How to check a lawyer's license in California
Where to look up a California attorney, what the State Bar record shows, and how to read license status and the discipline history table. Based on the State Bar of California attorney search as it appeared on 14 September 2026. This is a guide to reading an official record, not legal advice.
Updated October 3, 2026 · No named lawyer review is recorded · AI-assisted content, not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Key points
- Search the State Bar of California by name or bar number.
- The record shows license status and a dated history of status changes and discipline.
- "Not Eligible to Practice Law" means the person cannot currently practice, whatever a directory listing says.
Who regulates lawyers in California
The State Bar of California licenses and disciplines attorneys in the state. Its public attorney search is the authoritative record.
How to search
Go to the attorney search and enter a name or a bar number. A bar number is the quickest route: it opens the record directly. A name search returns a list with each person's status, bar number, city and admission date, so you can tell apart lawyers with the same name.
What the record shows
Each record opens with the lawyer's name and bar number, then the current License Status. Below that are the address and phone on file, an email address where one is published, and the law school. The lower part of the page is a table titled License Status, Disciplinary and Administrative History. It lists dated entries, including the date the person was admitted to the State Bar of California and any later change of status.
How to read the status
The status line uses terms such as Active, Inactive, Not Eligible to Practice Law, Disbarred, Resigned and Deceased. Only an active license allows practice. An inactive licensee has chosen not to practice for now. Read the history table as well as the headline status: the discipline column records public discipline with its date.
When there is no full record
Some licensees, such as judges, have a limited public page that shows little more than the bar number. That is normal and is not a sign of a problem.
How TheLawyerWorld uses this record
When a lawyer claims a California profile here, we look up the bar number they give us in this same directory and compare the name before a profile is marked verified. A listing on this site is not a license check. An "Unclaimed profile" label means the details came from older public listings and nobody has confirmed them.
Before you rely on it
Official directories change their layout and wording. This guide describes the State Bar of California attorney search as it appeared on 14 September 2026. If what you see differs, trust the official site. For anything the record does not answer, such as whether a lawyer may act in your type of matter, ask the regulator or the lawyer directly. Source: State Bar of California attorney search.
Can I look up a California lawyer with only a bar number?
Yes. Entering the bar number in the State Bar of California attorney search opens that lawyer's record directly, which avoids confusion between people who share a name.
Where does California show attorney discipline?
On the lawyer's State Bar record, in the table titled License Status, Disciplinary and Administrative History. Each entry is dated.