The Commission has approved the following jurisdictions for comity compliance for the 2026 compliance year. Beginning in 2027, after the 2026 compliance year has ended, active attorneys living outside of Tennessee may submit their CLE compliance from any of these jurisdictions to be exempt from the CLE requirements for 2026.
- Alaska
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Virgin Islands
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wyoming
The following portions of Rule 21 and the regulations govern comity compliance:
Rule 21
Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 21, § 2.03(c): An attorney who is licensed to practice law in Tennessee but who resided outside of the state may request annually an exemption from this Rule if the attorney is licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction approved by the Commission and the attorney is compliant with that jurisdiction’s continuing legal education requirements at the time the attorney files their Annual Report Statement.
Regulations:
Comity Compliance: An attorney active in Tennessee is eligible to claim a comity compliance exemption from the requirements of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 21 if they are actively licensed in and have completed the CLE course requirements for the corresponding time period in any state that the Commission has approved as eligible for comity compliance. Comity compliance may not be achieved if that attorney is exempt from the CLE requirements of that state.
Section 2C. Comity Compliance and Attorney Mobility – Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 21, § 2.03(c)
1. An attorney who maintains an active Tennessee license but who resided outside of Tennessee for the entire compliance year and who can certify active attorney licensure and CLE compliance in a jurisdiction approved by the Commission shall be eligible for the comity compliance exemption. The exemption must be claimed by completing the Annual Report Statement that is emailed to attorneys after the close of the compliance year. Exemptions are applied only to the most recent compliance year that ended on December 31.
2. The Commission shall maintain a record of all U.S. jurisdictions that have CLE requirements comparable to those of Tennessee for the purposes of comity compliance. Factors the Commission should consider include: number and type of hours required; length of the compliance period; and reporting and accreditation requirements. The Commission shall review the eligibility of each jurisdiction at least once every three years.