How to Verify a Lawyer’s License in the Philippines

Last updated: September 2025 (general guidance; rules evolve—always check current issuances). This article is for information only and not legal advice.

Why verification matters

Engaging an unlicensed or suspended “lawyer” can void filings, nullify notarizations, expose you to fraud, and delay cases. In the Philippines, only the Supreme Court (SC) admits lawyers to practice; membership in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) is mandatory; and Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) compliance keeps a lawyer in good standing. Verification is therefore about five things:

Identity & admission – Is the person in the Roll of Attorneys?
Good standing – Are IBP dues (and other bar requirements) current?
MCLE compliance – Is the MCLE requirement satisfied for the current cycle?
Notarial authority (if notarizing) – Is there a valid notarial commission for the time and place?
Disciplinary status – Is the lawyer not suspended/disbarred?

Who keeps the records

Supreme Court of the Philippines
- Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC): Custodian of the Roll of Attorneys and bar records (admission, roll number, name changes, disciplinary status).
Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)
- National office and local chapters keep membership & good standing records, issue Certificates of Good Standing (COGS).
MCLE Office (under the SC)
- Keeps MCLE compliance records and issues MCLE compliance numbers.
Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) – Executive Judge / Clerk of Court
- Issue and record notarial commissions; maintain notarial registers for verification of notarial acts.

Note: Lawyers are not licensed by the PRC. The Supreme Court is the licensing authority.

The quick 5-step check (most situations)

Ask the lawyer for these identifiers (and compare against documents they sign):
- Full name (with middle name) as admitted to the Bar
- Roll of Attorneys No.
- IBP OR No. (or IBP Lifetime details) & chapter
- PTR No. (Profession Tax Receipt), date & place of issue
- MCLE Compliance No. (or “Exempt/Not Yet Due” status with reason)
- Law firm name, office address, mobile, and professional email
Verify admission and identity with the OBC / Roll of Attorneys (by name and roll number).
- Check for exact spelling, middle name/initial, and any name changes (e.g., post-marriage).
Verify good standing with IBP (national office or the lawyer’s chapter).
- Request or require a Certificate of Good Standing issued this year.
Confirm MCLE status using the MCLE Compliance Number.
- New lawyers may be “Not Yet Due.” Exemptions exist for certain officials/roles—ask for the MCLE Certificate/notation.
If notarization is involved, verify the Notarial Commission with the RTC that issued it.
- Check commission number, venue (city/province), and effectivity period; match the seal and register entries (Doc/Book/Page/Series) on the notarial certificate.

Reading a lawyer’s signature block (and what each line means)

When a Philippine lawyer signs a pleading or legal opinion, you will typically see:

ATTY. JUAN C. DELA CRUZ
Roll of Attorneys No. 12345
IBP No. 012345; 01 January 2025; IBP Quezon City Chapter
PTR No. 1234567; 02 January 2025; Quezon City
MCLE Compliance No. VII-001234 (valid thru 14 April 2026)
Email: juan.delacruz@lawfirm.ph | Tel: (02) 8123-4567

Roll No. – Unique lifetime number from the SC/OBC (proof of admission).
IBP No. – Receipt or reference showing current IBP membership; includes date & chapter.
PTR No. – Profession tax paid to a local government for the current year (name, date, and LGU should match).
MCLE No. – Issued by the MCLE Office per compliance cycle; “Exempt” or “Not Yet Due” should be stated if applicable.

Courts require these to be indicated in filings (see the Rules of Court and relevant Bar Matters). Missing or false details are red flags.

Detailed verification paths

A. Supreme Court / Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC)

Purpose: Confirm admission, roll number, and whether a lawyer is in good standing (i.e., not disbarred/suspended). How:

Use the SC’s Roll of Attorneys lookup (if available online) or request written confirmation from the OBC with full name and roll number.
For name conflicts (e.g., common surnames), provide middle name, birthdate, law school, or year of admission if you have them.
For status clarifications (suspension/disbarment), the OBC can confirm current status based on Supreme Court records.

What you get:

Admission date, Roll No., and current status (e.g., active, suspended, disbarred, deceased).
Optional: Certificates (e.g., Certificate of Admission, Certification re: status) upon request and payment of fees.

B. Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)

Purpose: Confirm membership and good standing, and resolve dues questions. How:

Ask the lawyer for a recent Certificate of Good Standing (COGS) from their IBP Chapter (or the National Office). These are date-specific and may be QR-coded or serial-numbered depending on the chapter.
Independently contact the IBP Chapter stated in the lawyer’s signature block to confirm chapter dues and national dues are current.

What you get:

A COGS specifying the lawyer’s name, Roll No., chapter, and validity date.
Confirmation of lifetime membership status if applicable (note: life membership ≠ automatic current good standing; chapters may still require certain clearances).

C. MCLE Office

Purpose: Confirm MCLE compliance for the applicable three-year cycle (and subject distribution). How:

Cross-check the MCLE Compliance No. in the signature block with the MCLE Office.
New admittees often show “Not Yet Due” for their first cycle; certain officials may be exempt under MCLE rules.

What you get:

Confirmation of compliance/exemption, cycle period, and sometimes the compliance number to be indicated in pleadings (per Bar Matters on MCLE tagging).

D. Notarial Commission (only if the lawyer notarizes)

Purpose: Confirm the authority to notarize a specific document at a specific time/place. How:

Identify the RTC (city/province) stated in the notarial seal or acknowledgment.
Ask the Clerk of Court to confirm the commission’s validity dates, place of commission, and if the document appears in the notarial register (via Doc/Book/Page/Series Nos.).
For remote notarization (when allowed under interim rules), confirm the modalities and dates complied with the SC’s rules then in force.

What you get:

Verification that the commission was active on the signing date, for that venue, and that the entry exists in the notarial register.

E. Disciplinary status

Purpose: Check for suspensions, disbarment, or pending administrative cases. How:

Ask the lawyer for a recent COGS (IBP will not issue it if there is a known bar to good standing).
Request status confirmation from the OBC.
Review official Supreme Court decisions (disciplinary cases are public records).
For pending IBP Commission on Bar Discipline (CBD) matters, the OBC/IBP may indicate if a case exists, but only the SC may impose suspension/disbarment.

Special situations & nuances

Similar names: Use middle name, birthdate, law school, year of admission, and Roll No. to disambiguate.
Name changes: Lawyers must petition for change of name on the Roll; OBC can confirm the current official name.
Government lawyers: Still need to be admitted and typically MCLE-compliant unless exempt; confirm exemption basis if claimed.
In-house counsel: No separate license—verification is the same (SC admission + IBP/MCLE).
Law student practitioners / paralegals: May appear under Rule 138-A / CLEP with supervision; they are not lawyers.
Foreign lawyers: Cannot practice Philippine law unless specifically authorized under SC rules (limited practice of foreign law). Verify any such authority separately.
Expired PTR or IBP dues: Not, by itself, proof of suspension—but it undercuts good standing and is a serious red flag.
Data privacy: When requesting records, state a legitimate interest and minimize personal data you collect/retain (Data Privacy Act).

Red flags (treat as “do not proceed” until cleared)

Refuses to provide Roll No., IBP/PTR details, or MCLE number/exemption.
Signature block omits mandatory identifiers or uses obviously outdated IBP/PTR details (e.g., previous years).
No IBP chapter listed or a chapter that doesn’t match claimed location without explanation.
Notarization done outside the lawyer’s commissioned venue or beyond the commission’s validity dates.
Claims “PRC license” for law practice (there is none).
Provides COGS or MCLE proof with erasures or mismatched names.

Templates you can use

1) Request to the Office of the Bar Confidant (Supreme Court)

Subject: Verification of Admission & Status — Atty. [Full Name], Roll No. [#####] To: Office of the Bar Confidant, Supreme Court, Padre Faura, Manila

I respectfully request confirmation of the bar admission, Roll of Attorneys number, and current status (active/suspended/disbarred/deceased) of Atty. [Full Name], Roll No. [#####].

Purpose of verification: [e.g., engagement due diligence; employment screening; case representation].

I undertake to use the information solely for legitimate purposes consistent with the Data Privacy Act.

[Your name, organization, contact details]

2) Request to the IBP (National / Chapter)

Subject: Confirmation of Good Standing — Atty. [Full Name], Roll No. [#####] To: IBP [Chapter/National Office]

Kindly confirm whether Atty. [Full Name], Roll No. [#####], is a member in good standing and, if possible, issue a Certificate of Good Standing.

[Purpose].

[Your name, contact details]

3) Request to the MCLE Office

Subject: MCLE Compliance Verification — Atty. [Full Name], Roll No. [#####] To: MCLE Office

Please confirm the MCLE Compliance Number and status (compliant/exempt/not yet due) for Atty. [Full Name], Roll No. [#####] for the current MCLE cycle.

[Your name, contact details]

4) Request to the RTC re: Notarial Commission

Subject: Notarial Commission Verification — Atty. [Full Name] To: Office of the Clerk of Court, RTC [City/Province]

Please verify whether Atty. [Full Name] holds/held a valid notarial commission on [date of notarization], and whether Doc. No. __ / Page No. __ / Book No. __ / Series of ____ appears in the notarial register.

[Your name, contact details]

Frequently asked questions

Is an IBP ID enough? No. It’s helpful, but admission + good standing + MCLE together establish licensure to practice. Always confirm the Roll No. with the OBC.

Can I rely on the lawyer’s MCLE “exempt” claim? Only if supported by MCLE Office confirmation or a proper notation in filings (for exempt categories). When in doubt, verify.

Do I need all five checks every time? For court representation, at least OBC + IBP/COGS + MCLE. For notarization, add RTC notarial verification. For advisory work, OBC + COGS is usually sufficient, but MCLE still matters.

What if the lawyer is suspended? They cannot practice or appear as counsel during suspension. Engage someone else and, if needed, report any unauthorized practice to the IBP CBD or the OBC.

What if the name is not in the Roll of Attorneys? Then the person is not a lawyer. Practicing law without authority may constitute unauthorized practice and criminal liability (e.g., usurpation of authority).

One-page checklist (print/save)

☐ Full name (with middle), Roll No.
☐ OBC confirmation (admission & current status)
☐ IBP Certificate of Good Standing (current year)
☐ MCLE Compliance No. / exemption proof
☐ PTR (current year; name/date/LGU match)
☐ If notarizing: RTC commission valid + register entry matches Doc/Page/Book/Series
☐ No disciplinary bar (suspension/disbarment)
☐ Signature block in documents matches all the above

Legal bases to know (high level)

Rule 138, Rules of Court (Admission to the Bar; practice of law)
Bar Matter No. 850 (Mandatory Continuing Legal Education), as amended
Bar Matter No. 1922 (requiring counsel to indicate MCLE compliance in filings)
2004 Rules on Notarial Practice, as amended (commissioning, registers, venue, validity)
Rules of Court (2019 Amendments) on counsel’s required information in pleadings
Revised Penal Code, Art. 177 (usurpation of authority) — relevant to unauthorized practice
Data Privacy Act (RA 10173) — for responsible handling of personal data during verification

Bottom line

To verify a Philippine lawyer, triangulate OBC (Roll of Attorneys), IBP (good standing), MCLE compliance, and—if notarization is involved—the RTC notarial commission. Insist on current, documentary proof and walk away from any engagement until all checks line up.