Attorneys Relocating to Georgia Georgia Bar Admission Requirements & Procedures
For attorneys relocating to Georgia, it can daunting to understand the procedures associated with obtaining admission to a new state bar, among all the other pressing tasks related to a move. The RMN Agency provides this handy information sheet for non-Georgia licensed attorneys seeking admission to the Georgia Bar. However, it is not intended to be exhaustive.
For more detailed information, please contact the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Office of Bar Admissions to clarify any questions or documentation needed. Their contact email/phone: gabaradmissions@gasupreme.us or (404-656-4208). Read the FAQs.
ELIGIBILITY: SEEKING GEORGIA BAR ADMISSION
ON MOTION WITHOUT EXAMINATION (“WAIVING IN”)
If you are an attorney licensed in another state or jurisdiction,
You are generally eligible to be Admitted on Motion to the Georgia Bar on Motion WITHOUT examination if:
- You are a member of the bar in a S. jurisdiction that has reciprocity with GA; and
- Have been engaged in the active practice of law for five (5) of the seven (7) years immediately preceding the date on which you file your Fitness Application.
As of Jan. 2025, these are the 43 states/jurisdictions that have reciprocity with Georgia:
| Alabama | Idaho | Maryland | Nebraska | Ohio | Utah |
| Alaska | Illinois | Massachusetts | New Hampshire | Oklahoma | Vermont |
| Arizona | Indiana | Michigan | New Jersey | Oregon | Virgin Islands |
| Arkansas | Iowa | Minnesota | New Mexico | Pennsylvania | Virginia |
| Colorado | Kansas | Mississippi | New York | South Dakota | Washington |
| Connecticut | Kentucky | Missouri | North Carolina | Tennessee | West Virginia |
| District of Columbia | Maine | Montana | North Dakota | Texas | Wisconsin |
| Wyoming |
These 8 jurisdictions do NOT have reciprocity:
California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, Rhode Island, and South Carolina
Please carefully read Part C of the Rules Governing Admission to the Practice of Law in Georgia (“Rules”) to determine your eligibility for admission on motion.
NOTE: Section 2 (b) of Part C of the Rules provides that, with respect to the jurisdiction in which you were admitted to the Bar by examination, you are subject to any “more stringent and exacting” requirements that would apply to an applicant from Georgia seeking admission to the Bar in that jurisdiction. Nearly all of the jurisdictions in the chart above apply more stringent and exacting requirements, such as a particular MPRE score and continuing legal education courses.
Before you apply for Admission on Motion, you should review your applicable jurisdiction’s requirements for Admission on Motion to ensure you meet any such additional requirements. For example, if you are seeking Admission on Motion from Alabama, you are subject to the following “more stringent and exacting” requirement: you must be a permanent resident of Georgia at the time of application or submit an affidavit that you intend to maintain an office for the practice of law in Georgia with 75% of the time devoted to the practice of law in this State.
PROCESS & FEES:
Admission on Motion in Georgia requires
(1) the submission of a Petition, which includes
(2) an Application for Certification of Fitness to Practice Law, accompanied by
(3) a $2,500 fee
If you determine you are eligible to waive into the Georgia Bar, REGISTER ONLINE HERE to file the Petition and Application: https://www.gabaradmissions.org/displayregister.action
You must provide the following documentation within 30 days of filing your petition:
- Official law school transcript;
- Current letter or certificate of good standing from each state/jurisdiction in which you are admitted to practice. (“Current” means as close to your filing date as possible but not older than 60 days prior to the filing date of your application);
- Current letter or record of disciplinary history from every jurisdiction in which you have ever been admitted to practice. (“Current” means as close to your filing date as possible but not older than 60 days prior to the filing date of your application);
- Statement describing your “active practice of law” (as defined in the Rules) for at least five of the past seven years. Please note that the Rules require Motion applicants to have been “primarily” engaged in the active practice of law for five of the past seven years. Thus, a part-time practice may not be sufficient. The Board of Bar Examiners does not consider the practice of law to include typical document review;
- and, if applicable, proof that you have satisfied the more stringent and exacting requirement(s) that would apply to a GA applicant seeking Admission on Motion in your reciprocal jurisdiction.
Taking the Full Two-day Bar Exam
Taking the Full Two-day Bar Exam
If you CANNOT waive into the Georgia Bar and have to take the full bar exam, there are 2 separate steps, with 2 different applications, each with their own deadlines and fees: (1) The Fitness Application, and (2) the Bar Exam application. For the DEADLINES, FEES, AND DATES of both the Fitness Application and the Bar Exam, and necessary documents to submit, please visit the Georgia Bar Admission website: https://www.gabaradmissions.org/deadlines-and-fees. The Georgia Bar exam is administered twice a year, in February and in July, over 2 days: 1. 1st Exam Day (always a Tuesday): the Multistate Performance Test (MPT) and the Georgia Attorneys’ Exam are administered; 2. 2nd Exam Day (always a Wednesday): the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) is administered.Fitness
Fitness
The Application for Certification for Fitness (“Fitness Application”), must be filed and approved before you can even register for the Bar Exam. Read more HERE: https://www.gabaradmissions.org/processing-the-fitness-application. FILING & DEADLINE PERIODS are VERY EARLY (7-10 months before the exam) so PLAN ACCORDINGLY. This is REQUIRED before you can even register for the Bar Exam. • February Bar FITNESS Application Period/Deadline: - REGULAR filing period/deadline: Typically from April 1 – July 3 (minim. 7 mos. before), but always check the exact dates with the Georgia Bar - LATE filing (with $500 late fee): Typically from July 3 – Oct. 2 (minim. 4 mos. before) • July Bar FITNESS Application Period/Deadline: - REGULAR filing period/deadline: Typically from Oct. 23 – Dec. 4 (minim. 7 mos. before) - LATE filing (with $500 late fee): typically from Dec. 4 – March 5 (minim. 4 mos. before)Bar Exam:
Bar Exam
The Bar Exam Application must be submitted AFTER receiving a “Certificate of Fitness to Practice Law in Georgia,” which is issued only after completing and passing the Fitness Application. Register online for the Bar Exam HERE: https://www.gabaradmissions.org/home • February BAR Application Period/Deadline: - REGULAR: Typically Sept. 1 – Jan. 1 (minim. 1 mo. before) - LATE filing (with $500 late fee): Typically Jan. 1 – Jan. 15 (minim. 2 weeks before) • July BAR Application Period/Deadline: REGULAR: Typically March 1 – June 1 (minim. 1 mo. before) LATE filing (with $500 late fee): Typically June 1 – June 15 (minim. 2 weeks before) 
Eligibility for the One-day Attorneys’ Exam
Attorneys from a jurisdiction who do not qualify to waive in by motion may be eligible to take the 1-day Attorneys’ Exam, in lieu of the 2-day exam. Please read the Office of Bar Admissions Attorneys’ Examination page and read Part D of the Rules to determine whether you meet the requirements.
To qualify, attorneys must:
- satisfy the same eligibility requirements as those that are applicable to candidates who must sit for the 2-day bar examination,
- have been admitted to the practice of law by exam and be in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction, and
- have never previously taken and failed a bar exam in Georgia.
The deadlines to file a Fitness Application and a Bar Exam Application for the 1-day Attorneys’ Exam are the same as the deadlines for the 2-day Bar Exam, but applicants who previously filed a Fitness Application associated with the 2-day Bar Exam may convert to the Attorneys’ Exam.
Foreign-educated Applicants
The criteria for foreign-educated applicants who to sit for the Georgia Bar Exam is outlined in Part B, Section 4(c) of the Rules. If you meet the qualifications, the first task you will need to create an account with the Bar Admissions website and submit a “Petition for Admission of Foreign Applicants” (“Petition”) through the web portal.
After completing the Petition, you will then see the “Application for Certification of Fitness to Practice Law in Georgia” that must be completed and submitted with the Petition. Once your Petition has been approved, your Fitness Application will be reviewed in the same manner as all other applicants.
For foreign-educated applicants who have earned an LL.M. at an ABA-accredited U.S. law school, please see https://www.gabaradmissions.org/criteriallm: Curricular Criteria for LL.M. Programs to determine whether your degree program qualifies you to sit for the Georgia Bar Exam.
The Office of Bar Admissions strongly encourages qualified foreign-educated applicants to file their Petition and Fitness Application within the regular filing deadline for Fitness Applications due to the time it may take applicants to gather and submit the requisite documentation in support of their Petition.
Bar Exam Fees – Covered by Employer / Firm?
The RMN Agency routinely represents attorney candidates looking to relocate to the State of Georgia. Working with us, if an offer of employment is made, we can often negotiate with a prospective employer or law firm to see whether they may pay or reimburse the candidate for Georgia Bar Exam fees and/or bar prep fees. The offer to cover/reimburse such fees is made on a case-by-case basis, but it never hurts to ask or negotiate that as part of your offer.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Tel. (678) 426-3180, or better yet, contact your respective RMN recruiter directly.
