North Dakota
Common questions
Can a lawyer be admitted in North Dakota without taking the bar exam (admission on motion)?
Admission on motion available. 4 of past 5 yrs practice (teaching, govt, military, in-house, judicial count); ABA JD (diploma-privilege admittees eligible); fee $400 plus C&F fee (NCBE chart); MPRE not specified
Does North Dakota accept a transferred Uniform Bar Exam score?
Accepts test-score admission: UBE 260+ (or NextGen equivalent), or MBE 150+; MPRE 85+ within 7 years; ABA JD; apply within 2 years of exam if not practicing, or within 5 years of licensure with 12 CLE hours (1 ethics) in prior 36 months if practicing; ineligible after six failed attempts
What are the pro hac vice requirements and fee in North Dakota state courts?
Local counsel: Yes: must designate local associate lawyer licensed in ND; associate's name/address on all papers; associate attends proceedings unless excused and remains responsible to client Fee: $380 annual (State Board of Law Examiners); initial by check/money order; renewals due Jan. 1, online option since 2024; rule: fee for lawyer licensed 5+ yrs
Admission on motion
- Requirements
- 4 of past 5 yrs practice (teaching, govt, military, in-house, judicial count); ABA JD (diploma-privilege admittees eligible); fee $400 plus C&F fee (NCBE chart); MPRE not specified
- Years of practice
- 4 of past 5
- Reciprocity
- Not limited by reciprocity (NCBE chart)
- Reciprocity states
- None: stated in the source documents (stated in source)
- Fee
- $400 (plus C&F fee)
- Rule
- Rule 7. Admission by Motion
- UBE score transfer
- Accepts test-score admission: UBE 260+ (or NextGen equivalent), or MBE 150+; MPRE 85+ within 7 years; ABA JD; apply within 2 years of exam if not practicing, or within 5 years of licensure with 12 CLE hours (1 ethics) in prior 36 months if practicing; ineligible after six failed attempts
- UBE minimum
- 260
- UBE score window
- 2 years / 5 years
- MPRE
- 85 or above within seven years of filing an application
- Other routes
- Registration of nonresident lawyers (Rule 3), volunteer lawyers (Rule 3.1), disaster legal services (Rule 3.2), military spouse certification (Rule 3.3)
- Foreign attorneys
- No - foreign law graduates not eligible
- Military spouse
- Yes - Military Spouse Certification under Rule 3.3
State-court pro hac vice
- Rule
- N.D. Admission to Practice R. 3
- Local counsel
- Yes: must designate local associate lawyer licensed in ND; associate's name/address on all papers; associate attends proceedings unless excused and remains responsible to client
- Limits
- More than 5 appearances in 12 months presumes excessive use (good cause needed); repeated appearances cause for denial; motion due within 45 days of service of initial pleading; new motion per proceeding
- Fee
- $380 annual (State Board of Law Examiners); initial by check/money order; renewals due Jan. 1, online option since 2024; rule: fee for lawyer licensed 5+ yrs
- Procedure
- Motion and affidavit filed with court/agency and simultaneously mailed with fee to State Board of Law Examiners; affidavit discloses admissions, discipline, ND appearances in prior 3 years; court grants; appeal: updated affidavit to Supreme Court Clerk, no added fee in same year
Language from the source documents
11 quoted passages
On motion
What is the number of years of practice required for admission on motion?4 of past 5 What does the definition of practice for purposes of admission on motion include? Law teaching, gov't agency, military, in-house corporate, judicial court of recordncbex.org
UBE transfer
Accepts Legacy UBE ScoreYes Minimum Legacy UBE Score260 Accepts NextGen UBE ScoreYes Minimum NextGen UBE Score610 Date First Acceptance NextGen UBE ScoreJuly 2026 Maximum Score Age2 years / 5 yearsncbex.org
Other routes
Rule 3. Pro Hac Vice Admission and Registration of Nonresident Lawyers Rule 3.1: Authorization to Practice Law for Lawyers Volunteering with Approved L Rule 3.2: Provision of Legal Services Following Determination of Major Disaster Rule 3.3 Military Spouse Certificationndcourts.gov
Local counsel
(1) designates an associate lawyer admitted and licensed to practice law in this state;ndcourts.gov
phv_limits
It is presumed more than five appearances by a nonresident lawyer under this rule within the preceding 12 months is excessive use of this rule.ndcourts.gov
Pro hac vice fee
mail them to the State Board of Law Examiners with the annual $380 fee [payable only by check or money order; no credit cards accepted]ndcourts.gov
On-motion fee
$400 Application Fee – payable to State Board of Law Examiners by check or money order only (no credit cards).ndcourts.gov
Years of practice
What is the number of years of practice required for admission on motion?4 of past 5ncbex.org
MPRE
Has received a scaled score of 85 or above on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within seven years of filing an application;ndcourts.gov