Annual fees payment FAQs

Will I be assessed fees from the State Bar?
How and when will I receive notice of the annual fees?
I didn’t receive an email notice of the annual fees. How do I submit payment?
Do I have to pay online?
Where do I send my payments if I want to mail a check?
What do the fees for active and inactive attorneys include?
What else can I pay through My State Bar Profile?
When are the annual fees due?
Who do I contact if I have a question about a refund?
How do I get my bar card?
What is the Attorney Census?
What financial hardship waivers are available?

1. Will I be assessed fees from the State Bar?

Yes. The 2026 annual fees will be available to calculate and pay online through My State Bar Profile effective February 1, 2026.

2. How and when will I receive notice of the annual fees?

You will be notified by email when you can access your annual fees through My State Bar Profile. It’s very important to update your contact information for official State Bar use so you’ll receive these and other important notifications. Group payments must be made through Agency Billing.

3. I didn’t receive an email notice of the annual fees. How do I submit payment?

Starting February 1, 2026, the 2026 annual fees will be available to calculate online through My State Bar Profile. If you forgot your password or need assistance accessing your online profile, please use the Help Guide or view our video tutorial for step-by-step instructions to reset your password and access your account.

4. Do I have to pay online?

The State Bar encourages individual licensees to pay their annual fees online through My State Bar Profile. When it is necessary to mail a payment, you must include either:

A copy of your invoice which can be generated online in your profile; or
A copy of your fee statement, which is available to download in My State Bar Profile.

Failure to include a copy of your Pay by Mail invoice or fee statement with your mailed payment may result in your payment being rejected and the imposition of a nonconforming payment penalty pursuant to rule 2.13 of the Rules of the State Bar of California.

The State Bar no longer accepts cash payments, and we do not accept payments in person or over the phone.

5. Where do I send my payments if I want to mail a check?

Payments submitted by mail are required to include either a copy of your invoice or fee statement. Send the invoice/fee statement and check to:

The State Bar of California
P.O. Box 842142
Los Angeles, CA 90084-2142

6. What do the fees for active and inactive attorneys include?

Fees for active attorneys

The total fees will be $598. This includes a $478 base fee (Bus. & Prof. Code, §6140, 6140.10, 6140.11, 6140.13, and 6140.14) and the following legislatively mandated fees:

$25 for disciplinary activities (§6140.6)
$40 for the Client Security Fund (§6140.55)
$10 for the Lawyer Assistance Program (§6140.9)
$45 for legal aid (§6140.03)

Fees for inactive attorneys

The total fees will be $205. This includes a $120 base fee (Bus. & Prof. Code, §6140) and the following legislatively mandated fees:

$25 for disciplinary activities (§6140.6)
$10 for the Client Security Fund (§6140.55)
$5 for the Lawyer Assistance Program (§6140.9)
$45 for legal aid (§6140.03)

7. What else can I pay through My State Bar Profile?

You may also pay for your California Lawyers Association Section fees. All licensees will also have the opportunity to donate to the Greg E. Knoll Justice Gap Fund, California ChangeLawyers (formerly the California Bar Foundation), the Legislative Activities Fund, and the California Supreme Court Historical Society.

8. When are the annual fees due?

The due date is by March 30, or the next business day if that date falls on a weekend or holiday, each year during the annual license renewal process. The 2026 annual deadline is March 30, 2026. If you miss the deadline, you will be charged a penalty ($106 for active attorneys, $32 for inactive attorneys).

9. Who do I contact if I have a question about a refund?

Rule 2.14 of the Rules of the State Bar of California states: “Unless these rules provide otherwise, a licensee is not entitled to a refund of annual license fees because of death, resignation, disbarment, transfer to inactive status, entering judicial office, or for any other reason.”

If you submitted a payment in error, complete the Request for Refund Form and submit directly to refund@calbar.ca.gov within 60 days of payment. Processing may take up to 90 days.

Important: If your employer is covering your fees, refunds for individual payments will not be processed until the replacement payment is received.

10. How do I get my bar card?

Once a payment for your fees has been initiated online or a check payment is received and recorded, a paper bar card is available for download for all active and inactive licensees through My State Bar Profile. Plastic bar cards are available only by request through My State Bar Profile.

If you are an active attorney and need a bar card prior to paying fees, you may access and print a temporary paper bar card for the current year, which is valid until March 1. To access your bar card options, go to My State Bar Profile’s Bar Card, Receipt(s) & Other Documents section.

11. What is the Attorney Census?

The State Bar conducts an annual Attorney Census to gather demographic and employment data from the state’s licensees. The Attorney Census contains questions on demographic characteristics, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and veteran’s status. For more information, visit the Frequently Asked Questions about the Attorney Census.

12. What financial hardship waivers are available?

To determine if you qualify for a 25 percent reduction in annual fees or a 50 percent waiver of the annual fees, please refer to rules 2.15 and 2.16 of the Rules of the State Bar of California, respectively. View more information.

Have a question? Contact us.