Minnesota
Common questions
Can a lawyer be admitted in Minnesota without taking the bar exam (admission on motion)?
Admission on motion available. Practicing law for at least 1000 hours per year for at least 36 of the past 60 months
Does Minnesota accept a transferred Uniform Bar Exam score?
Yes (Rule 7C): legacy 260 / NextGen 620, within 36 months of the qualifying exam; applicant need not have passed in original jurisdiction. No Minnesota-specific course/exam mentioned on BLE page.
What are the pro hac vice requirements and fee in Minnesota state courts?
Local counsel: Yes. VERBATIM: "The pleadings and other documents in the case are also signed by a lawyer who is and remains duly admitted to practice in the State of Minnesota." Minnesota counsel accepts service and attends hearings. Fee: $450 to Minnesota Board of Law Examiners, waived only for pro bono for limited-means clients or government-entity lawyers (Rule 5.02(b)).
Admission on motion
- Requirements
- Practicing law for at least 1000 hours per year for at least 36 of the past 60 months
- Years of practice
- at least 1000 hours per year for at least 36 of the past 60 months
- Reciprocity
- None; practice in any jurisdiction.
- Fee
- $1,250 (Rule 12F, rules effective Sept. 1, 2026)
- Rule
- Minn. Rules for Admission to the Bar, Rule 7A (practice), 7B (MBE), 7C (UBE)
- UBE score transfer
- Yes (Rule 7C): legacy 260 / NextGen 620, within 36 months of the qualifying exam; applicant need not have passed in original jurisdiction. No Minnesota-specific course/exam mentioned on BLE page.
- UBE minimum
- 260 or higher on the Legacy UBE or 620 or higher on the NextGen UBE
- UBE score window
- within 36 months of the date of the qualifying exam
- MPRE
- 85 or higher
- Other routes
- Admission by Temporary License, Temporary House Counsel License, House Counsel License, License for Foreign Legal Consultants
- Foreign attorneys
- Foreign-admitted attorneys may apply for Foreign Legal Consultant License under Rule 11
2 not found in the pulled documents
- Reciprocity states
- Not in the pulled documents
- Military spouse
- Not in the pulled documents
State-court pro hac vice
- Rule
- Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 5
- Local counsel
- Yes. VERBATIM: "The pleadings and other documents in the case are also signed by a lawyer who is and remains duly admitted to practice in the State of Minnesota." Minnesota counsel accepts service and attends hearings.
- Limits
- Discretion liberally exercised; admission for duration of the case; court may revoke for rule violations; no numeric cap found.
- Fee
- $450 to Minnesota Board of Law Examiners, waived only for pro bono for limited-means clients or government-entity lawyers (Rule 5.02(b)).
- Procedure
- Two steps: (1) online application at prohacvice.ble.mn.gov with certificate of good standing (generally within 90 days) and $450 via U.S. Bank, Board approval letter in 1-3 business days; (2) Minnesota lawyer moves district court with applicant's affidavit and Board letter, serving all parties.
Language from the source documents
12 quoted passages
On motion
If you have been practicing law for at least 1000 hours per year for at least 36 of the past 60 months, you may be eligible. See Rule 7A for additional requirements.ble.mn.gov
UBE transfer
If you received a scaled score of 260 or higher on the Legacy UBE or a scaled score of 620 or higher on the NextGen UBE in the past 36 months, you may be eligible. See Rule 7C for additional requirements.ble.mn.gov
Other routes
8. Admission by Temporary License 9. Admission by Temporary House Counsel License 10. Admission by House Counsel License 11. License for Foreign Legal Consultantsble.mn.gov
Pro hac vice rule
Before applying, the out-of-state lawyer should carefully review Rule 5 of the Rules of General Practice.ble.mn.gov
Local counsel
(3) the pleadings and other documents in the case are also signed by a lawyer who is and remains duly admitted to practice in the State of Minnesota;revisor.mn.gov
Pro hac vice fee
(2) the out-of-state lawyer pays a non-refundable fee of $450 to the Minnesota Board of Law Examiners;revisor.mn.gov
Years of practice
If you have been practicing law for at least 1000 hours per year for at least 36 of the past 60 months, you may be eligible.ble.mn.gov
UBE minimum score
If you received a scaled score of 260 or higher on the Legacy UBE or a scaled score of 620 or higher on the NextGen UBE in the past 36 months, you may be eligible.ble.mn.gov
UBE score window
Rules 7B (MBE score) and 7C (UBE score): You must apply within 36 months of the date of the qualifying exam being used as the basis for admission.ble.mn.gov
MPRE
A scaled score of 85 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE);ble.mn.gov
Foreign attorneys
Foreign Legal Consultant License (Rule 11) Include the following with your application (all documents must be in English or accompanied by a duly authenticated English translation):ble.mn.gov