Short answer: Most first-time takers pay a board application fee of a few hundred dollars to over $1,000. On top of that, most states charge for:
- a character-and-fitness check;
- a laptop fee;
- the MPRE, at $185;
- on the NextGen exam, NCBE's $149 technology fee.
Two worked examples from the boards' own fee schedules: a Texas in-state law student filing on time pays $875, and a Georgia law graduate pays $1,697. Prep comes on top, from $99 to over $3,000.
The fee table below is from NCBE's Comprehensive Guide (charts 7 and 11), read on October 22, 2026. Where we checked a board's own fee schedule the same week, the board's figure is used and marked. Fees change and depend on your status (student, graduate, repeater, attorney), so the board's fee page is the final word.
Bar exam fees by state
| Jurisdiction | First-time applicant | Repeater | Laptop | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $575 + character fee | $575 | $107 | NCBE |
| Alaska | $876 | $618 | $129 | Board |
| Arizona | $680 + character fee | $680 | $125 | NCBE |
| Arkansas | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 | NCBE |
| California | $878 | $878 (non-attorneys) / $1,650 (attorneys) | $153 | NCBE |
| Colorado | $710 | $410 / $510 | $0 | NCBE |
| Connecticut | $900 (first deadline) / $1,000 (final) | $900 | $125 | Board (laptop: NCBE) |
| Delaware | $700 / $900 | $700 / $900 | $100 | NCBE |
| District of Columbia | $405 + character fee | $405 + character fee | varies | NCBE |
| Florida | $1,000 | $450 | $125 | NCBE |
| Georgia | $400 (law student) or $550 (graduate), + $107 to NCBE; Fitness Application $450 or $750 first | $400 / $550 + $107 | $105 | Board |
| Hawaii | $500 + character fee | $500 + character fee | $133.50 | NCBE |
| Idaho | $600 | $200 / $300 | $125 | NCBE |
| Illinois | $500 / $700 / $1,000 by filing date, + $450 character registration | $500 or $850 | $135 | Board (laptop: NCBE) |
| Indiana | $250 | $250 | varies | NCBE |
| Iowa | $800 | $800 | $122 | NCBE |
| Kansas | $700 | $700 | $0 | NCBE |
| Kentucky | $875 / $1,125 / $1,375 | $325 | varies | NCBE |
| Louisiana | $850 / $975 | $975 | $136 | NCBE |
| Maine | $800 | $800 (non-attorneys) / $900 (attorneys) + character fee | $90 | NCBE |
| Maryland | $750 | $400 | $130 | NCBE |
| Massachusetts | $815 | $815 | $175 | NCBE |
| Michigan | $400 + character fee | $300 | varies | NCBE |
| Minnesota | $600 | $600 | $100 | NCBE |
| Mississippi | $525 / $825 | $550 | varies | NCBE |
| Missouri | $1,045 / $1,190 / $1,400 by filing date ($560–$910 if registered as a law student) | $560 / $645 / $710 (failed the last exam) | $125 | Board (laptop: NCBE) |
| Montana | $620 + character fee | $310 | $125 | NCBE |
| Nebraska | $490 / $590 + processing fee | $225 / $490 / $590 + processing fee | $100 | NCBE |
| Nevada | $755 | $755 (non-attorneys) / $1,055 (attorneys) | $150 | NCBE |
| New Hampshire | $995 | $995 | $52.50 | NCBE |
| New Jersey | $675 | $675 | varies | NCBE |
| New Mexico | $750 / $1,250 | $500 / $750 / $1,250 | $100 | NCBE |
| New York | $250 / $750 | $250 / $750 | $100 | NCBE |
| North Carolina | $850 | $400 | $125 | NCBE |
| North Dakota | $200 + character fee | $200 + character fee | $110 | NCBE |
| Ohio | $452 | $452 | $121 | NCBE |
| Oklahoma | $650 + character fee | $650 + character fee | $125 | NCBE |
| Oregon | $1,000 | $1,000 / $1,600 | $150 | NCBE |
| Pennsylvania | $750 | $750 | $115 | NCBE |
| Rhode Island | $975 | $975 | $0 | NCBE |
| South Carolina | $1,000 / $1,500 | $1,000 / $1,500 | $125.50 | NCBE |
| South Dakota | $450 + NCBE character report $395 or $550 | $450 | $100 | Board |
| Tennessee | $725 + character fee | $725 + character fee | $100 | NCBE |
| Texas | $450 (in-state student) / $640 (out-of-state student) | $545 | $50 | Board |
| Utah | $550 | $550 (non-attorneys) / $850 (attorneys) | $200 | NCBE |
| Vermont | $300 + character fee | $300 + character fee | $0 | NCBE |
| Virginia | $1,150 | $850 / $1,150 | $175 | NCBE |
| Washington | $740 (incl. $145 + tax NCBE exam fee) | Waived for July 2026 completers who failed | $119 | Board (laptop: NCBE) |
| West Virginia | $500 + character fee | $500 (non-attorneys) / $800 (attorneys) + character fee | $125 | NCBE |
| Wisconsin | $450 / $850 | $450 | $163 | NCBE |
| Wyoming | $600 + character fee | $600 + character fee | $77 | NCBE |
| Guam | $1,000 + NCBE $149 technology fee | $1,000 | — | Board |
| Northern Mariana Islands | $500 | $500 (non-attorneys) / $1,000 (attorneys) | — | NCBE |
| Palau | $300 | $300 | — | NCBE |
| Puerto Rico | $250 | $250 | — | NCBE |
| US Virgin Islands | $1,100 + character fee | $1,000 | $150 | NCBE |
"Character fee" means the board charges separately for the character-and-fitness check, often through NCBE. "Varies" is NCBE's wording. Fees with several figures depend on when you file or on your status. NCBE's laptop figure for Texas ($140) differs from the Board's own fee schedule ($50), so the table uses the Board's.
The costs on top of the application fee
| Cost | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| MPRE | $185 for 2026 and 2027 administrations ($25 to reschedule). Not required in Wisconsin or Puerto Rico | NCBE |
| NextGen technology fee | $149, paid through your NCBE Account, separate from the board's fee | NCBE |
| Character and fitness | Examples: South Dakota lists NCBE's character report at $395 for a first exam after graduation or $550 later. Georgia's Fitness Application is $450 before your law degree or $750 after. Illinois charges $450 for character registration. Texas law students file a $190 Declaration of Intention | Boards |
| Laptop | From $0 to $200 in NCBE's chart; Texas $50, Georgia $105, California $153 | NCBE, boards |
| Late filing | Texas +$150 or +$300; California +$50 or +$250; Georgia +$500; Washington +$300; Minnesota +$200; Oklahoma +$50 or +$150; Illinois $700 or $1,000 instead of $500 | Boards |
What it adds up to: three worked examples
- Texas, in-state law student, February filing on time: $190 Declaration + $450 application + $50 laptop + $185 MPRE = $875.
- Georgia, law graduate (Fitness Application filed after graduation), regular period: $750 Fitness Application + $550 bar exam application + $107 NCBE fee + $105 laptop + $185 MPRE = $1,697.
- Guam, NextGen: $1,000 registration + $149 NCBE technology fee + $185 MPRE = $1,334, before any character check.
Filing late or as an attorney applicant raises every one of these. If you're retaking, check your board's re-applicant rate first. Missouri, for example, charges $560 to $710 for a retake after failing its most recent exam, against $1,045 to $1,400 for a first-timer.
Then there's prep
Prep is usually the biggest line. Prices read on each provider's site on October 22, 2026:
| Prep | Price |
|---|---|
| Barbri Premium / Elite | $2,399 / $3,399 (sale prices; list $2,999 / $3,999) |
| Themis | $1,895 paid in full, or $2,095 with $25 down |
| Kaplan Complete / Ultimate | $1,549 / $2,249 |
| Helix NextGen | $1,199 plus shipping |
| UWorld MBE QBank (February 2027) | $449 |
| AdaptiBar MCQ Simulator | $495 |
| BARGO | $29 for one month, $99 for lifetime access |
What the extra money buys is structure, lectures and graded writing. The course comparison covers what each one includes, and the free NCBE resources cost nothing.
Before you pay
- File on time. The cheapest fee is almost always the first deadline. The deadlines by state list each board's window.
- Check for a free repeat before you buy a course again. Themis, Barbri, Kaplan and Helix each offer one on conditions; see the repeat-taker guide.
- Plan the transfer. If you might move a score later, transfer applications have their own fees; the score transfer guide covers who accepts what.
Sources
- NCBE, Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements, Chart 7 and Chart 11, read October 22, 2026
- NCBE, MPRE registration and registering for the NextGen UBE
- Texas Board of Law Examiners, Rules Governing Admission, fee schedule (rulebook updated September 18, 2026)
- Georgia Office of Bar Admissions, deadlines and fees
- Illinois Board of Admissions, Rule 706
- Missouri Board of Law Examiners, fee schedule
- Washington State Bar Association, fees and deadlines
- South Dakota Board of Bar Examiners, application fees
- Alaska Bar Association, announcements
- Connecticut Bar Examining Committee, February 2027 bar exam
- Supreme Court of Guam, February 2027 notice
- Prep prices: Barbri, Themis, Kaplan, Helix, UWorld, AdaptiBar
