Practising certificates
Who must apply
The Solicitors Act 1974 requires practising solicitors to have a practising certificate. Subrule 20.01 of the Code of Conduct sets out what we regard as "practising", and the guidance to rule 20 discusses exemptions from the requirement to hold a practising certificate.
If you are no longer practising
If you are no longer practising, you may still wish to stay on the roll.
How to apply
There are different forms to complete depending on the type of application.
- Applications made by an individual solicitor (form RF3)
- Applications made by organisations on behalf of all the solicitors, registered European lawyers and registered foreign lawyers (form RF1)
- Notification of intention to apply for a practising certificate (form RFs12)
- Applications to register or renew as a registered foreign lawyer (forms RF4 and RF5)
- Applications to register or renew as a registered European lawyer (forms RF6 and RF7)
Whichever form is used, it is the personal responsibility of each individual solicitor to ensure that
- a practising certificate application has been made on their behalf
- that statements made on the form are correct, and
- any necessary fee is paid—we are unable to accept the application form without the necessary fee.
When to apply
The practising year runs from 1 November to 31 October. However, if you plan to begin practising or return to practise during the year, you must apply for a practising certificate before you work as a solicitor. Your fee will be calculated according to a sliding scale that reduces every quarter.
Our service levels
Our target is to process 95% of all applications within 30 days of receipt of the completed form and fee.
Help completing your form
Please contact us. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes.
To link to this page, please use www.sra.org.uk/pc.