Washington Admission on Motion

Bar Exam Project wiki article. Part of the Washington Bar Exam cluster.

Washington permits experienced attorneys admitted in another U.S. jurisdiction to be admitted to the Washington Bar without taking the bar exam, under WA APR 3 (Admission by Motion / Admission Rule 6 alternative path).

Summary

Under WA APR 3 (Admission by Motion / Admission Rule 6 alternative path), an attorney admitted in another U.S. jurisdiction with 3 of the past 5 years may be admitted to Washington without bar exam. Fee: $970 + NCBE Investigation fee. MPRE 80+ and Character & Fitness clearance still apply. Reciprocity context: not reciprocity-limited under the practice-time path.

Rule overview

WA APR 3 (Admission by Motion / Admission Rule 6 alternative path) permits admission to the Washington Bar without bar exam for an attorney admitted to practice in the highest court of any U.S. state, with 3 of the past 5 years of qualifying practice, J.D. from an ABA-approved law school, MPRE 80+, good standing in every jurisdiction admitted, and Washington Character & Fitness clearance.

Practice-time test

3 of the past 5 years. Count is from the application date, not lifetime practice. Inactive periods don’t count.

Qualifying practice

• Private practice as member, associate, or employee of any law firm.
• In-house corporate counsel.
• Government practice (federal, state, local) requiring bar admission.
• Judicial clerkships.
• Military legal services.
• Law teaching at an ABA-approved law school.

Reciprocity

Not reciprocity-limited under the practice-time path.

MPRE and Character & Fitness

MPRE 80+ (any U.S. jurisdiction). Free MPRE practice: MBEmax MPRE. Washington Character & Fitness review is conducted by WSBA concurrently with the bar application.

Fees and timeline

Application fee: $970 + NCBE Investigation fee. Plus per-jurisdiction Certificate of Good Standing fees ($25-$50 each). Processing typically 4-9 months.

Documentation

• Proof of J.D. from an ABA-approved law school.
• Bar admission certificates from every jurisdiction.
• Certificate of Good Standing from every current jurisdiction.
• MPRE score report.
• Detailed employment history.
• Character & Fitness questionnaire with full disclosure.

Common pitfalls

• Misreading the practice test (count is from application date, not lifetime).
• Disclosing thinly (non-disclosure is treated more harshly).
• Underestimating C&F timeline.

Alternative paths

If you don’t meet the practice test, sit for the Washington Bar Exam under standard rules, or transfer a UBE/NextGen score within the score-life window.

Sources

• WA APR 3 (Admission by Motion / Admission Rule 6 alternative path).
• Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) — https://www.wsba.org/.