MH CET Law 2026 Eligibility (3 & 5 Year LLB): Qualification, Age Limit, Reservation, Minimum Marks

Maharashtra Common Entrance Test - Law 2026 ( MHCET Law )

DeskCalelnderExam On - 8 May '26

Nidhi
Nidhi Gupta
Deputy Manager
Updated on Mar 18, 2026 09:52 IST
The MH CET Law, or Maharashtra Common Entrance Test Law, is the most significant entrance exam for admission to the 5-year LLB and 3-year LLB courses. The law entrance is held for admission to the top law colleges in Maharashtra. As a result, a large number of candidates apply for the MH Law CET exam every year.

Planning to take MH CET Law 2026? Check out MH CET Law 2026 Eligibility Criteria & Reservation Policy- Academic Qualification, Age Limit, Minimum Marks and More for the five-year LLB and three-year LLB courses. Check details below.

MH CET Law or the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test Law application process has been EXTENDED. The last MHCET Law application last date for the 5-yr LLB course is March 31, 2026. Candidates willing to register for the exam must read the MHCET Law eligibility criteria 2026 before filling the application form for both 5-year LLB and 3-year LLB courses. The MH CET Law Exam will be held on April 1, 2026 & April 2, 2026 for the 3-year LLB courses for admission to the top law colleges in Maharashtra. As a result, a large number of candidates apply for the state-level law entrance exam every year.

Latest Updates: 

The MH CET Law 2026 notification was released in January 2026.  MH CET Law 2026 will be conducted on May 8 for the MH CET Law 2026 5-year LLB course. To appear in the Law MHCET 2026, candidates must meet the eligibility criteria.

Also Read: How to fill MH CET Law Application Form 2026

To get a seat at the desired college of Law, candidates must know the MH CET Law reservation criteria to be followed by the exam authority. Understanding the important details related to eligibility and reservation will let the candidates know if they can get admission to colleges accepting MH CET scores. Candidates must check the eligibility and reservation criteria before filling the MH CET Law Application Process 2026.

Find out all about MH CET law academic qualifications, minimum marks, age limit, and other details here.

Also Read: List of documents required to fill MH CET Law Application Form

Table of contents
  • MH CET Law 2026 Important Dates
  • MH CET Law 2026 Eligibility Criteria - Basic Requirements
  • MH CET Law 2026 Eligibility Criteria - Detailed
  • MH CET Law 2026 Application Form
  • MHCET Law 2026: Application Fees
  • Documents Related to MH CET Law Eligibility Criteria 2026
  • MH CET Law 2026: Candidature Types
  • MH CET Law 2026: Reservation Criteria
  • MH CET Law 2026 Reservation Policy - Aided & Unaided Institutions
View More

MH CET Law 2026 Important Dates 

Candidates can refer to the table below to know the MH Law CET 2026 key dates

Events MHCET Law 2026 Dates for 5-year LLB MHCET Law 2026 Dates for 3-year LLB
Release of MH CET Law 2026 notification 21-Nov-2025 21-Nov-2025
Application begins 5-year LLB course 09-Jan-2026 08-Jan-2026
Last date to submit the application form

03-March-2026

31-March-2026 (EXTENDED)

MH CET Law Exam Date 08-May-2026 01-Apr-2026, 02-Apr-2026
Release of admit cards March 2026 March 2026
Result April 2026 April 2026

Also Read: Cutoff for MHCET participating colleges

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is the criteria for MHCET Law 2026?
A: 

For MHCET Law 2026, eligibility depends on the course. For 5-year LLB, you must pass Class 12 from a recognised board with at least 45% marks (40% for reserved categories). For 3-year LLB, a bachelor's degree in any stream is required. There's no upper age limit for MHCET Law 2026 exam.

Q:   Can I do law without MHCET Law?
A: 

Yes, you can study law without MH CET Law, but only if you apply to private or deemed universities that have their own entrance exams or direct admission process. MH CET Law is mainly for government and aided law colleges in Maharashtra. Other universities may accept scores from exams like CLAT or conduct their own tests for LLB admission.

Q:   Who is eligible for MHCET law 2026?
A: 

For MH CET Law 2026 eligibility, you must be an Indian citizen. You should have at least 45% marks in your exam. SC and ST students need 40%, and OBC, VJNT, SBC, or EWS need 42%. To join the 5-year LLB, you must pass 10+2. For the 3-year LLB, a bachelor's degree in any stream is needed. There's no age limit for MH CET Law 2026.

MH CET Law 2026 Eligibility Criteria - Basic Requirements 

Candidates seeking admission through Law CET Maharashtra 2026 must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:

Category Five-Year LLB Eligibility Criteria Three-Year LLB Eligibility Criteria
Academic Qualification Class 12th or equivalent qualification 3-year graduation degree 
Minimum Marks Requirement 45% marks but if belonging to SC/ST category of Maharashtra State then 40% marks, and if belonging to VJNT, SBC and OBC category of Maharashtra State then 42% marks in aggregate.  45% marks but if belonging to SC/ST category of Maharashtra State then 40% marks, and if belonging to VJNT, SBC and OBC category of Maharashtra State then 42% marks in aggregate. 
Age Limit

20 years for General/Open Category Candidates

22 Years for SC/ST and Candidates belonging to other reserved categories

No age limit 

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MH CET Law 2026 Eligibility Criteria - Detailed 

Candidates can check the detailed eligibility criteria for the MH CET eligibility criteria for the 3-year LLB and 5-year LLB programmes below

MHCET Law Eligibility Criteria 2026 for 5-Year LLB

For the five-year LLB course, candidates must match the requirements as under: 

  • Candidates should have passed the Senior Secondary School Examination/ Intermediate Examination/ 12th Board Examination from any recognised educational institution under the state board or National Board of Education. 
  • Moreover, they must have secured 45% marks in aggregate in the qualifying exam.
  • If belonging to SC/ ST category of Maharashtra state, then the minimum marks required are 40% as per the relaxation in aggregate marks.

MH Law CET Eligibility Criteria 2026 for 3-Year LLB

For the three-year LLB course, candidates should fulfill the requirements as under:

  • The candidates must have passed the graduation exam in any discipline.
  • Moreover, candidates appearing in the qualifying exams in exam year may also apply
  • Candidates who have completed their Class 10 or Class 12 or both as distance learning or the correspondence method are eligible for the MH CET Law 2026 3-year LLB.
  • These aspirants must have basic education (Class 1 to Class 9) at a regular school affiliated by a recognised national or state board.
  • Candidates who have graduated through an Open University with a preparatory examination are also eligible to apply for MH CET Law 2026 and take part in the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for admission to 3-year LLB courses.

Also Read: 

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is the criteria for LLB 3 years in Maharashtra?
A: 

If you want to apply for the 5-year LLB course, you must pass class 12 or an equal exam from any recognised board or university. For the 3-year LLB course, you should have finished your graduation from a recognised university. These are the basic MH CET Law eligibility rules for both courses.

Q:   What are the minimum marks required to qualify the MHCET Law?
A: 

There's no fixed qualifying mark, but scoring above 40% is generally safe. Admission depends on cutoff and category. Higher marks increase chances of getting better colleges.

Q:   Does NLU Mumbai accepts MHCET Law Score?
A: 

No, Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) Mumbai doesn't take MHCET Law scores for its 5-year B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) or LL.M. courses. The admission process at MNLU Mumbai is done only through the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), which is the main exam for entry into all National Law Universities in India.

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MH CET Law 2026 Application Form 

The MH CET Law 2026 application form for 5-year LLB courses is available on the official website. The application for both courses had to be filled via separate links given at cetcell.mahacet.org. Here is the MH CET Law 2026 application process:

  • Online registration
  • Filling the application form
  • Uploading your photo and signature
  • Paying the application fee
  • Submitting the final form

Make sure every step is done properly so your MH CET Law 2026 form gets accepted without any issue.

Also Read:

MHCET Law 2026: Application Fees

The application fee is mentioned as follows,

Category

Fee (in INR)

CET Fee for Open Category candidates from Maharashtra State, Out Side Maharashtra State (OMS)/All India Candidates belonging to all Categories, and J&K Migrant Candidates. On Line Application Form filling dates: INR 1300
CET Fee-For Candidates belonging to Backward Class Categories (SC, ST, VJ/DT- NT (A), NT-1 (B), NT-2(C), NT-3(D), OBC, SEBC, EWS and SBC categories) belonging to Maharashtra State only having valid Caste Certificate and having valid Non-creamy Layer Certificate valid up to 31st March-2027 for DT-VJ, NT1, 2,3, OBC & SBC Candidates. On Line Application Form filling dates: INR 1000
CET Fees for Orphan and Transgender candidates & PWD candidate from the State of Maharashtra only INR 1000
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Can I join LLB without CLAT?
A: 

Yes, you can join many law colleges without CLAT by applying through private universities, which often take students based on merit or interviews. You can also go for state-level law exams like MH CET Law, TS LAWCET, and others, or appear for university-specific entrance tests. In many places, direct admission is also given using your 12th or graduation marks, which is a common way for both 5-year and 3-year LLB programs outside the NLU system.

Q:   Which are the test centers of MH CET Law in Maharashtra?
A: 

Following are the test centres for the MHCET Law exam are- Akola, Chandrapur, Amravati, Dhule, Ahmednagar, Gadchiroli, Aurangabad, Gondia, Beed, Hingoli, Bhandara, Jalgaon, Buldhana, Kolhapur, Latur, Kalyan, Dombivali, Mumbai, Nagpur, Mumbai – Suburban Western, Nanded Mumbai – Suburban Central, Nandurbar Nasik, Parbani, New Mumbai, Pune, Palghar, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Rasayani, Satara, Solapur, Shegaon, Thane, Sindudurga, Wardha, Washim Vasai -Virar Yavatmal.

Q:   What is the cut off for New Law College Mumbai?
A: 

Modern Education Society's New Law College (NLC), Mumbai takes admission for the 3-year LLB course through the Maharashtra Law Common Entrance Test (MH CET Law). If you're from the general category, getting around 115+ marks gives you a strong chance of getting in. Even with 100+ marks, you still have a fair shot at admission depending on the cutoff that year.

Documents Related to MH CET Law Eligibility Criteria 2026

To ensure that candidates meet the eligibility criteria of MH CET for Law 2026, the exam authority will ask them for the following documents:

  • Class 10 Marksheet / Passing Certificate
  • Class 12 Marksheet / Passing Certificate
  • Graduation Markesheet / Passing Certificate (only for 3-year LLB)
  • Photo ID proof, such Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, PAN Card or Passport
  • Caste certificate (if required) 
  • Person with disability certificate or PwD certificate (if applicable)

Also Read: MHCET Law Dress Code

MH CET Law 2026: Candidature Types

The candidates of MH Law CET 2026 are categorised into specific categories to provide them with category-based benefits. Check out all the types of candidature considered for the Law CET Maharashtra exam below:

  • Maharashtra State (MS) candidature type
  • Outside Maharashtra State (OMS) or All India category candidature type
  • Foreign Nationals
  • Non Resident Indians (NRI) / Overseas Indian Citizen (OIC) / Person of Indian Origin (PIO) candidature type
  • Minority category candidature type
  • Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) candidature type
  • Ex-servicemen (wards' of ex-servicemen or defence force members) candidature type
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is MHCET Law cut off?
A: 

The MHCET Law cutoff means the least marks you need to get admission in a law college. It keeps changing every year depending on exam level, total students, and seat numbers. If you score higher marks, your chance of getting top law colleges becomes much better.

Q:   Can I get GLC with 96 percentile in MHCET Law?
A: 

Getting admission in Government Law College (GLC) Mumbai with 96 percentile in MHCET Law is possible but depends on the year's cut off. Usually, GLC cut off stays very high, often above 98 percentile for open category. Still, 96 percentile has fair chance in reserved or outside Maharashtra categories.

Q:   Is 93 percentile good in MHCET, LLB?
A: 

Yes, 93 percentile in MHCET LLB is a decent score. It can help you get admission in good law colleges in Maharashtra, though top colleges like GLC Mumbai or ILS Pune usually need higher percentiles. Still, with 93 percentile, you have strong chances in reputed mid-tier government and private law colleges.

MH CET Law 2026: Reservation Criteria

Certain categories can get reservation benefits like discounts on the application fee and admission charges. If you apply for the Law MH CET exam under a reserved category, you may also get seats kept specially for that group. These MH CET Law 2026 reservation benefits help students from different backgrounds get fair chances in admission.

MH CET Reservation Policy for Backward Socio-Economic Groups: Live

Only students who belong to Maharashtra State can get the reservation under the backward category seats from different social and economic groups. You should see the reservation percentage for each category given below for the Law CET Maharashtra 2026 exam. These MH CET Law 2026 category-wise reservations help you understand how seats are divided among different groups in the state.

Category Percentage of Seats Reserved
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Castes converted to Buddhism (SC) 13%
Scheduled Tribes (ST) 7%
VimuktaJati (VJ)/ De Notified Tribes (DT) (NT-A) 3%
Nomadic Tribes 1 (NT-B) 2.5%
Nomadic Tribes (NT-C) 3.5%
Nomadic Tribes (NT-D) 2%
Other Backward Classes (OBC) 19%

Please Note: for applicants from outside Maharashtra, there are no MH CET law seats available under this category.

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MH CET Law 2026 Reservation Policy - Aided & Unaided Institutions

You should check the reservation policy for both aided and unaided colleges given below. It’s really important to understand it well because it helps you know which college you might get admission in more easily. By knowing the MH CET Law 2026 reservation rules, you can guess your better chance for admission under each type of institution.

Number of seats reserved in aided and Govt. institutions accepting MHCET Law scores:

No. Of Seats- As % of sanctioned Intake
Item No. Type of Institution MHT CET reservation for Maharashtra(MS) All India Seats *Quota for NRI, OCI, PIO, Foreign Candidate MinorityQuota
1 Government Institution 85% 10% 5% Nil
2 Government-Aided Minority Institution 35% 10% 5% 50%
3 Government-Aided Institution 85% 10% 5% Nil
4 University/Department/Course (Government Aided) 85% 10% 5% Nil

Number of seats reserved in unaided and private institutions accepting MHCET Law scores:

No. of Seats- as % of Sanctioned Intake
Item No. Type Of Institute Maharashtra State (M.S.) Candidates All India Seats Minority Quota Institute Level Seats*
1 Unaided (VinaAnudanit)Institution 65% 15% Nil 20%
2 Unaided (VinaAnudanit) Minority Institution 100% of M.S. Seats 15% 51%  20%
3 University/Department/Course (Self-Financed/Unaided) 65% 15% Nil 20%

Including 5% Quota for NRI, OCI, PIO, and Foreign candidates if applicable

M.S. Seats = CAP Seats – ( All India Seats + Minority Quota Seats)

The minimum percentage of seats that must be filled in the minority institution through CAP; may be increased to 100%.

Also Read:

MH CET Law 2026 Reservation for Children of Service Personnel

5% seats in an MS quota-approved institution will be set aside for the following groups of applicants:

  • Children of former military personnel residing in the state of Maharashtra (Def-1).
  • Children of Active Duty Military Personnel living in the State of Maharashtra (Def-2).
  • Children of Active Service Personnel who have moved to Maharashtra but do not reside in the state (DEF-3). 
  • Children who have families stationed under the family housing retention policy at their previous duty station for the benefit of the kids’ education; only possible if the applicant has completed the HSC (12th class) and SSC (10th class) exams from a Maharashtra school or college.

MH CET Law Reservation Criteria: Other Categories

During the MH CET Law 2026 admission, some extra reservations are given under the Maharashtra State quota.

  • Around 5% seats are kept for candidates who have at least 40% physical disability.
  • Nearly 10% seats are for EWS category students, they get preference over the regular Maharashtra State quota in college admission.
  • About 1% seats, except in Minority or All India quota colleges, are for Orphan candidates only.
  • Also, 30% of total seats are reserved for female students applying through MH CET Law 2026.
  • However, female reservation doesn’t apply in Defense, Orphan, or Persons with Disabilities categories.

These MH CET Law 2026 reservation rules help make admission fair for all groups under the Maharashtra State quota.

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Answered 2 weeks ago

In the MHCET Law 3-yr LLB exam, if a candidate gets 100  to 115 questions right, then he/she holds high chances of getting admission to top colleges. However, a good attempt can be somewhere between 92 to 110 questions out of 120 questions. 

A

Aishwarya Pathak

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 2 weeks ago

Candidates who appeared for the exam held in the second shift on April 1, 2026, provided feedback that it was an Easy exam. There were direct questions from the RCs. No question from the current affairs section was there. The static GK portion was of high weightage. Case-based questions were seen i

...Read more

N

Nishtha Nishtha

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 2 weeks ago

As per the initial student reaction, the MHCET Law 2026 3-year LLB entrance exam was of an Easy to Moderate difficulty level. The English section was easy and less questions were asked from the current affairs section this year.  

S

Shailja Shrivastava

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 2 weeks ago

The MH CET Law application form 2026 for 3-year LLB was released on January 8, 2026 and the window was open till March 3, 2026. The 5-year registration window was open until March 31, 2026.

N

Nidhi Gupta

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 4 weeks ago

SGBAU MH CET Law cutoff 2025 was 76.78 for the BA LLB course in the 3rd round. In 2024 and 2023, the cutoff was 35.86 and 55, respectively. As per these cutoff ranks, we can see that the cutoff trend has seen fluctuation. 

N

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The CET Cell closed the MH CET Law 2026 registration window for the 3-year LLB programme on March 3, 2026. For the MH CET Law 2026 5-year LLB course, the last date was March 31, 2026.

P

Pallavi Shukla

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

Yes, the state CET Cell Maharashtra extended the deadline. As per the revised dates, the MHCET Law application form for the 5-yr LLB course was available till March 31, 2026. 

A

Aishwarya Pathak

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

The MH CET Law application correction window for the 5-year LLB course began on April 7, 2026. The  MH CET Law application correction process is being conducted on the official website of the competent body. 

K

Kanishk Dhawan

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

The MH CET Law application correction facility is free of cost. Candidates need not pay any fees to make changes to the already submitted application form. The State CET Cell, Maharashtra, will not charge any fee from the candidates for the application correction. Make use of this facility to double

...Read more

S

Shailja Shrivastava

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

The last date to make changes to the MH CET Law application form for the 3-year LLB course was March 11, 2026. Post this date, no candidate will be allowed to make any corrections. No application fee will be accepted after this date for the 3-year LLB course. 

N

Nidhi Gupta

Contributor-Level 10