Over 3 million registered nurses work in the United States, making it the largest—and according to Gallup, the most respected—healthcare profession in the country. More than 44,000 nurses work in South Carolina. If you are one of those 44,000 and looking to renew your South Carolina nursing license, here’s a quick summary of what’s required for nursing license renewal.
What’s required for South Carolina nursing license renewal
The South Carolina Board of Nursing requires nurses to complete 30 total CE hours every two years. There are no mandatory topics and no limitations on the number of hours nurses can complete online.
Meet all 30 of your required CE hours for your South Carolina nursing license renewal with online text, video, and podcast courses from Elite Learning. Explore the full library here.
How do I renew my nursing license in South Carolina?
The Board officially opened the online portal for South Carolina nursing license renewals on February 1, 2024. Licensees should have received a renewal notice via email or U.S. mail. However, you do not need to wait until your notice is in hand to renew.
To begin the renewal process, visit the portal on the Board’s site. Login with your username and password or create an account if you don’t yet have one. Follow the instructions to renew your license and pay the state fees. Fees are:
- $75 (LPN & RN)
- $105 (APRN WITHOUT Prescriptive Authority)
- $145 (APRN WITH Prescriptive Authority
All nursing licenses in South Carolina expire on April 30th of even years. If your license was originally issued in 2023 and you have a 2024 expiration date, you will renew in 2024 and then your next renewal will be in 2026.
Specific renewal requirements for LPNs, RNs, and APRNs
RNs & LPNs
Unless requested, RNs do not need to send verification of their competency to the Board. If you choose to use your employer for competency, you and your employer will need to complete the Employer Certification Form, accessible through the Board’s site here. However, you do not need to send this form unless the Board audits you or specifically requests the form.
APRNs
Competency for APRNs WITHOUT Prescriptive Authority is maintenance of their national certification. APRNs WITH Prescriptive Authority must maintain their national certification AND complete 20 hours of pharmacotherapeutics. Two of those hours must be in controlled substances.
Learn more about controlled substances in our new course for APRNs: Clinical Management of Substance Use Disorders
Where can I complete my CE hours?
Browse dozens of nursing CE courses, accessible 24/7 in Elite’s online library, and meet all 30 hours of CE required to maintain your South Carolina nursing license.
Click here to learn more about South Carolina continuing education requirements.
Colibri Healthcare, LLC is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation (ANCC Provider # P0456). In addition to states that accept courses offered by ANCC Accredited Providers, Colibri Healthcare, LLC is an approved Provider of continuing education in nursing by the South Carolina Board of Nursing, Provider #50-4007.
