What South Carolina says
How this move starts
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.
The decision point: 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.
No blanket reciprocity claim
What this guide will not guess
A state pair alone cannot settle your exact credential, tests or timeline. Those answers can change with your license type, endorsements, preparation and experience. This page shows the reviewed South Carolina rule; the free preview applies your first teaching details before checkout.
Your North Carolina record
Confirm exactly what you hold
North Carolina's NCDPI License Verification page is the public search for professional educator licenses issued by the state, including disciplinary or administrative actions the agency makes public.
- •Professional educator licenses issued by NCDPI
- •A direct state record found by educator name or license number
- •Disciplinary or administrative actions included in the public record
Compact check
Use the regular out-of-state path
This pair is not currently a two-member compact route. South Carolina's out-of-state rules control.
Check compact eligibilityYour likely order
- 1Create a My SC Educator Portal account and submit the Standard Application
- 2Pay the published application fee
- 3Complete South Carolina fingerprinting and criminal-record review
- 4Arrange official transcripts from every regionally accredited institution
- 5Submit all pages of the valid out-of-state credential and prior exam evidence
- 6Have each qualifying employer submit an Experience Verification Form
What can change the answer
- 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
The records worth gathering first
Experience threshold
A qualified out-of-state educator with less than twenty-seven months of qualifying recent experience is generally issued an Initial certificate; at least twenty-seven months in the last seven years can support a Professional certificate.
Prior exams are evaluated
Applicants submit prior certification-exam evidence; if subject and pedagogy assessments were not completed for the source credential, SCDE may require South Carolina testing.
Core evidence
The application requires South Carolina fingerprints, official transcripts, the complete valid out-of-state credential, prior score reports and employer-completed experience forms.
Published application fee
SCDE lists a non-refundable $105 application processing fee, separate from fingerprinting or document-delivery costs; confirm the amount when filing.
Your live case
Keep the NC → SC move in one place
TeachPassport turns the state guidance into your ordered checklist, attaches the sources and keeps the route current.
Preview my plan$49 once. No subscription. Future moves are included.
North Carolina to South Carolina questions
Does a North Carolina teaching license automatically transfer to South Carolina?
No. Your North Carolina credential is evidence for the application, but South Carolina Department of Education decides which South Carolina license, endorsements, tests and remaining conditions apply.
Can I use the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact from North Carolina to South Carolina?
This is not currently a move between two listed compact member states. Use South Carolina's regular out-of-state pathway unless the destination agency tells you a different route applies.
What should I gather before applying in South Carolina?
Start with your current North Carolina license record, exact endorsements, preparation transcripts, experience verification and test history. Then follow the evidence requests in South Carolina's application.
What does the $49 TeachPassport plan include?
It turns your credential, experience, subjects, grades and destination into an ordered live case. The one-time purchase includes future moves and requirement updates.