Bar Admission on Motion: Every State's Requirements
Admission on motion — sometimes called "waiving in" — lets licensed attorneys get admitted in a new state without taking another bar exam. But eligibility varies dramatically: some states are wide open, some require reciprocity, and some don't allow it at all.
See which states you can waive into
Enter your bar admissions and years of practice — the calculator checks motion eligibility across all 52 jurisdictions.
Check My Eligibility →What Is Admission on Motion?
Admission on motion allows an attorney who is already admitted and in good standing in one U.S. jurisdiction to gain admission in another without taking the bar exam. You must typically demonstrate a certain number of years of active practice, pass a character and fitness review, and pay an application fee. Some states require you to be admitted in a state that offers reciprocal motion admission.
This is different from UBE score transfer — motion doesn't require a UBE score, just an active license and practice experience.
Open Motion States
These states allow any licensed attorney to apply for admission on motion regardless of where they're admitted, as long as they meet the practice requirement.
| State | Years Required | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1 of past 3 | $970 | Easiest motion requirement in the country |
| Oregon | 2 of past 4 | $1,750 | Second easiest practice requirement |
| Alaska | 3 of past 5 | $1,500 | All-inclusive fee |
| Colorado | 3 of past 5 | $1,800 | MPRE waived if 15+ years practice |
| DC | 3 years good standing | $595 | No active practice required — good standing only |
| Idaho | 3 of past 5 | $1,200 | No MPRE required for motion |
| Illinois | 3 of past 5 | $1,500 | Major legal market |
| Indiana | 3 of past 5 | $875 | Affordable entry |
| Maine | 3 of past 5 | $1,000 | |
| Maryland | 3 of past 5 or 10 total | $700 | Flexible: 10 total years also qualifies |
| Michigan | 3 of past 5 | $800 | |
| Minnesota | 3 of past 5 | $1,150 | Requires 1,000 hrs/yr |
| Nebraska | 3 of past 5 | $925 | |
| North Dakota | 4 of past 5 | $400 | Lowest motion fee |
| Ohio | 5 of past 7 | $1,500 | Requires 1,000 hrs/yr |
| Tennessee | 5 of past 7 | $1,400 | No MPRE required for motion |
| Texas | 5 of past 7 | $1,040 | |
| Vermont | 5 of past 10 | $800 | ME/NH lawyers: only 3 years |
| Iowa | 5 of past 7 | $900 | Cannot have failed 5+ bar exams |
| Kansas | 5 of past 7 | $1,250 | |
| Massachusetts | 5 of past 7 | $1,015 | |
| Missouri | 5 of past 10 | $1,500 | |
| Montana | 5 of past 7 | $2,500 | Highest motion fee in the country |
| Wisconsin | 3 of past 5 | $850 | Failed WI exam = ineligible |
Reciprocal Motion States
These states allow admission on motion only if you're admitted in a state that itself offers motion admission to out-of-state attorneys. This is called reciprocity — "we'll let your lawyers in if your state lets our lawyers in."
| State | Years Required | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 5 of past 6 | $875 | Also requires AL residency |
| Arizona | 3 of past 5 | $2,000 | Must be from reciprocal jurisdiction |
| Arkansas | 3 of past 5 | $1,500 | |
| Connecticut | 5 of past 10 | $1,800 | |
| Georgia | 5 of past 7 | $1,300 | Not UBE — motion only path besides GA exam |
| Kentucky | 5 of past 7 | $1,500 | |
| Mississippi | 5 years | $1,500 | Limited to specific states |
| New Hampshire | 5 of past 7 | $2,500 | ME/VT lawyers: only 3 years |
| New Jersey | 5 of past 7 | $1,500 | Requires ethics course |
| New Mexico | 5 of past 7 | $2,500 | |
| New York | 5 of past 7 | $400 | Lowest motion fee for reciprocal state |
| North Carolina | 4 of past 6 | $2,000 | |
| Oklahoma | 3 of past 5 | $2,000 | All practice must be in reciprocal state |
| Pennsylvania | 5 of past 7 | $1,325 | |
| South Dakota | 3 of past 5 | $650 | Not UBE |
| Utah | 3 of past 5 | $850 | |
| Virginia | 3 of past 5 | $2,500 | Also requires 5+ years total admission |
| Virgin Islands | 5 of past 7 | $2,500 | |
| West Virginia | 5 of past 7 | $2,000 | |
| Wyoming | 5 of past 7 | $600 | Requires 300 hrs/yr |
States That Don't Allow Admission on Motion
The following jurisdictions do not offer general admission on motion. The only path to admission is passing their bar exam.
California — No motion, no reciprocity. Must pass the California Bar Exam.
Delaware — No motion admission. Must pass the Delaware Bar Exam.
Florida — No motion, no reciprocity. Must pass the Florida Bar Exam.
Hawaii — Very limited: only UH law faculty, active-duty JAGs, and legal aid attorneys.
Louisiana — Civil law jurisdiction. No motion admission. Must pass the Louisiana Bar Exam.
Nevada — No motion admission. Must pass the Nevada Bar Exam.
Rhode Island — No general motion admission.
South Carolina — No general motion admission (exceptions for law school deans/professors only).
How Reciprocity Works
Reciprocity means the target state checks whether your home state would let their lawyers in via motion. If you're admitted in a state that offers open motion admission (like Texas, Illinois, or Colorado), you generally satisfy the reciprocity requirement. If you're only admitted in a state that doesn't allow motion at all (like California or Florida), you won't qualify for reciprocal motion in most states.
This is why California and Florida attorneys often face limited portability — their home states don't offer motion admission, which locks them out of reciprocal states.
Bilateral Agreements
A few states have special bilateral arrangements with reduced requirements. New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine have a trilateral agreement where lawyers admitted in any of those three states can apply for motion in the others with only 3 years of practice (instead of the standard 5).
Check your motion eligibility instantly
Enter your admitted states and years of practice to see which jurisdictions you can access without another bar exam.
Check My Portability →All data verified against NCBE Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements: Charts 14 and 15 (March 2026). Fees may not include separate C&F investigation charges. Always verify with the jurisdiction's bar admissions authority before applying. This is not legal advice.
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