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South Carolina Department of Education application documents

Which documents does South Carolina require from an out-of-state teacher?

The state, institution, employer or testing provider may need to send some records directly.

Open How to Apply for Educator Certification
Official state guidance State makes the decision Checked 2026-08-02

Core application evidence

Requirement

The application requires South Carolina fingerprints, official transcripts, the complete valid out-of-state credential, prior score reports and employer-completed experience forms.

Which application this evidence supports

South Carolina reciprocates a current, valid, good-standing standard out-of-state certificate based on comparable fields and recent qualifying experience, with Initial and Professional outcomes separated at twenty-seven months in the last seven years.

What can change this answer

Less than twenty-seven months of qualifying experience in the last seven years generally leads to an Initial certificate; at least twenty-seven months can support a Professional certificate, while National Board certification can independently support the Professional level.

Conditions to resolve before sending records

  • The source credential must be current, valid, standard and in good standing; temporary, emergency, provisional and conditional credentials are not accepted for reciprocity
  • Alternative-route educators must have advanced to the source state's standard certificate
  • South Carolina determines comparable fields and grade spans
  • The Initial certificate is nonrenewable and carries advancement requirements

Send identity documents and background records only where the state agency instructs. TeachPassport does not receive them.

Official sources

Check again by 2026-11-02