LLRX.com

[Editor's Note: This article was updated on January 19, 2008]

Every U.S. lawyer is licensed to practice in some state, but very few lawyers are licensed to practice in every state. As a result, the question often arises…is attorney X licensed to practice in state Y? Traditionally the answer would be found by calling the relevant state's licensing authority. That still works although, now, it may be faster, easier and cheaper to find the answer by searching that state's relevant online database. These databases have multiplied quickly. Virtually unknown in the 1990s, there were approximately thirty lawyer licensing databases by December 2001.¹ Today there are 45.

So, where do you find these databases? Often, the information is provided by the state bar association, but it may also come from the state's court system, disciplinary agency, bar examiners or licensing agency. To make things easier, we have compiled the following list of lawyer licensing databases, as well as the phone number for each licensing authority.

Note: If you find your attorney listed in one of the following databases, your job is done. If the attorney is not listed, however, you should call the listed number to determine conclusively whether or not the attorney is registered in that state. Due to privacy concerns, a number of states allow attorneys, on request, to opt out of the online database listing.

Although this guide focuses on websites that help you determine whether a lawyer is currently licensed to practice in a particular state, there are many other kinds of state-specific lawyer-related online databases -- lawyer finders, lawyer referral services, bar member directories, disciplinary rolls, etc. Many of these resources can be found by following the links posted at LegalDockets.com.

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Alabama
Alabama State Bar, 334-269-1515

Alaska
Alaska Bar Association, 907-272-7469

Arizona
State Bar of Arizona, 602-340-7239

Arkansas
Arkansas Judiciary, 501-682-6849

California
State Bar of California, 213-765-1200

Colorado
Colorado Supreme Court, 303-866-6554

Connecticut
Connecticut Statewide Grievance Committee, 860-568-5157

Delaware
Clerk of the Supreme Court of Delaware, 302-739-4155

District of Columbia
D.C. Bar, 202-879-2710 (press "0" to speak to a person)

Florida
Florida Bar, 850-561-5832

Georgia
State Bar of Georgia, 404-527-8700

Hawaii
Hawaii State Bar Association, 808-537-1868

Idaho
Idaho State Bar, 208-334-4500

Illinois
Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission, 312-565-2600

Indiana
Indiana Supreme Court, 317-232-5861

Iowa
Iowa Judicial Branch, 515-725-8029

Kansas
Kansas Attorney Registration, 785-296-8409 or registration@kscourts.org

Kentucky
Kentucky Bar Association, Membership Department, 502-564-3795

Louisiana
Louisiana State Bar Association, 800-421-5722

Maine
Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar, 207-623-1121

Maryland
Client Protection Fund of the Bar of Maryland, 410-260-3635

Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, 617-728-8750

Michigan
State Bar of Michigan, 800-968-1442

Minnesota
Minnesota Judicial Branch, Lawyer Registration Office, 651-296-2254

Mississippi
Mississippi Supreme Court, 601-359-3694

Missouri
Missouri Bar, 573-635-4128

Montana
State Bar of Montana, 406-449-6577

Nebraska
Nebraska State Bar Association, 800-927-0117

Nevada
State Bar of Nevada, 702-382-2200

New Hampshire
New Hampshire Bar Association, 603-224-6942
New Hampshire Supreme Court, 603-271-2646

New Jersey
New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners, 609-984-2111

New Mexico
State Bar of New Mexico, 505-797-6000

New York
New York State Unified Court System, 212-428-2800

North Carolina
North Carolina State Bar, 919-828-4620

North Dakota
North Dakota Supreme Court, 701-328-2221

Ohio
Supreme Court of Ohio, 614-387-9320

Oklahoma
Oklahoma Bar Association, 405-416-7000

Oregon
Oregon State Bar, 800-452-8260, ext.0

Pennsylvania
Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 717-731-7073

Rhode Island
Rhode Island Bar Association, 401-421-5740

South Carolina
South Carolina Bar, 803-799-6653

South Dakota
State Bar of South Dakota, 605-224-7554 or 800-952-2333

Tennessee
Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, 615-361-7500 or 800-486-5714

Texas
State Bar of Texas, 800-204-2222

Utah
Utah State Bar, 801-531-9077

Vermont
Vermont Judiciary, Attorney Licensing, 802-828-3281

Virginia
Virginia State Bar, Membership Department, 804-775-0500

Washington
Washington State Bar Association, 800-945-WSBA

West Virginia
West Virginia State Bar, 866-989-8227

Wisconsin
State Bar of Wisconsin, 800-444-9494, ext. 6095

Wyoming
Wyoming State Bar, 307-632-9061

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Footnote¹ Finding Lawyers: Directories, Web Sites & State Bar Sources, LLRX.com, December 17, 2001.