South Carolina Nursing CE Requirements

Total Hours Required: 30 | Elective Hours: 30 | Renewal Cycle: 2 Years

South Carolina Nursing Licenses renew every even-numbered year. All licenses must have completed continued competence requirements by April 30th of every even-numbered year. Competency requirements can be found in §40-33-40 of the Nurse Practice Act 

Registered Nurse (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) - South Carolina Registered Nurses (RN's) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN's) with an active license have four (4) options which licensees may choose from in order to satisfy continuing competency requirements for each biennial (2 year) renewal period. Additional information can be found by visiting the South Carolina Board of Nursing or reviewing section 40-33-40 of the South Carolina Nurse Practice Act.

  • (1) Completion of thirty (30) contact hours of continuing education from a CE provider recognized by the Board. 
  • (2) "Maintenance of certification or re-certification by a national certifying body recognized by the Board. 
  • (3) Completion of an academic program of study in nursing or a related field recognized by the Board.
  • (4) Verification of competency and the number of hours practiced as evidenced by employer certification on a form approved by the Board [South Carolina Code § 40-33-40].


Reinstatement from lapsed or inactive status for 5-years or less requires documented evidence of at least one of the following within the prior two years:

  • (1) Completion of thirty (30) contact hours of continuing education from a CE provider recognized by the Board AND successful completion of a course in legal aspects approved by the board (this course is currently not offered by MedCEC)
  • (2) "Maintenance of certification or re-certification by a national certifying body recognized by the Board. 
  • (3) Completion of an academic program of study in nursing or a related field recognized by the Board.
  • (4) Verification of competency and the number of hours practiced in another jurisdiction where authorized to practice, as evidenced by employer certification on a form approved by the Board [South Carolina Code § 40-33-40].


Reinstatement from lapsed or inactive status for more than 5-years requires documented evidence of at least one of the following within the prior two years:

  • Successful completion of a refresher course approved by the board
  • Successful completion of the NCLEX appropriate to the area of licensure

Additional Requirements for APRN's - National Certification must be current AND for APRN's with prescriptive authority (APRN-RX), 20 contact hours in Pharmacotherapeutics must be completed within the two years prior to your renewal date. For APRN's who prescribe controlled substances, 2 of the 20 contact hours must be related to controlled substances. Additional information can be found by visiting the South Carolina Board of Nursing.

Prescriptive authority requirements for renewal can be found in §40-33-34(E)(3).

MedCEC makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of CE requirement information for each state however information is subject to change without notice.

This is a summary of CE requirements, please verify current CE requirements by visiting the South Carolina Board of Nursing.