Apply for Admission on Motion

To be eligible for admission, you must have:

1. Earned a JD from an ABA accredited law school;
2. Been certified by the Commission on Character & Fitness;
3. Have fulfilled the requirements to qualify for Admission on Motion;
4. Viewed the Montana Law Seminar;
5. Paid your license tax to the Supreme Court; and
6. Paid your dues to the State Bar of Montana.

Montana Admission Rules - Verify your eligibility for admission into Montana.

Character & Fitness - Rules of Procedure of the Commission on Character and Fitness of the Supreme Court of Montana

• All applicants must complete the Character and Fitness Application through NCBE for Montana. The Character and Fitness Application through NCBE has separate application fees from those that are required by the State Bar of Montana to support your application. The NCBE C&F Application Fee Scale is available through this link.
• All applicants must submit the materials and fees outlined on the Admission on Motion Application Checklist.

• Add mhartze@montanabar.org to your "Safe Senders" list on the email address provided on your Admission on Motion Application Cover Page. Once your application is received, you will be emailed by mhartze@montanabar.org to confirm receipt of your application and it will be advised if/what further material(s) must be submitted to support your application.

The MPRE Score requirement is waived for all Admission on Motion applicants,as our rules are currently under review. Therefore, you do not need to retake the MPRE to support your application to Montana. 

The Montana Law Seminar will be emailed to you after you have provided all application materials, fees, and have been found to carry certifiable character and fitness.  All applicants, regardless of admission method, must attend the Montana Law Seminar (MLS). 

The Montana Law Seminar is a Supreme Court required course that will focus on the structure of the legal system in Montana, the unique aspects of Montana law and the accepted morals and culture of practicing law in Montana. The Seminar is directed specifically to those seeking admission to the Bar, and only those who are applying for admission to the State Bar of Montana are eligible to attend. The Montana Law Seminar is not a CLE program; no CLE credits be awarded.

The Character and Fitness Application fees that are submitted to NCBE for processing are separate and in addition to the following fees.

• The total application fee for Admission on Motion is $2,475.
• The base application fee that must be submitted with your application is the $410 Attorney Application Fee. If you prefer, you are welcome to submit the remaining $2,065 once you have gained the advising that you have proven to carry certifiable character and fitness.

Checks or money orders can be paid to the order of "State Bar of Montana." If you wish to submit payment online via ACH check or card, please email mhartze@montanabar.org advising that you are submitting an Admission on Motion application and are requesting a payment link. If you are not the applicant submitting this request, please include the applicant's name and the address that is preferred for the invoice/payment link. Please note that cards carry an additional 3% processing surcharge.

A separate application fee is charged for the NCBE Character & Fitness Application. 

The NCBE Application (page i.) includes categories for Law Student Registration and Foreign Educated or Foreign-Licensed Attorneys. Montana does not currently accept early applications for law students or recognize foreign applicants. All applicants are required to hold a JD from an ABA accredited school.

Admission on Motion applicants may submit an application at any time. The new format for the Montana Law Seminar is online and pre-recorded. Once the applicant's NCBE report has been completed and all required materials have been received, the materials for the course will be provided via email by the Bar Admissions Staff.

All Admission on Motion applicants are required to complete the application process outlined above and meet the requirements set forth in the Rules for Admission to the State Bar of Montana.

Please mail your application package to: Admissions Team, PO Box 577, Helena, MT, 59601.

Your Certification letter will be provided via email, if qualifiable. Please do not attempt to complete any of these steps prior to receiving your Certification Letter. If you are found certifiable, you will be provided with a guideline that provides the details regarding the following information.

• You will have to submit the $25 Annual License Tax
• You will have to complete a Motion for Admission to be sworn in.
• Once your Motion is granted, you can then arrange to be sworn in.