Fee payment deadline was March 1

Did you miss the March 1 deadline for paying your annual fees to the State Bar? If so, here is what you need to know.

Failure to pay fees by the deadline will trigger a $100 late payment penalty for active lawyers and a $30 penalty for inactive lawyers. But missing the deadline won’t immediately affect your license to practice law. Final delinquent notices will be sent via U.S. mail this spring, outlining the final deadline to pay to avoid an administrative license suspension.

As of March 2, the online fee payment system is temporarily closed while late penalties are assessed. Those who haven’t paid can wait until after April 1 to pay online via My State Bar Profile. Or, they can mail a check with late fees included to the State Bar. The address for payments is 180 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105.

The State Bar did not send paper billing statements this year. Instead, the bar launched an online billing and payment application for 2017 fees.

Active attorneys were billed $412 and inactive attorneys were billed $155. See more details about the fee statements, including optional donations and deductions, in the December California Bar Journal.

Please consider making a contribution in support of legal services for low income Californians. Your support is a lifeline that can help prevent homelessness, keep kids in school, protect elders from fraud and abuse and connect veterans to services, among other critical legal assistance.

Attorneys whose last names start with N-Z (Group 3) also had a March 1 deadline to report completion of their 25 hours of Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE). The late fee for missing that deadline is $75.

Courses taken through the end of February may be credited for the current reporting period. However, if you use these courses for the current reporting period you will not be allowed to count them a second time for Group 3’s next reporting period that comes in 2020.

Those who have paid their fees may download and print a paper bar card through My State Bar Profile. Plastic cards are also available for order online.

For more information, read these FAQs about the fee statement. For other questions, contact Member Records and Compliance at 1-888-800-3400 or msc@calbar.ca.gov.