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South Carolina CME and nursing CE requirements
Continuing education and license renewal rules for physicians, advanced practice clinicians and nurses licensed in South Carolina, as recorded by ClinLicense for planning.
Planning aid only. ClinLicense is not legal or compliance advice. Boards change rules between cycles, so confirm every requirement with the board before you rely on it.
- Licensing board
- South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners
- License lookup
- Public license verification
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
MD CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-10-31 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-10-31. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details below are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 40 hours every 2 years, with at least 20 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled-substance prescribing |
Notes. 40 hours per 2 years; Category 1 minimum uncertain.
DO CME requirements
Not yet verified Not yet verified, confirm with the board. This entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules.
- Total hours
- 40 hours every 2 years, with at least 20 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled-substance prescribing |
Notes. Copied from the MD block as a planning default; the osteopathic rules were not separately confirmed. Confirm with the board.
NP CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 20 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 20 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | Contact hours of pharmacotherapeutics within 2 years before renewing prescriptive authority |
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | At least 2 of the 20 hours in controlled substances when renewing controlled-substance authority |
Notes. The SC nursing license itself has no mandated CE hours (the board offers four competency options, often national certification, per its renewal FAQ). Hours listed apply to APRN prescriptive authority.
PA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- No hour minimum recorded every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 4 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Approved procedures for prescribing and monitoring controlled substances (Schedules II-IV), per S.C. Code 40-47-965(B)(3) |
Notes. SC Board of Medical Examiners CE requirements sheet: PAs renew in odd-numbered years by December 31 and must maintain active NCCPA certification; the sheet sets no separate PA CME hour total (hours 0 means none set by the board beyond NCCPA). PAs with controlled substance prescriptive authority complete 4 hours on prescribing and monitoring Schedule II to IV drugs (S.C. Code 40-47-965(B)(3)). Third-party sites quote 100 hours, which the board sheet does not state.
CRNA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 30 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human trafficking | 1 | Every cycle | Everyone | One-hour course before Jan 1, 2028 and every six years thereafter |
Notes. S.C. Code 40-33-40(B)(1): biennial nurse renewal (including APRN) requires at least one of 30 contact hours of board-recognized CE, maintenance of national certification, completion of an academic program, or employer-verified practice hours; a CRNA normally meets it through national recertification. S.C. Code 40-33-31 also adds a one-hour human trafficking course before January 1, 2028 and every six years thereafter. APRN prescriptive authority renewal needs 20 pharmacotherapeutics hours (llr.sc.gov/nurse/Online/APRNRX.aspx) but is not assumed for CRNAs.
CAA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- No hour minimum recorded every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. SC Board of Medical Examiners CE sheet: anesthesiologist's assistants renew in odd-numbered years by December 31 and must maintain current NCCAA certification (S.C. Code 40-47-1290); the sheet lists no separate CE hours (hours 0 means none set by the board beyond NCCAA certification). Fee page lists initial $300 and renewal $295 per existing notes.
South Carolina nursing CE requirements
Nursing boards usually count continuing education in contact hours rather than CME credits, and the nursing license renews on its own schedule, which may differ from the medical board dates above. Nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists have their own sections above.
Nurse Licensure Compact South Carolina has implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact. A registered or practical nurse whose primary state of residence is South Carolina can hold a multistate license issued by South Carolina, which carries the privilege to practice in the other compact states, and a nurse with a multistate license from another compact state can practice in South Carolina under that privilege. Renewal and CE for a multistate license follow the rules of the home state that issued it. The compact covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses only, and advanced practice authority is still granted state by state. This compact list was last reviewed on November 3, 2026. Read the compact guide for RNs and LPNs.
Registered nurses (RN)
Reviewed 2026-11-03 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-03 against the source linked below. That date records our own review and is not a board approval.
- Continuing education
- The board requires no continuing education for this license.
- Continuing competency
- Section 40-33-40 lets the nurse choose one of four options: 30 contact hours from a recognized provider, national certification or recertification, an academic nursing program, or employer verification of competency and hours practiced.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (04-30)
- Board
- South Carolina Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Notes. The Board does not mandate CE hours. Section 40-33-40 lets the nurse choose one of four options: 30 contact hours from a recognized provider, national certification or recertification, an academic nursing program, or employer verification of competency and hours practiced. Licenses are renewed biennially and expire April 30 of even-numbered years.
Licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPN/LVN)
Reviewed 2026-11-03 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-03 against the source linked below. That date records our own review and is not a board approval.
- Continuing education
- The board requires no continuing education for this license.
- Continuing competency
- Section 40-33-40 lets the nurse choose one of four options: 30 contact hours from a recognized provider, national certification or recertification, an academic nursing program, or employer verification of competency and hours practiced.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (04-30)
- Board
- South Carolina Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Notes. The Board does not mandate CE hours. Section 40-33-40 lets the nurse choose one of four options: 30 contact hours from a recognized provider, national certification or recertification, an academic nursing program, or employer verification of competency and hours practiced. Licenses are renewed biennially and expire April 30 of even-numbered years.
Certified nurse-midwives (CNM)
Reviewed 2026-11-03 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-03 against the source linked below. That date records our own review and is not a board approval.
- Continuing education
- The board requires no general continuing education hours for this license, apart from the required topics listed below.
- Continuing competency
- Competency for an APRN license is updated national certification, and the 20 pharmacotherapeutics hours apply only with prescriptive authority (40-33-34(E)(3)).
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (04-30)
- Board
- South Carolina Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 20 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | Pharmacotherapeutics within 2 years for APRNs renewing prescriptive authority |
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Two of the 20 hours on controlled substances when renewing controlled-substance authority |
Notes. A CNM is an APRN under the Nurse Practice Act and keeps AMCB certification. Competency for an APRN license is updated national certification, and the 20 pharmacotherapeutics hours apply only with prescriptive authority (40-33-34(E)(3)).
Clinical nurse specialists (CNS)
Reviewed 2026-11-03 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-03 against the source linked below. That date records our own review and is not a board approval.
- Continuing education
- The board requires no general continuing education hours for this license, apart from the required topics listed below.
- Continuing competency
- Competency for an APRN license is updated national certification, and the 20 pharmacotherapeutics hours apply only with prescriptive authority (40-33-34(E)(3)).
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (04-30)
- Board
- South Carolina Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 20 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | Pharmacotherapeutics within 2 years for APRNs renewing prescriptive authority |
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Two of the 20 hours on controlled substances when renewing controlled-substance authority |
Notes. A CNS is an APRN under the Nurse Practice Act. Competency for an APRN license is updated national certification, and the 20 pharmacotherapeutics hours apply only with prescriptive authority (40-33-34(E)(3)).
See nursing CE requirements by state to compare South Carolina with other states.
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for South Carolina next to other states, or the license cost calculator to estimate fees. Read how multi-state CME works if you hold more than one license.
Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants usually also maintain national certification, which has its own cycle. The recertification basics guide explains how that fits alongside state rules. Nurses who hold licenses in more than one state can read the Nurse Licensure Compact for RNs and LPNs.
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