South Dakota bar exam requirements

South Dakota gives its own bar exam built from the MBE, MEE and MPT, so it isn’t a UBE state and doesn’t accept legacy UBE transfers. It switches to the NextGen UBE in July 2027, and already accepts transferred NextGen scores of 620 or higher. The fee is $450, due November 1 for February and May 1 for July, with no late filing.

Sources: South Dakota Unified Judicial System / Board of Bar Examiners and NCBE’s Comprehensive Guide, checked October 11, 2026. Passing standard and MPRE timing as reported. Confirm with the Board before applying.

Deadlines and fees

Source: NCBE; South Dakota Board of Bar Examiners. Fingerprint fee as reported.

Requirements

• Passing standard: reported as a scaled MBE score of 133 plus an average of 75% on the written portion; a passing portion is valid for two years.
• Score transfers: no legacy UBE scores; NextGen scores of 620+ from July 2026; MBE scores of 135+ from a passed exam elsewhere within two years.
• MPRE: 85 or higher.
• Admission on motion: after 3 of the past 5 years in practice.
• Education: an ABA-approved JD; foreign law graduates may qualify in limited cases.