Please be aware that due to recent changes to our refund policy, any refund requests must be received within 90 days of the first day of the exam for which you are requesting a refund. Refund requests received more than 90 days after the first day of the exam will not be accepted.
Refunds shall be provided for the withdrawal of any of the following applications only as set forth in this policy:
The transfer of fees from one examination to another is prohibited. No portion of credit card processing fees shall be refunded.
Withdrawal of Applications for Determination of Moral Character and requests for refunds received within 30 days of the online submission date, for online applications, or the received date, for paper form applications, will be honored with a 60 percent refund of application fees paid in conjunction with the Application for Determination of Moral Character. Any requests received after 30 days will not be eligible for a refund.
The registration form may be filed simultaneously with an application; however, the application and fees will be refunded if the registration is not approved within 10 days of receipt of the application. A registration will be deemed approved when the requisite fees, signature, properly executed declaration, and all required documentation verifying eligibility have been provided.
Applicants for registration found to be ineligible due to a lack of pre-legal education will qualify for a 100 percent refund of all fees paid in conjunction with registration. Registration is deemed abandoned if all required documentation and fees have not been received within 60 days of submittal. No refund is issued for an abandoned registration.
Attorneys who apply to take the Attorneys’ Exam and are found to be ineligible due to a lack of the requisite qualifications will receive a 60 percent refund of application and late fees paid in conjunction with the exam if all required certificates of good standing are received by the Office of Admissions no later than the published deadlines for establishing eligibility.
Applicants who apply to take the General Bar Exam and are found to be ineligible due to a lack of the requisite legal education will qualify for a 60 percent refund of qualifying fees paid in conjunction with the exam. All required documents (transcripts, legal evaluations, certificate of good standing, etc.) are to be received by the Office of Admissions no later than the published deadlines for establishing eligibility.
Applicants for the First-Year Law Students' Exam who are found to be ineligible due to a lack of the requisite legal education will receive a 60 percent refund of qualifying fees paid in conjunction with the subject examination.
Refunds in the amount of 50 percent of all fees paid, excluding credit card processing fees, in conjunction with the subject exam shall be honored due to the death or serious illness or disabling injury of an applicant or their immediate family under the circumstances described below:
Official documentation must accompany any request for refund due to death, serious illness, or disabling injury. Official documentation consists of the following:
Requests must be received no later than 90 days after the first day of the exam for which a refund is being requested.
Refunds in the amount of 95 percent of all fees paid in conjunction with the subject exam will be made where either of the following prevents an applicant from preparing for or taking the First-Year Law Students’ Exam or the California Bar Exam.
First-Year Law Students’ Exam and California Bar Exam applications not brought to a complete and filled status by the final filing deadline will be abandoned. This includes but is not limited to: applications not signed, (2) application declarations not received, (3) incomplete applications, and (4) approved registration not on file.
Applications with rejected/insufficient payments must be resolved within 14 days from notification of insufficient payment. If acceptable payment is not received, the application will be abandoned.
First-Year Law Students’ Exam and California Bar Exam applications without eligibility determinations by the final eligibility deadline will be abandoned.
Moral character determination applications that are not brought to a complete status will be deemed incomplete and will be provided with an incomplete notice describing the deficiencies. The applicant will have 60 days from the date of notice to cure the deficiencies. If the applicant fails to cure the deficiencies, the application will be deemed abandoned.
No refund of fees will be paid in the event a registration or application is abandoned. If the registration or application has an outstanding balance at the time of the abandonment, the outstanding balance must be paid before any future registration or application is processed.
If an applicant qualifies for a refund in accordance with this Refund of Fees Policy for a registration or application but has an outstanding balance due that outstanding balance shall be subtracted from the amount of the refund otherwise due.
Please note that the Refund of Fees Form cannot be filled out within the browser. You must download and complete your application or form using Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may send the completed form via email to admissions@calbar.ca.gov or the Office of Admissions:
State Bar of CaliforniaOffice of Admissions845 South Figueroa StreetLos Angeles, CA 90017