Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa 2026: How to Enroll, Eligibility, Fees

The Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa is the apex body in the state that prescribes professional standards for the lawyers' community. It is a Statutory body established under the Advocates Act, 1961, and serves as the state-level counterpart of the All India Bar Council. Any candidate who wants to practice the law in the State's Court of Law need to enroll with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa. The State Bar Council issues the practice licenses, Sanads and the like for the advocates practising or aspiring to practice under its jurisdiction. Read further to know about eligibility, fees, functions, and other details.

Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa: The State Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa is the Statutory Body constituted under the Advocates Act, 1961. Candidates need to enrol at the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa to practice in any court of law. Candidates need to obtain the License from the State Bar Council to practise as a Lawyer in the state. It is the apex body which regulates the professional conduct of the lawyers practising across the state. It prescribes the dress code for the advocates to be followed in the state.

The Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa work as a counterpart of the All India Bar Council at the state level. It is constituted as a body corporate and the office bearers are selected through the general elections. Advocates Act passed by the Parliament of India provided for the establishment of State Bar Councils across the nation. The Bar Council of Maharashtra, Goa and Union Territory of Daman & Diu has jurisdiction over the State of Maharashtra, Goa and the Union Territory of Daman and Diu. As per the official website, it issues Sanads and Licenses to the lawyers practising under its jurisdiction.

For candidates appearing in the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) are concerned with the provisional registration number for the AIBE 22 application and the disbursement of the Certificate of Practice issued by the Bar Council of India for the candidates. After the CoP, the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa will issue the license of practice to the AIBE-qualified candidates.

As per the Advocates Act, the State Bar Council of India can be considered as the counterpart of the Bar Council of India. The state bar councils are mandated to follow the instructions given by BCI.

The primary function of the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa is to regulate the legal profession and maintain high standards of professional conduct. It also oversees the legal education standards within its territory. This article aims to help you understand the complete process, i.e., eligibility, documents, fees, and what to expect after you enrol.

Constitution of Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa

The State Bar Council consists of 25 elected members. The Bar Council elects its own Chairman and Vice-Chairman to run its affairs. The Advocate General of the State is the ex-officio member of the Bar Council of the state. The tenure of the members is 5 years and elections are conducted every five years.

An important point to note here is that the elected members of the Bar Council of the State do not get any salary.

Functions of Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa

Candidates can check the important functions here

1. Managing legal profession and education across state
2. To conduct the elections fairly
3. Facilitating the formation of managing committee like Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Treasurer of the Bar.
4. To admit persons as advocates on its roll
5. To prepare and maintain such a roll
6. To entertain and determine cases of misconduct against advocates on its roll
7. To safeguard the rights, privileges and interests of advocates on its roll
8. To promote the growth of Bar Associations for effective implementation of the welfare schemes referred to in clause (a) of subsection (2) of this section, clause (a) of subsection (2) of section 7
9. To promote and support law reform
10. To conduct seminars and organize talks on legal topics by eminent jurists and publish journals and papers of legal interest
11. To organise legal aid to the poor in the prescribed manner
12. To manage and invest the funds of the Bar Council
13. To provide for the election of its members
14. To visit and inspect Universities in accordance with the directions given under clause (i) of sub-section (1) of section 7
15. To perform all other functions conferred on it by or under this Act
16. To do all other things necessary for discharging the aforesaid functions
17. Giving financial assistance to organize welfare schemes for the indigent, disabled, or other vulnerable groups
18. Giving legal aid or advice in accordance with the rules made in this purpose
19. Establishing law libraries
20. A State Bar Council may receive any grants, donations, gifts or benefactions for all or any of the purposes specified in sub-section (2), which shall be credited to the appropriate fund or funds constituted under that sub-section

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Eligibility for Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa Registration

To start practice in the state courts, any person must enrol in the state Bar Council. The eligibility conditions for such enrollment is given below:

• Must have passed 5-year LLB or 3-year LLB to register for the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa. Candidates who took admission through CLAT and completed their law degree are also eligible.
• There is no minimum requirements of marks for the registration to this State Bar Council.
• There is no minimum or maximum age limit to register.
• However, they need to at least 21 years old to enroll in the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa.

How to Enroll in the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa?

Candidates follow the steps given below to fill out the Application Form

• Go to barcouncilmahgoa.org
• Click on the online enrolment link
• Sign up by entering name, mobile number, email id and father’s / husband’s name
• Enter the required details in the form
• Upload photograph & signature
• Upload the documents required for enrollment in the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa
• Complete the enrolment application fee payment
• Take a printout of the application form
• Send hard copy of your application form to the council with fee recipt
• If online submission isn’t available, you’ll need to fill out a physical form and submit it manually.

Why do I have to enrol in Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa?

If you have completed either 5-year LLB or 3-year LLB you need to reigster with your state bar council to appear in the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). Once you pass the exam, you will receive the “Certificate of Practice” which is mandatory to practice in the court.

Important documents required to enroll in the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa

Get all the mentioned documents ready before applying

• LLB degree & mark sheets
• Class 10 & 12 certificates
• Date of birth proof
• Address proof
• Recent passport-sized photos
• An affidavit confirming good character
• Any internship or training certificates

Also Read: AIBE Vs Judicial Services Exam: Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Syllabus & More

Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa: Fees Structure

The candidates areadvised to cross check the fee from the official source.