Indiana
Common questions
Can a lawyer be admitted in Indiana without taking the bar exam (admission on motion)?
Admission on motion available. Admitted in highest court of another state/territory/DC and in good standing everywhere; actively engaged in practice 3 of 5 yrs preceding application (min 1,000 hrs/yr qualifying work; full-time ABA-law-school teaching counts); not scored below 264 on a UBE within 5 yrs before application (disqualifier); MPRE required only for military-spouse track; no residency/intent requirement for general applicants; fee $875
Does Indiana accept a transferred Uniform Bar Exam score?
Accepted under Rule 17.1 (eff. Aug. 1, 2026): UBE score at least 264; within 5 yrs before application; MPRE 80 no earlier than 2 yrs before sitting for UBE; filing fee $500; ABA school (unless waived), dean's affidavit, transcript; C&F; good standing; Indiana Law Course within 6 months of admission
What are the pro hac vice requirements and fee in Indiana state courts?
Local counsel: Yes. Indiana bar member must appear and agree to act as co-counsel, sign all briefs and pleadings, joint responsibility Fee: $300 case-specific registration fee, nonrefundable if denied; each attorney in a firm pays separately
Admission on motion
- Requirements
- Admitted in highest court of another state/territory/DC and in good standing everywhere; actively engaged in practice 3 of 5 yrs preceding application (min 1,000 hrs/yr qualifying work; full-time ABA-law-school teaching counts); not scored below 264 on a UBE within 5 yrs before application (disqualifier); MPRE required only for military-spouse track; no residency/intent requirement for general applicants; fee $875
- Years of practice
- at least three of the five years immediately preceding the date of application, at least 1,000 hours per year
- Reciprocity
- No reciprocity condition found
- Reciprocity states
- Not applicable: no reciprocity
- Fee
- $875
- Rule
- Ind. Admis. Disc. R. 6 (Section 1)
- UBE score transfer
- Accepted under Rule 17.1 (eff. Aug. 1, 2026): UBE score at least 264; within 5 yrs before application; MPRE 80 no earlier than 2 yrs before sitting for UBE; filing fee $500; ABA school (unless waived), dean's affidavit, transcript; C&F; good standing; Indiana Law Course within 6 months of admission
- UBE minimum
- 264
- UBE score window
- within five years preceding the date of application
- MPRE
- scaled score of 80 on the MPRE no earlier than two years before the applicant sat for the UBE
- Other routes
- Business counsel license (annual renewal $50; rule number not confirmed); military spouse (Rule 6, includes physical residence, MPRE, 6-month provisional admission); Temporary License (Rule 6.1); Pro Bono Publico License (Rule 6.2)
- Foreign attorneys
- Person admitted in a foreign country may be granted a business counsel license
- Military spouse
- Board may waive minimum practice requirement for military spouse admitted in another state whose spouse is subject to military transfer to Indiana for active duty
State-court pro hac vice
- Rule
- Ind. Admis. Disc. R. 3, Section 2 (temporary admission on petition)
- Local counsel
- Yes. Indiana bar member must appear and agree to act as co-counsel, sign all briefs and pleadings, joint responsibility
- Limits
- Applicant must not be Indiana resident, regularly employed in Indiana, or regularly engaged in business/professional activities in the state; good cause showing required (e.g., special expertise, existing client relationship, lack of local expertise, foreign law). No numerical cap found
- Fee
- $300 case-specific registration fee, nonrefundable if denied; each attorney in a firm pays separately
- Procedure
- Verified petition co-signed by local counsel; certificate of good standing within 30 days; proof of fee payment with temporary admission number from Executive Director
Language from the source documents
13 quoted passages
On motion
(a) The applicant has actively engaged in the practice of law for a period of at least three of the five years immediately preceding the date of application.rules.incourts.gov
UBE transfer
achieved a scaled score of at least 264 may be admitted to the Indiana bar if the applicant satisfies the following conditions: (a) The scaled score was attained on a UBE administered within five years preceding the date of application;rules.incourts.gov
Other routes
Section 2. Business Counsel License A person who establishes an office or other systematic and continuous presence in Indiana for the purpose of accepting or continuing employmentrules.incourts.gov
Pro hac vice rule
Section 2. Temporary Admission on Petition. (a) Requirements for Temporary Admission on Petition.rules.incourts.gov
Local counsel
(1) A member of the bar of this state has appeared and agreed to act as co- counsel.rules.incourts.gov
Pro hac vice fee
a case specific registration fee of $300, accompanied by a copy of the Verified Petition for Temporary Admission that the attorney intends to file pursuant to subdivision (4) below.rules.incourts.gov
On-motion fee
The applicant shall submit their application accompanied by a fee of $875 in accordance with procedures established by the Board.rules.incourts.gov
Years of practice
The applicant has actively engaged in the practice of law for a period of at least three of the five years immediately preceding the date of application.rules.incourts.gov
UBE minimum score
An applicant who has taken the UBE in a jurisdiction other than Indiana and achieved a scaled score of at least 264 may be admitted to the Indiana bar if the applicant satisfies the following conditions:rules.incourts.gov
UBE score window
(a) The scaled score was attained on a UBE administered within five years preceding the date of application;rules.incourts.gov
MPRE
(b) The applicant received a scaled score of 80 on the MPRE no earlier than two years before the applicant sat for the UBE on which the applicant achieved a scaled score of 264;rules.incourts.gov
Foreign attorneys
(a) is admitted to practice law in the highest court of law in any other state or in a foreign country and fulfills the requirements set forth in Rule 5(1)(a);rules.incourts.gov
Military spouse
The Board may waive the minimum practice requirement in Section 1 for an applicant admitted to practice law in the highest court of law in any other staterules.incourts.gov