Updated October 4, 2026 · Source-qualified admissions review
Bar Reciprocity: Which Motion Routes Require It?
Reviewed October 4, 2026. This guide covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is a research aid, not an admission decision. Dated state rules and orders control over general summaries. Some fields remain unpublished, conflicting or corroborated only at summary level; follow the linked sources and confirm the exact route before applying.
Reciprocity is a jurisdiction-specific condition
A reciprocal motion rule makes some part of admission depend on the treatment of the receiving jurisdiction’s attorneys elsewhere. The exact test may involve a recognized-jurisdiction list, substantially similar requirements, admission by examination or practice in a qualifying jurisdiction. Reciprocity should never be inferred merely because both states allow some kind of motion admission.
Routes marked reciprocal in this review
| Receiving jurisdiction | Practice / admission qualifications | Official references |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 6; Five of six primarily active practice; reciprocal source; no Alabama exam failure within10years; residency OR intent primary Alabama practice and office, plus all other RuleIII conditions. | Source 1 |
| Arizona | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 3 of past 5; Active license three of five years, qualifying active practice three of five; admission by exam in reciprocal jurisdiction OR exam admission elsewhere plus admission/practice in reciprocal jurisdiction. Review full Rule34(e). | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Arkansas | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 3 of past 5; Three of five active practice; qualifying reciprocal principal-place-of-business condition; full RuleXVI and exam-failure restriction apply. | Source 1 |
| Connecticut | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 10; Practice principal means of livelihood five of ten; reciprocal admission generally required; qualifying full-time Connecticut law-school faculty/clinical-fellow exception requires direct rule review. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Georgia | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 7; Admission by examination in reciprocal jurisdiction; five of seven practice; reciprocal jurisdiction’s stricter conditions can govern; prior Georgia exam-failure and fitness-denial restrictions. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Kentucky | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 7; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Mississippi | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 years; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 |
| Missouri | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 10; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| New Hampshire | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 7 (3 for ME/VT) | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| New Jersey | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 7 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| New Mexico | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 7 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| New York | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 7 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| North Carolina | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 4 of past 6 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Oklahoma | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 3 of past 5 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Pennsylvania | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 7 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| South Dakota | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 3 of past 5 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Utah | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 3 of past 5 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Virginia | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 3 of past 5 (5 yrs admission req.); separate 5-year admission requirement | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 7 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| West Virginia | Reciprocity required; relationship unconfirmed; 5 of past 7 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
Motion routes without a general reciprocity condition shown
| Receiving jurisdiction | Practice / admission qualifications | Official references |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility.; 750 qualifying hours/year | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Colorado | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| District of Columbia | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5 years active practice; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 |
| Idaho | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Illinois | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Indiana | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 |
| Iowa | No reciprocity condition shown; 5 of past 7; Five full practice years while licensed withinseven; cannot have failed Iowa exam withinfiveyears or any bar exam five+times; education/C&F still apply. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Kansas | No reciprocity condition shown; 5 of past 7; Admission by examination; active license; qualifying five of seven practice; no professional suspension/disbarment/loss of license; other Rule719 conditions. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Maine | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Maryland | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5 or 10 total; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 |
| Massachusetts | No reciprocity condition shown; 5 of past 7; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Michigan | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility. | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Minnesota | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5; Qualifying authorized active practice, required education, character and fitness, license standing and disciplinary conditions must also be met. Years alone never establish eligibility.; 1000 qualifying hours/year | Source 1 Source 2 |
| Montana | No reciprocity condition shown; 5 of past 7 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Nebraska | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| North Dakota | No reciprocity condition shown; 4 of past 5; separate 5-year admission requirement | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Ohio | No reciprocity condition shown; 5 of past 7; 1000 qualifying hours/year | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Oregon | No reciprocity condition shown; 2 of past 4; separate 2-year admission requirement | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Tennessee | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Texas | No reciprocity condition shown; 5 of past 7 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Vermont | No reciprocity condition shown; 5 of past 10; reduced 3-year routes may apply | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Washington | No reciprocity condition shown; 1 of past 3 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Wisconsin | No reciprocity condition shown; 3 of past 5 | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
| Wyoming | No reciprocity condition shown; 5 of past 7; 300 qualifying hours/year | Source 1 Summary/qualification review required |
What this list does not establish
The tables classify the receiving jurisdiction’s general route. They do not establish that your specific admission is recognized, that you were admitted by the required method, or that your practice was in a qualifying place. Bilateral or reduced-duration exceptions must be checked individually. No verified reciprocal-state list is inferred by the calculator.
A practical verification sequence
- Choose the receiving jurisdiction and the current motion rule.
- Locate its current recognized-jurisdiction list or actual reciprocal test.
- Check the admission method and duration, qualifying practice and lookback period.
- Check whether residence, local practice, discipline, recent examination failure or education creates another condition.
- Confirm local courses, investigation, filing documents and the amount due.
Before you apply
Confirm the rule in force for your examination administration and application date, all education and practice requirements, character-and-fitness review, the MPRE, local components and the full amount due. A potential route does not authorize practice. This site does not provide legal advice.
Organize your admission research
Use the calculator to identify potential routes and the questions you still need to resolve.
Explore admission routes →Source-review status is field-specific. Rechecked or revised October 4, 2026 using the directory’s October 3–4 source review. Individual eligibility and unpublished future requirements remain unresolved.