How to Become a Teacher in South Carolina

South Carolina certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as South Carolina Department of Education — Office of Educator Services publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Complete an approved educator preparation program

   Finish an approved undergraduate- or graduate-level educator preparation program, including student teaching or the required clinical experience. South Carolina issues the Initial certificate primarily to beginning educators or those without recent teaching experience who have completed an approved program.

   Source: ed.sc.gov

2. 2

   Pass required Praxis subject-area and pedagogy assessments

   Earn passing scores on the Praxis subject-area exam and the pedagogy assessment (typically Principles of Learning and Teaching) required for the certification field. School Counselor and School Librarian Initial certificates do not require a pedagogy exam. Official scores should be reported to the South Carolina Department of Education.

   Source: ed.sc.gov

3. 3

   Complete fingerprinting and apply through My SC Educator Portal

   Submit the electronic certification application and supporting documentation, including official transcripts and a current fingerprint-based criminal records review, through My SC Educator Portal. The Office of Educator Services charges a non-refundable $105 application processing fee. Credential effective dates follow State Board of Education Regulation 43-53.

   Source: ed.sc.gov

4. 4

   Receive a three-year Initial certificate

   The Initial educator certificate is valid for three school years and is not renewable. Educators who do not yet meet Professional requirements may receive an annual extension at the employing district’s request, or may reapply for a new Initial certificate.

   Source: ed.sc.gov

5. 5

   Advance to a five-year Professional certificate and renew with 120 credits

   Program completers advance after meeting the additional requirements specified when the Initial certificate was issued, including an ADEPT summative evaluation of “met” submitted by the employing district. Initial certificates that expire in June are automatically evaluated for Professional advancement in late July. Professional certificates are valid for five school years and renew with 120 renewal credits.

   Source: ed.sc.gov

South Carolina’s Initial-to-Professional sequence is evaluation-driven rather than purely coursework-driven. Completers who already passed Praxis still spend three school years on a non-renewable Initial certificate while the employing district submits ADEPT results. Advancement for certificates expiring in June is automatic in late July if the district reported a “met” summative evaluation—educators do not file a separate upgrade application in that cycle. That automation is convenient when data are clean and risky when a district misses the evaluation submission window, because the Initial certificate itself does not renew.

The $105 processing fee is the official SCDE application charge that appears on reciprocity checklists, PACE enrollment, and the Noncertified Teacher Pilot. It is separate from Praxis registration and from fingerprinting. Candidates should treat $105 as the state certification fee, not the full cost of becoming certified. District-requested Provisional Initial certificates—still operating as a State Board pilot into 2026–27—exist for approved-program completers who scored within two standard errors of measurement below the adopted cut on required exams, which is a distinct safety valve from alternative-route programs.

Professional renewal is a 120-credit matrix, not a single university course. All educators may use Options 1–3; public-school and participating-entity employees also access Options 4–11 through employer-sponsored professional development. Statute can add Read to Succeed endorsement work and Jason Flatt Act suicide-awareness training on top of the 120-credit total. Educators who leave public-school employment lose some matrix options and must document credits themselves in My SC Educator Portal.

Certificate types proliferate around the Initial/Professional core. Limited Professional serves Initial holders employed in eligible non-regulated settings. Internship certificates cover program completers who still need student teaching (or school-psychologist interns). CTE Induction and Pre-professional certificates run a five-year work-based process. The Retired Educator certificate, amended by the Educator Assistance Act of 2025, is a lifetime credential for South Carolina retirees that does not require renewal credits. Career changers should confirm they are applying for the certificate type that actually leads to a renewable Professional credential.

Required exams and fees

South Carolina uses ETS Praxis subject-area and pedagogy assessments (Principles of Learning and Teaching). Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Moving a license to South Carolina

Out-of-state certificate holders apply through My SC Educator Portal using the Out-of-State Educators standard application, pay the $105 processing fee, and complete fingerprinting. An out-of-state certified educator who meets all South Carolina requirements but presents fewer than 27 months of qualifying teaching experience in the last seven years is issued an Initial certificate and must advance to Professional in South Carolina. Expired Professional certificates may be renewed up to ten school years past expiration if the 120 credits were earned in the five years before the request.

Official South Carolina reciprocity guidance