Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

The Sunshine State is a growing destination for America’s finest lawyers. You can be a part of Florida’s transformation into a powerhouse of the legal profession by taking the Florida Bar Exam in 2026. The exam is offered in February and July of each year. The February exam takes place from February 24–25, 2026, while the July exam is offered from July 28–29, 2026.

If you apply for the February administration of the Florida Bar Exam before November 15, the application fee is $1,000. You can still apply until December 15, but you’ll have to pay a late fee of $325, meaning applicants who apply between November 16 and December 15 pay a total fee of $1,325. The latest you can apply for the February exam is January 15, but you have to pay a total fee of $1,625, including a $625 late fee.

For the July exam, the initial application fee is $1,000 if you apply by May 1, 2026, but you have to pay a late fee of $325 if you apply by June 1. The latest you can apply for the July exam is June 15, but you have to pay a total fee of $1,625, including a $1,625 late fee. The laptop fee for either administration of the exam is $125.

Unlike most jurisdictions, Florida doesn’t use the Universal Bar Exam (UBE). Although many of the subjects on the Florida Bar Exam are also on the UBE, the Florida exam contains several subjects that are unique to Florida law, such as Florida Constitutional Law.

On the first day of the exam, students will answer questions that are specific to Florida law. Day one is divided into two parts: a morning session and an afternoon session. In the morning session, you’ll spend three hours answering essay questions about Florida law. In the afternoon session, you’ll spend another three hours answering one hundred multiple-choice questions about Florida law. You’ll have a lunch break between these two parts of the exam.

On the second day, students will spend six hours answering two hundred multiple-choice questions. These two hundred questions comprise the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), but they’re split into two sections so you can have a lunch break. To be clear, although the MBE topics will overlap with some of the topics that you’ll be tested on during day one of the Florida Bar Exam, the MBE will have topics that aren’t tested on day one and vice versa.

Starting in July 2028, Florida will be using the NextGen version of the bar exam. The NextGen bar exam is designed to prioritize real-world lawyering skills more than past versions of the bar. The NextGen exam will not test the following subjects: Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions, and Trusts & Estates. The NextGen exam will include more questions about practical legal work, such as legal writing, negotiations, and client relationships.

What subjects will you be tested on?
You’ll be tested on Business Entities, Chapters 4 & 5 of the Florida Bar Rules, Contracts, Constitutional Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, Evidence, Family Law, Federal Constitutional Law, Florida Constitutional Law, the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration, Professionalism, Real Property, Secured Transactions (including Articles 3 & 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code), Torts, and Wills & Trusts.

What’s the minimum score for the MPRE?
To pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) in Florida, you must receive a scaled score of at least 80 within twenty-five months of passing the Florida Bar Exam.

How is the exam scored?
Parts one and two of the exam are combined into a single scaled score. To pass, you must achieve a combined scaled score of 136 out of 200.

When are the results released?
Usually, the results of the Florida Bar Exam are released six to nine weeks after it is administered, but there is no guaranteed date for when the scores will be sent out. The results for the July 2025 Florida Bar exam were released on September 22, 2025, so although the results for the July 2026 can be expected to be received in a similar timeframe, there is no guaranteed date.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?
Yes, but an out-of-state MBE score must be at least 136 out of 200, and you must attain that score within twenty-five months of passing part one of the Florida Bar Exam and the MPRE.

What about reciprocity across states?
No, in order to practice law in Florida, you must take the Florida Bar Exam.