APRN Licensure South Carolina Board of Nursing

Required Identification & Forms

1. Copy of current SC RN license with the expiration date
2. Recent 2" x 2" full faced passport type photo, signed and dated on front and back
3. Document of earned master's degree. Have the official transcripts sent directly from your masters of nursing educational program to the Board of Nursing.
4. Copy of current specialty certification by a board-approved credentialing organization. (New graduates shall provide evidence of certification within one year of program completion; however, psychiatric clinical nurse specialists shall provide evidence of certification within two years of program completion)
5. Copies of legal documents that authorize a change in name (marriage license, divorce decree, or court order).
6. Verification of Lawful Presence in the United States Affidavit of Eligibility Form
7. Obtain all SC physician signatures and license numbers, if applicable

Education

Applicants must provide official transcripts from an accredited college or university where the applicant earned a master's degree. Schools for all MSN or Doctorate programs must be approved by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

The below applicants are exempt if they provide documentation that:

• They graduated before December 31, 2003 from an advanced, organized formal education program for nurse anesthetists accredited by the national accrediting organization of that specialty OR
• They graduated before December 31, 1994 from an advanced, organized formal education program appropriate to the practice and acceptable to the board

Foreign Educated Applicants

General and nursing education must meet the standards required of graduates from nursing programs in this State who are candidates for licensure. Verification must be provided by a certificate from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools or another board-approved credential evaluation service.

If a foreign-educated applicant's nursing education is not verified as equivalent, the applicant may still qualify for licensure by completing a supplemental course prescribed by the Board within an approved nursing education program and, upon completion, successfully passing the licensing examination.

A foreign-educated applicant who does not obtain licensure within three years of first taking the examination must requalify to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). To do so, the applicant must enroll in an approved nursing education program and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of a graduate nurse.

For all Foreign Educated Applicant Information and Requirements please visit Foreign Educated Nurse Requirements.

Temporary License

You may apply for a sixty (60) day temporary license to practice nursing in SC if one or more of the below listed items is pending for an additional $10 fee. Prescription Authority is only available when a permanent license is issued. A temporary license is not available for applicants who answer yes to the personal history questions related to previous discipline, surrender/relinquishment of a professional license in lieu of discipline, and/or arrest/convictions.

Compact State Information

South Carolina is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). The NLC does not affect additional requirements imposed by states for advanced practice registered nursing. A multi-state licensure privilege to practice registered nursing granted by a party state must be recognized by other party states as a license to practice registered nursing if a license to practice registered nursing is required by state law as a precondition for qualifying for advanced practice registered nurse authorization.

A current APRN South Carolina license or temporary license is required to practice advanced nursing in this state. Orientation is considered the practice of nursing in South Carolina. Therefore, all nurses must possess a current South Carolina license and/or temporary license before beginning orientation (including classroom instruction and reading policies and procedures).

Military Spouse Licensure

Do you hold a professional or occupational license in another state? Are you married to and living with an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces who is relocated to and stationed in South Carolina under official military orders?

Click here to find out if you are applicable to get an expedited license in South Carolina.

APRN's applying for prescriptive authority shall meet the requirements as noted in the S.C. Nurse Practice Act, Section 40-33-34 (E). The Prescriptive Authority application is a separate document from the online application for APRN. For all of the requirements and instructions please view the Prescriptive Authority Application.

The application for Prescriptive Authority needs to be mailed to the board along with the additional fee of $20.

The following application sequence is encouraged for prescriptive authority:

1. Obtain a SC APRN license
2. Once employed and if desired, apply for prescriptive authority. You will need the pharmacology hours and the collaborating Physician
3. Once prescriptive authority is granted and if you desire a DEA license, apply for the Controlled Substance Registry through SC DHEC.
4. Apply for a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) license.

This application is intended for individuals who are updating from a current South Carolina RN License to a South Carolina APRN License.

An upgrade applicant for APRN licensure must provide evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant:

• Has an active SC RN license in good standing
• Has earned a master's degree from an accredited college
• Has a national certification for the specialty area of nursing practice or the title of the specialty area of nursing in which the nurse has received advanced educational preparation

New graduates must provide evidence of certification within one year of program completion; however, psychiatric clinical nurse specialists must provide evidence of certification within two (2) years of program completion.

Please view the Active SC RN Licensee to become a SC APRN Form for all requirements and instructions.

This application is for a Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), or Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) who is currently or was previously licensed as an APRN in another state.

An applicant for a license who currently holds or has held an authorization to practice in another state or jurisdiction in the country or territory or dependency of the United States may be licensed by the board by endorsement, without examination if the applicant:

• Has met all qualifications for licensure as a registered nurse
• Holds current specialty certification by a board-approved credentialing organization. New graduates shall provide evidence of certification within one year of program completion; however, psychiatric clinical nurse specialists shall provide evidence of certification within two years of program completion
• Has earned a master's degree from an accredited college or university OR provided documentation that you have graduated from an advanced, organized formal education program appropriate to the practice and acceptable to the board before December 31, 1994 OR graduated before December 31, 2003, from an advanced organized formal education program for nurse anesthetists accredited by the national accreditation organization of the CRNA specialty. An advanced practice registered nurse must achieve and maintain national certification, as recognized by the board, in an advanced practice registered nursing specialty
• Has declared specialty area of nursing practice and the specialty title to be used must be the title which is granted by the board-approved credentialing organization of the specialty area of nursing practice in which the nurse has received advanced educational preparation
• Submits verification of current or prior authorization to practice as an APRN and RN in another state or jurisdiction or territory or dependency of the United States

Please view the APRN Licensure by Endorsement Form for all requirements and instructions.

APRN Application by Endorsement Paper Application

Step 1: Review Your Renewal Dates

Nursing license renewals open February 1, 2026. Please note that all nursing licenses expire on April 30 of every even-numbered year.

Step 2: Review Continued Competency

Applicants must provide documentation of continued competency within the past two (2) years by meeting one of the following requirements (approved providers and forms are available on the SCBON website):

• Completion of thirty (30) contact hours of continuing education from a provider recognized by the Board (continuing education certificates required).
• Maintenance or renewal of national certification by a certifying body recognized by the Board.
• Completion of an academic program of study in nursing or a related field recognized by the Board.
• Employer verification of competency using the Board-approved Employer Certification Form.

Step 3: Apply for Renewal

Complete and submit your renewal application through the Board's eServices Portal, along with the required renewal fee. Once your application and payment are received, the Board will verify your information and process your license renewal for the appropriate period.

If you do not renew your license before the deadline, your license will lapse at the close of the renewal period. You will not be permitted to practice nursing in South Carolina until your license has been reinstated.

For the renewal schedule, fees, and applications please visit the board's renewal's page.

After submitting your application

Applications for licensure are valid for one year from the date of filing with the board. An applicant who fails to attain licensure during this period shall submit a new application, application fee, Criminal Background Check, and required documents.

Criminal Background Check

The SC Nursing Practice Act requires all nursing applicants to submit a fingerprint based criminal background check. Instructions for the fingerprint process will be sent to you after your application is received by the South Carolina Board of Nursing. Do not have your fingerprints or criminal background check processed until you have submitted an application and received instructions from the Board. If you are applying with an alien registration number, you will not be able to have your fingerprints processed until you obtain a social security number.

Requesting Inactive Status for Your License

You will need to submit the Request for Inactive Status form along with a $15 fee to the SC Board of Nursing. You may download the Request for Inactive Status Form here or login to your eService account and upload it here.

Considerations About Inactive Status

If you are considering placing your South Carolina nursing license on inactive status, here are a few things you should know:

• You cannot practice nursing in the State of South Carolina on an inactive license. This includes volunteer nursing.
• When you place your license on inactive status, your Multi-state (Compact) status is also inactive.
• You can change your mind at any time and reactivate your license, but you will need to meet the continued competency requirements at that time. The requirements to reactivate are based on the amount of time your license is inactive.
• If you do not practice for five years or more, the requirements for reactivating your license include retaking the licensure examination or taking a refresher course.

If you are no longer working as a nurse, but wish to keep your license in active status, you only have complete one of the continuing education competence requirements during the licensure period which you can find here.

Reinstating or Reactivating Your License

Requirements for reinstatement/reactivation are based on how long your license has been in a lapsed/inactive status and whether you may have been practicing in another state with an active license.

Reactivation/Reinstatement Form

You will need to submit evidence of professional competence, so please refer to the competency requirement for licensure found in S.C. Code Ann. Section 40-33-40 under Laws/Policies, as well as on the Competency Requirement for Licensure under Licensure.