District of Columbia bar exam: dates, fees and scores

DC's seat-limited registration, with no late period

Registration for the February 2027 DC exam opens October 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern and closes October 21, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, unless the seats fill sooner. Seating capacity is 750, seats go first come, first served, and there is no late registration period. That makes DC different from most jurisdictions, where a late window follows the deadline.

Seats are set aside for people who do not pass the July 2026 exam, whose results were due on or before October 23, 2026, and those applicants had a special application period from October 30 to November 6, 2026, also subject to capacity. An applicant who is sitting for the February 2027 exam in a different UBE or NextGen UBE jurisdiction may make a concurrent application to DC from December 1 to December 30, 2026.

Source: February 2027 Bar Exam Notice ↗

DC fees, laptop software and the clear-bag rule

For the July 2026 exam a first-time applicant paid $405 plus a separate NCBE investigation fee, which had to be paid no later than April 30, 2026, and a re-take applicant paid the $405 exam fee. The laptop exam software fee was $150. Registration for that exam ran March 2 to March 31, 2026 unless capacity filled sooner. All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, and accommodation requests are due when the application is submitted.

Beginning February 2027, only clear bags such as book bags and totes are allowed on exam day at every site. Details on permitted items come through the applicant's admissions portal once seating is assigned.

Source: Bar Exam Fees & Deadlines ↗

DC motion, UBE transfer and legal consultant fees

Motion applications can be submitted at any time. A motion under the three-year provision costs $595, a UBE score transfer $405, and a special legal consultant application $450, each plus an NCBE investigation fee. Payment is by credit card, debit card or e-check, with a 2.5% non-refundable transaction fee on bank cards and a $1.00 fee on e-checks. The Committee on Admissions receives about 6,500 applications a year under D.C. App. Rule 46 and also conducts character and fitness review, informal conferences and formal hearings.

Source: Motion Application Fees ↗

The D.C. Committee on Admissions' notices: eight exams from February 2022 to February 2026

After every exam the Committee on Admissions posts a notice that states how many applicants sat and how many passed. The eight notices from February 2022 to February 2026 (the notices for July 2025 and July 2026 are not among those used here) cover 9,077 applicants and 6,070 passers, about 66.9% by simple addition. The size of the two sittings is very different: the July exams drew 1,622 to 2,520 applicants, and the February exams 384 to 693.

The February 2026 notice says the exam was given on February 24 to 27, 2026 to 395 applicants, and 161 passed, for a 40.8% pass rate overall. It also lists the conditions after passing: a completed character and fitness review and proof of an MPRE score of at least 75 before an applicant can be approved and certified. Certification notices began on May 4, 2026, and an applicant may be sworn in in absentia in any jurisdiction after receiving one.

An unsuccessful applicant is entitled under D.C. App. Rule 46(c)(12) to examine the essay papers, and in February 2026 access ran online from May 8 to August 8, 2026. The notice states that the Committee can no longer accept petitions to reassess scores under the UBE rules, that scores are final and that there is no appeal.

Source: D.C. Committee on Admissions: Notice of the February 2026 Bar Examination Results ↗