Apply to transfer your UBE Score

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. Submitted a qualifying MPRE score;
4. Submitted a qualifying UBE score;
5. Viewed the Montana Law Seminar;
6. Paid your license tax to the Supreme Court; and
7. 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 UBE Score Transfer Application Checklist.

• Add mhartze@montanabar.org to your "Safe Senders" list on the email address provided on your UBE Score Transfer 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.

• A Legacy UBE Score of 266 or greater is accepted within three (3) years from when it was earned. 
• A NextGen UBE Score of 616 or greater is accepted within three (3) years from when it was earned.

An MPRE score of 80 or greater earned within three (3) years of your application date will be accepted.

Montana does not administer the MPRE. Information about registration and testing locations for the MPRE is available on the NCBE's website. It is the applicant's responsibility to have MPRE scores certified to the State Bar of Montana. Contact the NCBE to request your certified score be provided 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 base application fee that must be submitted with your application is either the $155 Student Application Fee or the $410 Attorney Application Fee, based on your current status.
• The $155 Montana Law Seminar Fee can be submitted either with your application or you can wait until you have been advised that your character and fitness have been found certifiable. 

Checks or money orders can be paid to the order of "State Bar of Montana."

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.

UBE Transfer 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 UBE 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 decide whether you will be taking "Active" or "Inactive" status, and you will have to submit the supporting dues for your intended status (Active = $195, Inactive = $50).
• 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.