Registration as a Geologist
Individuals interested in becoming a Licensed Geologist in South Carolina must meet specific educational, professional, and examination requirements as established by the South Carolina Board of Registration for Geologists. These requirements ensure that all practicing geologists possess the academic background, practical experience, and professional competence necessary to protect the public and uphold the standards of the profession.
- Registration by Examination is intended for individuals who are not registered in any other state and wish to apple through South Carolina’s education, experience, and examination requirements. All applicants for Professional Geologist registration must have graduated from an accredited geologic curriculum of four or more years approved by the Board, and must provide proof of five years of work experience (or four years with a master’s degree in geology). Applicants must also pass both portions of the National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) examination.
- Registration by Reciprocity is intended for individuals who hold a current, valid
registration in North
Carolina, Georgia, or Virginia. Applicants must have graduated from an accredited geologic curriculum
of four or
more years, including a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours in geology or geophysics,
approved by the
Board. They must also provide proof of five years of work experience (four years with a master’s
degree in geology).
- Georgia and North Carolina applicants must provide verification of at least five years of responsible professional work experience after the date of registration.
- Virginia applicants must provide verification of at least seven years of responsible professional work experience after the date of registration.
- Registration by Endorsement is intended for individuals who hold a current, active, and unrestricted license under the laws of another state or territory - other than North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia - whose requirements at the time of registration were equivalent to those in effect in South Carolina. Endorsement applicants must have graduated from an accredited geologic curriculum of four or more years with a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours in geology or geophysics, approved by the Board, and provide proof to the Board of five years of work experience (four years with a master’s degree in geology).
- Registration by Reinstatement is intended for individuals seeking to reinstate a lapsed or expired
Geologist registration in South Carolina. Applicants must meet all requirements established by the
Board, including compliance with continuing education standards.
- For registrations expired six (6) years or less, applicants must document 24 hours of approved continuing education completed prior to reinstatement.
- For registrations expired seven (7) years or more, applicants must document 36 hours of approved continuing education.
Individuals seeking to take the ASBOG examinations must first apply for registration through the South Carolina Board of Registration for Geologists. Applicants must complete and submit the appropriate application, with all required documentation and fees to the Board. Once received, the Board will review the application to determine eligibility.
If approved, the Board will pre-register the applicant with the testing provider, Prometric. The testing provider will then email the exam candidate with instructions on how to register for their examination. Applicants should ensure that their email address on file with the Board is current in order to receive all notifications.
Individuals seeking registration as a Geologist in South Carolina are required to successfully complete the appropriate national examinations administered by the Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG).
The examination process consists of two parts: the Fundamentals of Geology (FG) and the Practice of Geology (PG).
The FG Examination consists of 140 multiple-choice questions administered during a four-hour session and evaluates the applicant’s academic knowledge of geology and related sciences. Passing scores are scaled based on the relative difficulty of each version of the exam, and a PASS result on the FG Examination is required to obtain the Geologist-In-Training Registration in South Carolina.
The PG Examination consists of 110 multiple-choice questions administered during a four-hour session and assesses an applicant’s ability to apply geologic principles in professional practice. Passing scores are scaled based on difficulty, consistent with ASBOG® standards, and a PASS result on the PG Examination is required to obtain full Professional Geologist Registration in South Carolina.
Examination results are typically available within sixty (60) days of the examination date, and candidates will receive official notification of their PASS or FAIL status by email from the testing provider, Prometric.
All examination fees are paid to the testing provider, Prometric.
The ASBOG® exam converted to computer-based testing (CBT) in March 2023. The exam can be taken at any of the 575 testing facilities throughout the contiguous US, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. Please visit the ASBOG website for further information.
After Board approval to take the exam, candidates will receive an email from registrations@isoqualitytesting.com (Prometric/Iso-Quality Testing (IQT)) with instructions on how to register, pay, and select a Prometric testing location. All communications related to the exam administration will be sent directly from Prometric to the candidates.
Please feel free to contact the Geology Board office at (803)896-4575, or by email if you have any questions.
Individuals interested in becoming a Registered Geologist in South Carolina by Reciprocity must meet specific educational and professional requirements as established by the South Carolina Board of Registration for Geologists. The registration process ensures that all practicing geologists have the necessary academic, practical experience, and professional competence to protect the public and uphold the standards of the profession.
South Carolina currently has reciprocity with North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia. Reciprocity with these states exempts testing only and is applicable only if the applicant has NOT passed the ASBOG examination but is registered in a reciprocal state and has the required work experience.
- All applicants applying for a Professional Geologist registration through reciprocity must have
graduated from an
accredited geologic curriculum of four or more years with a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter
hours in
geology or geophysics, approved by the board; and provide proof to the board of five years of work
experience (four
years with a master’s degree in geology).
Georgia and North Carolina applicants for reciprocity must provide verification of at least five years of responsible professional work experience after the date of registration.
Virginia applicants for reciprocity must provide verification of at least seven years of responsible professional work experience after the date of registration.- Submit Employment Verification form(s) showing a minimum of 5 or 7 years work experience in the field of geology. Forms should be sent to present or previous employers for completion and forwarded directly to the Board’s office.
- Verification of Registration/Licensure forms must be forwarded directly to the Board’s office from all states where you are registered as a Geologist.
- Official academic transcripts must be sent directly to the Board from the College or University. Transcripts must bear the seal of the institution and the signature of the Registrar. Transcripts may be emailed to Contact.Geologists@llr.sc.gov or sent via US Mail.
Individuals interested in becoming a Registered Geologist in South Carolina by Endorsement must meet specific educational, professional and examination requirements as established by the South Carolina Board of Registration for Geologists. The registration process ensures that all practicing geologists have the necessary academic, practical experience, and professional competence to protect the public and uphold the standards of the profession.
Applicants for registration by endorsement must hold a current, active, and unrestricted license under the laws of another state or territory that had requirements that were, at the date of licensure, equivalent to the requirements in effect at the time of the application in South Carolina.
- All applicants applying for a Professional Geologist registration through endorsement must have graduated from an accredited geologic curriculum of four or more years with a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours in geology or geophysics, approved by the board; and provide proof to the board of five years of work experience (four years with a master’s degree in geology).
- Submit Employment Verification form(s) showing a minimum of 5 years work experience in the field of geology after graduation from an approved college. Forms should be sent to present or previous employers for completion.
- Verification of Registration/Licensure forms must be forwarded directly to the Boards’ office from all states where you were registered as a Geologist.
- Official academic transcripts must be sent directly to the Board from the College or University. Transcripts must bear the seal of the institution and the signature of the Registrar. Transcripts may be emailed to Contact.Geologists@llr.sc.gov. or sent via US Mail.
Individuals seeking to reinstate a lapsed or expired Geologist license in South Carolina must meet all requirements set by the South Carolina Board of Registration for Geologists, including compliance with the Board’s continuing-education standards.
For licenses expired one to six years, applicants must document 24 hours of approved continuing education credits completed prior to reinstatement. For licenses expired seven years or more, applicants must document 36 hours of approved continuing education credits.
The deadline to renew without penalty was June 30, 2025. Registrations not renewed by that deadline may still be submitted during the late renewal period, which ends on December 31, 2025. Late renewals must include the renewal fee plus a $150 late fee.
Additional information can be found here.
| License Fees | App. |
| Registered Geologist (Two-year license) | $200 |
| Registered Geologist (Two-year registration) | $300 |
| Principles and Practice of Geology Exam | $250 |
| Reinstatement Fee, plus 2 Year Renewal Fee | $600 |
| Licensee List Request Form | $10 |