Posted March 10, 2025
FEE INCREASE FOR ALL EXAM APPLICATIONS
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has increased the fees for all applications submitted to the Maine Board of Bar Examiners. Beginning March 15, 2025, the fees for the Maine Bar Exam are as follows:
- Applicants Never Admitted in Any Jurisdiction or Admitted in Another Jurisdiction for Less Than One Year: $800
- Applicants Admitted in Another Jurisdiction for One Year or More: $900 (plus NCBE Character and Fitness Application fee paid directly to NCBE)
Posted: September 29, 2025
Application Deadlines for February 2026 Exam
October 15, 2025 – December 20, 2025
The Maine Board of Bar Examiners will receive all applications for the February 2026 bar exam from October 15, 2025 until 5:00 pm on December 20, 2025. There will be no option to pay a late fee and submit an application after December 20, 2025. This change is made pursuant to Maine Bar Admission Rule 6(3)(b) and applies to all exam applications and testing accommodation applications. The deadline for applicants to submit a testing accommodations application is 5:00 pm on December 20, 2025.
The Maine Board of Bar Examiners has suspended Courtesy Seating for all future Maine Bar Exams. All applicants must be seeking admission to the Maine Bar.
In order to apply for the exam, applicants must review the instructions and submit an application through the applicant portal at the following links:
1. Instructions – Application for Applicants Not Admitted In Another Jurisdiction for One Year or More.
2. Instructions – Application for Applicants Admitted In Another Jurisdiction for One Year or More.
3. Applicant Portal for Maine Bar Exam Applicants
6. SAMPLE Application for Applicants Not Admitted In Another Jurisdiction for One Year or More.
8. Social Security Disclosure Form. *Applicants must upload the form to the applicant portal and mail the original form to our office.*
9. Authorization and Release Form. *Applicants must upload one copy of the form to the applicant portal and mail three (3) original forms to our office.*
10. Application Signature Page. *Applicants must upload the form to the applicant portal and mail the original form to our office.*
11. Testing Accommodations Application. *Testing Accommodations Applications must received by our office by mail no later than 5pm on December 20, 2025 for the February 2026 exam. Hand delivery is not available. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.*
Frequently Asked Questions – School Certification Forms and Official Transcripts
The applicant portal has been created to provide applicants with a more hands-on experience. Since the portal is new and a work-in-progress, maintenance will be occurring from time to time. When this happens, a notice will be placed on the website informing applicants as to the time period in which the maintenance will occur.
If an applicant has any questions or issues with the applicant portal, please contact the Executive Director, Melissa Hansen, at execdir@mainebarexaminers.org or through the applicant portal.
MAINE BOARD OF BAR EXAMINERS
135 MAINE ST, STE A, BOX 305
BRUNSWICK, ME 04011
**Please note that the Board has mandated masks at multiple exams since the start of COVID. The COVID protocols (including any mask requirements) will be provided a few weeks prior to the exam date**
Posted: December 8, 2023
MPRE Score Requirement
On October 4, 2022, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court amended Rule 11 to state the following:
An applicant for admission by examination must have taken and obtained a passing score on the MPRE within 15 years prior to the date on which the applicant is admitted.
The amendment to this rule means that an MPRE Score is no longer required in order for an applicant to apply and sit for the Maine Bar Exam.
As of March 28, 2023, applicants who are submitting applications through the applicant portal for the upcoming exam are able to save a draft of their application prior to submitting their application to our office for consideration.
Here is the important information to know:
- All applications filed today and all future applications will have the ability to save their application and go back to it at a later time to complete it.
- Each time the applicant clicks “Next (Save as Draft)”, it will save the information entered on that page and move to the next page.
- An applicant should only hit the “Complete” button on the last page when they are ready to submit the application to our office for review.
- The status of the application will say “Draft” on the applicant’s home page until the applicant finalizes the application.
If an applicant has previously submitted an application prior to today and did not complete their application, please do not complete a new application. The applicant should contact our office through the applicant portal so that we can reopen their application for completion.
FEBRUARY 2026 MAINE BAR EXAMINATION
The February 2026 Maine Bar Examination will be administered in-person on February 24, 2026 and February 25, 2026 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in South Portland, Maine. Our office will begin accepting applications through our applicant portal from October 15, 2025 until 5pm on December 20, 2025. Applications will not be available prior to October 15, 2025.
Instructions on how to use the applicant portal are available at the top of this page.
CONCURRENT APPLICATIONS
Maine will accept concurrent applications from examinees sitting for the UBE in another jurisdiction. Applicants must still apply as if taking the Maine bar exam, but do not have to sit in Maine if sitting for an exam in another UBE jurisdiction (for the same exam administration). In order to apply concurrently with another UBE jurisdiction, please go to https://mainebarexaminers.org/exam-forms/exam-application-forms/and complete a Bar Exam application.