South Carolina
South Carolina insurance licensing: requirements, renewal, and agency rules
South Carolina licenses producers through the South Carolina Department of Insurance (SCDOI), with all applications, renewals, and appointments filed electronically through NIPR — SCDOI doesn't run its own licensing portal.
- Renewal cycle
- Every 2 years
- CE hours
- 24 hours (3 ethics)
- Application fee
- $25
- DOI phone
- 803-737-6095
Overview
South Carolina licenses producers through the South Carolina Department of Insurance (SCDOI), with all applications, renewals, and appointments filed electronically through NIPR — SCDOI doesn't run its own licensing portal. Licenses run on a biennial cycle tied to birth month, and the department publishes monthly exam pass-rate reports, a level of transparency most state DOIs skip. SCDOI's licensing hub covers a wide range of categories beyond producers and adjusters, including bail bondsmen, pharmacy benefit managers, and utilization review agents, all under S.C. Code Title 38.
How to get licensed
Confirm prelicensing education
SCDOI's producer application pages don't publish a prelicensing classroom-hour requirement — for most lines, the exam itself is the gate. Confirm the current requirement for your line with SCDOI Licensing before scheduling your exam.
Register for and pass the licensing exam
South Carolina uses Pearson VUE as its exam vendor, effective since May 2023. Your exam result is valid for 12 months — apply for your license within that window or you'll need to retest.
Wait for fingerprinting instructions
New resident applicants need a background check. Don't schedule fingerprinting on your own — after you submit your application, SCDOI or NIPR emails you instructions the next business day. See SCDOI's fingerprinting page for the process.
Apply for your license
The fastest path is to apply through InsureTrek — we file your South Carolina application for the state's $25 fee, pulled from NIPR at the moment of application.
Get appointed and keep your license active
Once licensed, your appointing insurer files your appointment with SCDOI through NIPR within 15 days of your first application or signed agency contract. Your license runs on a two-year cycle tied to your birth month — see the renewal section below.
Prelicensing education
Not required. SCDOI's application pages don't state a prelicensing-hours requirement for standard producer lines; check current requirements directly with SCDOI before assuming none applies to your line.
Exam
Vendor: Pearson VUE.
Fingerprinting
Required. Required for resident applicants on new applications; wait for SCDOI's emailed instructions rather than scheduling on your own.
Fees
| Fee | Initial | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Resident producer license (individual) | $25 | $25 |
| Non-resident producer license (individual) Adjusters and public adjusters instead pay a retaliatory non-resident fee set to match their home state's charge to South Carolina residents. | $25 | $25 |
| Agency (business entity) license | $40 | $40 |
Fees as of 2026-08-21. Fees change without much notice. When you apply through InsureTrek, we always use the current fee at the moment of application. Sources: NIPR – South Carolina resident licensing, individual, NIPR – South Carolina resident licensing, business, SCDOI – License Renewal
Renewal & CE
Renewal window — License expires at the end of the producer's birth month, in even-numbered years for producers born in an even year and odd-numbered years for those born in an odd year.
Grace period: Six months after expiration to complete outstanding CE and pay a $50 late compliance fee to reinstate. After six months, the license and any appointments are cancelled outright, requiring a new exam, new fingerprinting, and a new application.
Producers licensed in more than one line of authority generally need at least 8 hours of CE in each line held, with the ethics hours and any remaining hours flexible across lines. Confirm the exact split for your combination of lines with SCDOI before your renewal deadline.
24 total CE hours per renewal term, including 3 ethics hours.
Producers with 25+ years of continuous South Carolina licensure who are 65 or older may apply for a CE exemption through SCDOI's exemption form.
| Line | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term care (initial) | 8 | One-time 8-hour LTC training requirement, then 4 additional hours each renewal cycle after that. |
For agencies and non-residents
Agencies, appointments & DRLP
South Carolina requires a separate agency license, filed through InsureTrek for a $40 fee, renewing every two years in January of even-numbered years. Every agency must have at least one licensed and appointed producer assigned to it, and § 38-43-100(I) requires the director to confirm the agency has designated a producer or other person responsible for its compliance. Non-individual entities such as foreign corporations and limited partnerships must also register with the South Carolina Secretary of State.
Insurers appoint producers electronically through NIPR. Under S.C. Code § 38-43-50(C), the insurer must file the appointment within 15 days of executing the agency contract or receiving the producer's first application. General appointments cost $100, local appointments $40, and travel accident and baggage appointments $20, all non-refundable.
Appointments — Deadlines: Appointments renew in September of even-numbered years at the same fee as initial filing. If an insurer terminates a producer's appointment for cause, § 38-43-55(B) requires it to notify SCDOI within 30 days.
Managing DRLPs across states? See how InsureTrek handles it →
Non-residents
Non-residents apply through InsureTrek for the same $25 fee residents pay, provided the applicant holds an active resident license in their home state and doesn't already hold an active resident South Carolina license. No CE or fingerprinting is required of non-resident producers. Non-resident adjusters and public adjusters pay a retaliatory fee matched to what their home state charges South Carolina residents, rather than a flat SCDOI rate — for example, North Carolina residents pay $175 and Georgia residents pay $115, against South Carolina's own $80 resident adjuster fee.
Apply for a non-resident South Carolina license through InsureTrek, plus the state fee.
Official resources
- South Carolina Department of Insurance — licensing
- DOI phone: 803-737-6095
Terms used on this page
Sources & disclaimer
This guide is informational and summarizes publicly available state and NIPR licensing rules as of 2026-08-21. Requirements change — verify current rules with the South Carolina Department of Insurance or NIPR before you rely on anything here.
Official NIPR reseller · Applications filed through InsureTrek are submitted via NIPR.
- NIPR – South Carolina non-resident licensing, individual — accessed 2026-08-19
- NIPR – South Carolina resident licensing, individual — accessed 2026-08-19
- S.C. Code Ann. § 38-43-100 — accessed 2026-08-19
- SCDOI – Adjuster — accessed 2026-08-19
- SCDOI – Agency — accessed 2026-08-19
- SCDOI – Appointments — accessed 2026-08-19
- SCDOI – Consequences of Failure to Comply — accessed 2026-08-19
- SCDOI – Continuing Education — accessed 2026-08-19
- SCDOI – Division Contacts — accessed 2026-08-19
- SCDOI – Fingerprinting — accessed 2026-08-19
- SCDOI – License Renewal — accessed 2026-08-19
- SCDOI – Licensing & CE hub — accessed 2026-08-19
- SCDOI – Producer — accessed 2026-08-19
- SCDOI – Public Adjuster — accessed 2026-08-19
FAQs
How much does it cost to get an insurance license in South Carolina?
SCDOI's application fee is $25 for a resident individual producer license, charged again at each biennial renewal. Pearson VUE exam fees and any fingerprinting fees come on top of that; SCDOI doesn't publish those amounts on its own site, so confirm current pricing with the vendor before you register.
Do I need a prelicensing course before I can sit for the South Carolina exam?
SCDOI's producer pages don't list a prelicensing classroom-hour requirement for standard lines like life, health, property, or casualty — the exam itself is generally the gate. Check with SCDOI's Licensing & CE division for your specific line before assuming none applies.
Where do I take the South Carolina insurance licensing exam?
South Carolina uses Pearson VUE, its exam vendor since May 2023. Register and review exam details at home.pearsonvue.com/sc/insurance.
How do I look up or verify a South Carolina insurance license?
SCDOI's license lookup runs through the NAIC State Based System. Start at doi.sc.gov/354/Licensing-CE and use the license lookup link there to verify an individual or agency license.
When does my South Carolina license renew?
Your license expires at the end of your birth month — in even-numbered years if you were born in an even year, odd-numbered years if you were born in an odd year. It's a two-year cycle, not tied to your original issue date.
How much continuing education do I need in South Carolina?
You need 24 CE hours per two-year cycle, including 3 hours of ethics. If you hold more than one line of authority, plan on at least 8 hours in each line you hold. Producers doing long-term care business also need an initial 8-hour LTC course, then 4 hours each renewal after that.
What happens if I miss my South Carolina CE deadline?
You get a six-month grace period to finish your CE and pay a $50 late compliance fee to reinstate. Miss that window and SCDOI cancels your license and any appointments outright — you'll need to retake the exam, get re-fingerprinted, and submit a new application.
Can non-residents get licensed in South Carolina without extra fees?
Producers pay the same $25 fee as residents and don't need South Carolina CE or fingerprinting. Adjusters and public adjusters are the exception — South Carolina charges non-resident adjusters a retaliatory fee matched to what their home state charges South Carolina residents, so the amount varies by state.
See how InsureTrek handles South Carolina licensing at scale.
Renewals, CE, and appointments tracked across every state your producers write in.