What are the CLC's 1,200 hours of practical experience?

The 1,200 hours are the work-experience component of qualifying as a Licensed Conveyancer. Passing the Level 4 and Level 6 Diplomas proves you know the law. The 1,200 hours prove you can apply it to real client files, under supervision, to the standard the regulator expects on your first day in practice.

To grant a First Qualifying Licence, the CLC needs three things to be true at once. You have completed at least 1,200 hours of supervised, qualifying work experience over 24 months. Your work meets the CLC's Day One Outcomes, which means you have competently completed the standard legal and technical processes of a conveyancing file. And you have worked in a professional, principled way in line with the CLC Code of Conduct. You evidence all three on the Statement of Practical Experience, which your supervisor certifies.

Does my experience qualify? A quick self-check

Answer the five questions below to see whether your current or planned experience is likely to meet the CLC's rules. This is a guide to help you plan, not a formal CLC decision. The regulator assesses every SoPE individually.

What work counts toward the 1,200 hours?

The hours must be genuine, supervised legal work on conveyancing matters, broad enough to show you can run a file from start to finish. The CLC expects experience of acting for both buyers and sellers, across a range of property types and ownership structures. Pure administration does not count.

The CLC wants breadth as well as volume. Aim to cover freehold and leasehold, registered and unregistered land, sales of part, new-build and tenanted property, and to act for both sides of a transaction across your hours.

Who can supervise your 1,200 hours?

Your experience must be supervised by a Qualifying Authorised Person. That is a Licensed Conveyancer or Licensed Probate Practitioner, a solicitor with conveyancing published as an area of practice, or a CILEX Lawyer who is a Conveyancing Practitioner and Fellow. Whoever it is, they must:

• be licensed by a regulatory body in England and Wales to offer conveyancing services directly to the public;
• hold a current and valid licence that is free of conditions;
• be employed by your qualifying employer as your direct line manager or a delegated legal supervisor; and
• not be subject to any regulatory or disciplinary investigation or sanction during the period they supervise you.

Peer arrangements do not count. Two consultants verifying each other's forms, for example, is not acceptable supervision. Supervision by a relative or spouse is only allowed in exceptional circumstances that you agree with the CLC in writing before the experience begins. If your supervisor changes partway through, that is fine: each period is simply certified by whoever supervised it, and the SoPE has room for more than one supervisor.

Where can you gain the hours? Qualifying employers

The workplace matters as much as the work. A Qualifying Employer is a business that is regulated by a statutory regulator in England and Wales (the CLC, SRA or CILEx Regulation), is licensed to provide conveyancing services to the public, and has a registered main office in England and Wales.

There is a second route. A government body, local authority, utility company or national charity can also qualify, provided your work is supervised by an Authorised Person acting in their capacity as in-house legal counsel. In practice, most candidates gain their hours in high-street and online conveyancing firms, but property teams at housing associations, banks and building societies can all work too.

If you cannot arrange supervision through a standard qualifying employer, for example if you are a sole practitioner, you must agree alternative supervision arrangements with the CLC before you start the 1,200 hours. Email licensing@clc-uk.org, set out your circumstances, and wait for written confirmation. You submit that confirmation with your SoPE.

What is the SoPE, and when can it be signed?

The Statement of Practical Experience (SoPE) is the form that evidences your hours. It is the occupational competency and professional standards part of your licence application. Your supervisor confirms, across three areas, that you are ready to practise: the technical processes of buying and selling freehold and leasehold property, the CLC's Day One Outcomes on professional conduct, and the ethical behaviours set out in the CLC Code of Conduct.

Timing is the point people most often get wrong, so it is worth being precise:

• Not before your Level 6 certificate. A SoPE is invalid if it is signed and verified with the supervision recorded as completed before your SQA Level 6 certificate is issued. The CLC expects the experience to run across your Level 6 study so you are applying the theory as you learn it.
• Within the window. The 1,200 hours must be built over 24 months, and that 24 months must sit inside the 36 months immediately before you apply.
• Verified within 15 days. If your Authorised Person does not verify the SoPE within 15 days, the application is returned to you as incomplete.
• Routinely checked. The CLC verifies SoPEs as part of standard pre-eligibility checks, contacting your supervisor and, where appropriate, your employer, before you are invoiced for any fees.

An invalid SoPE, for example one certified by someone who is not a Qualifying Authorised Person or completed at a non-qualifying employer, is treated as a material omission and makes the whole application incomplete. It pays to get the detail right from the start. The official form and current guidance sit on the CLC's practical experience page.

When do you complete the 1,200 hours?

For most people the hours run in parallel with Level 6, not after it. If you pass Level 4, register as a Conveyancing Technician and take a fee-earning role, your 1,200 hours and your Level 6 study tend to finish at about the same time. That is why the qualification works so well for people already working in a regulated firm. The four-stage pathway looks like this:

If you do not yet have a placement, the apprenticeship route is the cleanest answer, because it builds the 1,200 hours into a paid job from day one. See how the full pathway fits together, or read our guide to the qualifications you need to become a conveyancer.

How is this different from the Conveyancing Technician requirement?

It is easy to mix the two up, because both involve supervised experience and a CLC form. They are separate milestones for separate statuses:

• Conveyancing Technician: six months of supervised work experience, evidenced by a Statement of Work Experience (SoWE), after passing Level 4. This lets you join the CLC Technician Register.
• Licensed Conveyancer: 1,200 hours of supervised practical experience over 24 months, evidenced by a SoPE, alongside Level 6. This is what unlocks your First Qualifying Licence.

The six-month Technician step often flows straight into the 1,200 hours, because you keep working in the same regulated firm while you study Level 6. The requirement on this page is the Licensed Conveyancer one.

Complete the academic side with ALO

The 1,200 hours sit alongside the Level 6 Diploma. Here are the two routes to that qualification, depending on whether you have an employer in place.

Frequently asked questions

Can I gain the 1,200 hours while I study?

Yes, and that is what the CLC expects. Practical experience should be gained over the duration of your Level 6 Diploma so you apply the theory as you learn it. For most candidates the hours and the Level 6 study finish at roughly the same time.

Does the experience have to be paid?

No. Full-time or part-time, paid or voluntary work can all count, as long as it is relevant conveyancing work supervised by a Qualifying Authorised Person in a qualifying workplace.

Can I combine hours from more than one employer?

Yes. You can build the 1,200 hours across different qualifying employers and supervisors, provided each period meets the CLC's criteria and is certified by the relevant supervisor on your SoPE. The 24-month period must still sit within the 36 months before you apply.

What if I do not have a qualifying employer or supervisor?

The cleanest solution is the Level 6 apprenticeship, which builds a placement in. If that is not an option, or you are a sole practitioner, you must agree alternative supervision arrangements with the CLC in writing before you begin. Email licensing@clc-uk.org and wait for confirmation before starting your hours.

Can my SoPE be signed before I get my Level 6 certificate?

No. A SoPE is invalid if it records the supervision as completed before your SQA Level 6 certificate is issued. Time the sign-off for on or after your certificate date.

Does my four years as a fee earner count instead of the 1,200 hours?

If you qualify for the Professional Experience Exemption, your existing fee-earning experience will normally also satisfy the 1,200 hours, but you still have to complete and verify the SoPE. See our CLC exemptions calculator to check where you stand.

What are the CLC's Day One Outcomes?

The Day One Outcomes are the professional standards you are expected to meet on your first day as a Licensed Conveyancer. They span client care, risk identification, data security and fraud awareness, managing a caseload and client expectations, case progression, and continuing professional development, all delivered in line with the CLC Code of Conduct. Your supervisor confirms you meet them on the SoPE.

How do I find a Qualifying Authorised Person to supervise me?

Usually it is your direct line manager or a designated legal supervisor at the firm where you work. When you take a role, check upfront who would supervise you and that they meet the CLC's criteria: a Licensed Conveyancer, conveyancing solicitor or CILEX conveyancing lawyer with a current, condition-free licence, employed by a qualifying employer.

What if my supervisor changes during my 1,200 hours?

That is common and not a problem. Each period of supervision is certified by whoever supervised it at the time, and the SoPE has space for more than one supervisor. Just make sure every supervisor meets the Qualifying Authorised Person criteria for their period.

Does experience gained outside England and Wales count?

Generally no. A Qualifying Authorised Person must be licensed by a regulatory body in England and Wales, so experience gained elsewhere is not accepted unless the CLC has specifically agreed it in advance. If this affects you, contact the CLC before you rely on those hours.

What if my hours are spread over more than 24 months, or finished more than 36 months ago?

The 1,200 hours must be gained over a 24-month period, and that 24 months must fall within the 36 months immediately before you apply. Experience that sits outside those parameters may not be accepted, so contact licensing@clc-uk.org if your timeline is unusual.

What happens if my SoPE is not verified in time, or is deemed invalid?

If your Authorised Person does not verify the SoPE within 15 days, the application is returned as incomplete. A SoPE is invalid if it is certified by someone who is not a Qualifying Authorised Person, if the supervision was not in a qualifying employer, or if it records the supervision as completed before your Level 6 certificate. An invalid SoPE is treated as a material omission and makes the whole application incomplete, so it is worth checking every detail before you submit.

How do I record and track my hours?

Keep a running log of your hours and the tasks you complete, mapped to the technical processes and Day One Outcomes on the SoPE. Your supervisor verifies this record, so an accurate, up-to-date log makes certification straightforward and protects you if a supervisor moves on.