Certified Copy of Petition for Admission to Massachusetts Bar

Please be advised that the Clerk's Office of the Supreme Judicial Court for the County of Suffolk has implemented an electronic order and payment process for all Requests for Certified Copies of Petitions for Admission. All requests must now be generated by following the instructions below.

Please note that all requests will be handled in order of submission. There is no expediated process. You are responsible for making requests that will allow the timely return of the Certified Copy of Petition for Admission (CCP) for your business purposes. While this online process and electronic returns should allow for improved service, customers are advised to allow up to seven (7) days for the process to be completed . Older petitions kept in off-site storage may take longer.

Certified Copy of a Massachusetts Petition for Admission

Under certain circumstances, an individual may have the need for a certified copy of a Massachusetts Petition for Admission. For example, a Certified Copy of a Petition for Admission to the Massachusetts Bar may be needed by an attorney as proof of admission for other court jurisdictions. Certified Copies of Petitions for Admission (CCP) can be requested using the same process as a Certificate of Admission and Good Standing (CGS).

Please review the information below before proceeding with your order.

Any person can order a Certified Copy of Petition (CCP) by submitting required data and making electronic payment. To initiate a request, the following information is required for each CCP:

• Attorney's Name
• The month and year of bar exam
• Date of bar admission (if applicable)
• Attorney BBO (Registration) Number (if applicable)

There also needs to be certain information directing where to send the certified copy:

• Recipient Name and Address
• Contact Telephone Number
• Recipient Email Address

Payment information is also required. Payment may be made using VISA, Mastercard, American Express, Discover or by using and electronic check/ACH.

Answers to other questions may be found in the FAQs.

Requests for Certified Copies of Petitions for Admission (CCP) must be submitted online and payment made electronically. A digital version will be sent, via email, once your request is processed.

Utilizing the information detailed in Requirements above, you can complete your request by following these instructions:

• Under Application Information, enter the information for the attorney whose CCP is being requested. Complete all required fields. Please put the first, middle and last name into the correct box!
• Under Recipient information, complete the contact information for the person or entity to whom you want the CCP sent.
• If the same CCP needs to be sent to additional persons or entities, you will be able to enter those details as well.
• If you require CCPs for additional attorneys, you can enter that information in the same way.
• Once you are done entering data, you can proceed with final payment, using one of the available payment methods.

Our office must then review your request and prepare the CCP for electronic delivery. This process should generally take 3-7 days, but older petitions kept in off-site storage may take longer. Once you submit your order, it will be handled in the order in which it arrives at our office. There is no special preference or expedited service. Please plan ahead to accommodate the necessary processing time.

The fee for a Certified Copy of a Petition for Admission is $10.00 per petition. 

These fees are non-refundable. See the FAQs for further information.

Payment may be made using VISA, Mastercard, American Express, Discover or by using and electronic check/ACH.

There is a 2.79% non-refundable convenience fee for processing credit card payment(s) and a $0.35 convenience fee for Electronic Check/ACH online.

To place your request for a Certified Copy of a Massachusetts Petition for Admission, you will be using the link below to reach our vendor site, maintained by nCourt. 

Click here to order: Certified Copies of Petitions for Admission

If you have additional questions, please refer to the FAQs, or go to Contact Us below.

Is there an expedited process for obtaining a Certified Copy of Petition for Admission?  No. All requests will be handled in order of submission. There is no expedited process. Individuals are responsible for making requests that will allow the timely return of the Certified Copy of Petition for Admission for their business purposes. While this online process and electronic returns should allow for improved service, customers are advised to allow up to seven (7) days to complete the process. If necessary, the receipt for the CCP should provide proof of processing. 

Is there any other way to request a Certified Copy of a Petition for Admission? No.

Can I request more than one Certified Copy of Petition for Admission?  Yes.  You can request a CCP for one or more attorneys or multiple CCPs for the same attorney. 

Can I request that the Certified Copy of Petition for Admission be sent to more than one person/place?  You would need to make separate requests with separate recipient addresses. 

What if the petitioner in question has filed more than one petition for admission? Sometimes a petitioner for admission to the bar has filed multiple petitions (e.g. they took the bar exam more than once), so more than one petition may exist. In such circumstances, please specify which petition you would like, or you will be sent the most recent petition filed.

Can I have the original documents mailed to me?  Yes.  Contact the sjccertsgs@sjc.state.ma.us and provide your name, date you purchased the CCP, and, where you would like the materials mailed.

Can I pick up the original documents?  Yes. Send an email with a copy of your receipt to sjccertsgs@sjc.state.ma.us.  Provide your name, contact information and request a date and time to pick up the Certified Copy of Petition for Admission. Obviously getting your Certified Copy of Petition for Admission at the Courthouse will not reduce your processing time.

How will I know if my Certified Copy is being processed?  The receipt for you Certified Copy of Petition for Admission ensures that your CCP is being processed.  If you do not receive your Certified Copy within 7 days, email sjccertsgs@sjc.state.ma.us. Please keep in mind that older petitions kept in off-site storage may take longer to process.

What if I do NOT have a registration (BBO) number?  Use "not applicable".

What if I do NOT remember when I took the bar exam?  Use your best guess.  We will contact you if there is an issue.

What if I do NOT remember the actual date of admission?  Use your best guess.  We will contact you if there is an issue.

When should I receive the Certified Copy of a Petition?  Barring any issues, the Certified Copy of a Petition for Admission should be available within 3-7 business days. Older petitions kept in off-site storage may take longer to process.

How do I get more information about paying by ACH? There is a link on the ordering website with a link for ACH FAQs.

What if I have a question that is not answered by these FAQs? Then please refer to Contact Us and email this office. We will try to respond as quickly as possible.

Questions or issues regarding your request for a Certified Copy of a Petition for Admission can be posed the Attorney Services Department by sending an email message to sjccertsgs@sjc.state.ma.us. Please do not telephone the office to request a status. Our limited staff resources are focused on turning around your request in 3-7 days or less. Please send an email with your contact information and question and we will respond as quickly as possible. Thank you for this consideration.