New Jersey bar exam: Legacy or current exam until July 2028; NextGen afterward.
| July exam | Mar. 31, late filing Apr. 15 / Apr. 30 |
| February exam | Oct. 31, late filing Nov. 15 / Nov. 30 |
| Fees | First-time $750 / $950 / $1,200; attorney $675 (UBE score transfer); repeater $750 / $950 / $1,200; laptop $50 / $150 |
| MPRE minimum | 75 |
Dates can change. Check the board’s site before you pay.
Before filing in New Jersey, check the current NCBE profile ↗.
| Rule | N.J. Ct. R. 1:27-4: Temporary Admission of a Military Spouse During Military Assignment |
| Accommodation | Temporary license without exam for the spouse of an active-duty service member on orders to or from New Jersey |
| Duration | 2 years, renewable for two additional 2-year periods (max 6 years) |
| Supervision | Not required |
| Adopted | 2014 |
Confirm current status directly with New Jersey's bar admission authority ↗: this area of law shifted federally in December 2024 and states are still catching up.
New Jersey gives every applicant a month-long window, then two shorter ones at higher prices. For the February exam, the timely window is October 1 to 31 at $750, the first late window is November 1 to 15 at $950, and the final window is November 16 to 30 at $1,200, marked no exceptions. For the July exam the windows are March 1 to 31 at $750, April 1 to 15 at $950 and April 16 to 30 at $1,200.
Fees are non-refundable. The Board takes credit cards, or a cashier's check or money order payable to the Secretary, Board of Bar Examiners, and refuses personal checks and cash. An application received without payment counts as late. Credit card payments must arrive before 11:30 p.m. Eastern to post the same day, and transactions are not processed between 11:30 p.m. and midnight.
Source: Fees, Deadlines and More ↗
An applicant who sat for the immediately preceding exam has re-application status and gets a deadline about 15 business days after the results are released, roughly mid-May for a February exam and mid-November for a July exam. The notice sent to those who did not pass states the exact date. Accommodation applications are due November 30 for the February exam and April 30 for the July exam, and one due on a Sunday or holiday must be postmarked no later than the next day.
An applicant who wants to type the essays must register for the Laptop Program, whether a new applicant, a re-applicant or someone requesting an accommodation. Registration opens about January 3 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern for February and June 1 for July. The timely window is January 3 to 15 or June 1 to 15 at $50, and the late and final window is January 16 to 31 or June 16 to 30 at $150.
Applications that are not for the bar exam may be filed at any time. Admission on motion costs $1,500, and it costs $675 for a qualifying military spouse or a law school professor. A UBE score transfer is $675, and in-house counsel or foreign in-house counsel is $750. Mail goes to the Board at P.O. Box 973 in Trenton, and overnight deliveries go to the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex at 25 W. Market Street.
The Board of Bar Examiners posts a results page for each exam that gives the overall figures and a split between first attempts and repeaters. For February 2026 it counts 405 applicants tested and 122 successful, or 30.12%. First-attempt applicants passed at 39.73% (58 of 146) and repeaters at 24.71% (64 of 259), and repeaters made up 259 of the 405.
For July 2025 the page counts 959 applicants and 605 successful, or 63.09%. The first-attempt rate was 75.21% (543 of 722) and the repeater rate 26.16% (62 of 237). Read together, the two exams show that the July first-attempt rate was almost twice the February one, while repeaters passed at about a quarter in both.
Passing is only the first step. The Board's page says a passer must also be certified by the Committee on Character and receive a pass and ready letter on the User Home Page before admission. It also notes that the February 2026 results were released to 121 of the 122 successful examinees, because of outstanding requirements for the other.
Source: New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners: February 2026 Bar Exam Results ↗
The timely window is October 1 to 31 for the February exam and March 1 to 31 for July, at $750. Late windows run to November 30 and April 30 at higher fees.
$750 if timely, $950 in the first late window and $1,200 in the final window. Fees are non-refundable.
$675, and it may be filed at any time. Admission on motion is $1,500, or $675 for a military spouse or law school professor.
About 15 business days after results are released, roughly mid-May for February and mid-November for July. The notice to those who did not pass gives the exact date.
November 30 for the February exam and April 30 for the July exam. A deadline on a Sunday or holiday moves to a postmark by the next day.
Register for the Laptop Program between January 3 and 15 for February or June 1 and 15 for July at $50, or in the late window at $150.
No. Pay by credit card or send a cashier's check or money order payable to the Secretary, Board of Bar Examiners. Personal checks and cash are not accepted.
It is considered late. An application received without payment counts as late, so pay in the same filing.
30.12%: the Board of Bar Examiners reports 122 of 405 applicants passing, with 39.73% of first-attempt applicants and 24.71% of repeaters.
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Source: NCBE Comprehensive Guide: New Jersey ↗ · reviewed August 21, 2026.