements

Must I have graduated from an ABA-approved law school? No
Is District of Columbia admission on motion based on reciprocity? No
Are attorneys admitted by diploma privilege eligible? Yes
Must I be in good standing? Yes
Is character and fitness review required? Yes

District of Columbia UBE Score Transfer Requirements

The District of Columbia accepts qualifying Legacy and NextGen UBE scores transferred from other jurisdictions. This pathway is separate from the 3-of-5-year admission-on-motion pathway.

Requirement	District of Columbia
UBE Score Transfer	Yes
Minimum Legacy UBE Score	266
Maximum UBE Score Age	5 years
NextGen UBE	First accepted for transfer in July 2026; D.C. first administers the NextGen UBE in February 2028
Minimum NextGen Score	616

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the District of Columbia require bar reciprocity for admission on motion?

No. D.C. does not require the attorney’s licensing jurisdiction to provide reciprocal admission privileges to D.C. attorneys.

What UBE score does the District of Columbia accept for transfer?

D.C. accepts Legacy UBE scores of 266 or higher and NextGen UBE scores of 616 or higher, with a maximum transferred score age of 5 years.

How many years must I practice law to qualify for D.C. admission on motion?

D.C. requires applicants to have actively practiced law for at least 3 of the 5 years immediately before applying.