New York Bar Exam Fees
What does the New York Bar Exam Cost?
The New York bar exam fees and cost vary depending upon several factors. Several different fees apply for different aspects of the application for admission. You must pay a fee in order to:
- apply to take the New York State Bar Exam;
- participate in the Laptop Program of the New York Board of Law Examiners;
- receive copies of your answers to the New York written questions (the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) questions and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT) items) if you failed the New York bar exam; and
- receive hard-copies copies of the New York bar exam’s written questions and selected applicants’ answers.
| Type of Fee | Amount of Fee |
|---|---|
| Bar Exam Application Fee – Did Not Study Law in Foreign Country | $250 |
| Bar Exam Application Fee – Studied Law in Foreign Country | $750 |
| Technology Fee/Laptop Program (Payable to Software Vendor) | $100 |
| Fee for Copies of Failing Applicant’s Written Answers | $40 |
| Fee for Copies of a Failing Applicants’ Written Answers, MEE and MPT Questions, and Selected Answers | $70 |
| Fee for taking online New York Law Exam (NYLE)* | $27 |
*No fee applies to taking the online New York Law Course (NYLC) before taking the NYLE.
New York Bar Exam Fee
The New York bar examiners charge a $250 fee to process applications to take the New York Bar Exam that are submitted by applicants qualifying for the New York bar exam because of their education:
- at American Bar Association approved law schools,
- at unapproved law schools, or
- by law office study; or
- because of the applicants’ participation in the Pro Bono Scholars Program.
New York Bar Exam Foreign Study Fee
The New York bar examiners charge a $750 fee to process applications to take the New York bar exam that are submitted by applicants qualifying for the New York bar exam because of their study of law in a foreign country.
Technology Fee - Laptop Participation
If an applicant chooses to participate in the Laptop Program for the New York bar exam in order to take the written portion of the New York bar exam (i.e., the MEE and the MPT), then the applicant must pay a non-refundable technology fee of $100 directly to the software vendor designated for the Laptop Program by the New York bar examiners.
Fees for Failing Applicants
Copies of Essay Answers
If you fail the New York bar exam by receiving a final score below 266 on a 400 point scale, then you may order one set of copies of your own answers to the MEE questions and MPT items by sending a written request to the New York bar examiner’s office with a cashier’s check, certified check, or money order in the amount of the $40 fee, payable to “State Board of Law Examiners.”
Copies of Answers, Questions, and Selected Answers
If you fail the New York bar exam, you may order copies of your MEE and MPT answers, the MEE questions and a synopsis of the MPT items, and selected applicants’ MEE and MPT answers, by sending a written request to the New York bar examiner’s office with a cashier’s check, certified check, or money order in the amount of the $70 fee, payable to “State Board of Law Examiners.”