South Carolina Physician Guide

At a Glance

Category	Details
IMLC Member	Yes
FCVS	Required
NP Independent Practice	No
PA Independent Practice	No
Physician-Owned PC Allowed	No
Max NPs per Physician	6
Max PAs per Physician	6

Licensure

Item	Cost
Initial License	$580
Renewal Fee	$320
Renewal Cycle	Biennial
Annualized Cost	$160.00
Controlled Substance Registration	Yes ($200/2yr)

In-State Physician Requirement

Strict: MD must reside/practice in SC.

APC Supervision

Nurse Practitioners

NPs require physician supervision in South Carolina.

Maximum NPs per physician: 6

Physician Assistants

PAs require physician supervision in South Carolina.

Maximum PAs per physician: 6

CME & Training Requirements

Requirement	Details
Total CME	40 hours
Category 1 Minimum	See board
Cycle	Biennial
Opioid/Pain Mgmt	2 hrs/cycle
Human Trafficking	Not required
Implicit Bias	Not required
Suicide Prevention	Not required
DEA MATE Act	8 hrs one-time (federal)
Jurisprudence Exam	Not required

Fingerprint Requirements

Detail	Info
Required	Yes
FBI Check	Yes
Method	Contact board
Out-of-State Options	Contact board
Timing	With application

Quirks & Gotchas

Application Requirements

New portal as of April 30, 2026.** The board migrated to apply.llr.sc.gov. Anyone who started an application before that date had until May 30, 2026 to finish in the old system; after that, all applicants must use the new system. Plan for potential teething issues with the new platform.
Electronic application is first-time applicants only.** Reactivations, limited licenses, and some other types still require paper forms downloaded from the site.
Supplemental forms are numerous and easy to miss.** In addition to the main application, you must also submit:
Certification of Medical or Osteopathic Education
State License Verification List (every state where ever licensed)
Malpractice Claim Information form
Explanation of Yes Answer form (triggered by any disclosure question answered “yes”)
Supervising Physician Form (for limited/residency licenses only)
Primary source credential verification is required through a board-approved independent credentials verification organization** (e.g., FSMB’s FCVS or equivalent) — not a self-reported checklist. This adds cost and lead time.

Fees

Fingerprints & Background Check

Required under §40-47-36(A): applicants “may be required to furnish a full set of fingerprints” for a criminal history background check run through both the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the FBI.
Cost is borne entirely by the applicant (on top of the application fee) — budget an additional ~$50–75 for SLED/FBI fingerprint processing.
The word “may” in the statute gives the board discretion, but in practice fingerprints are routinely required for new applicants.

Other Gotchas

No jurisprudence exam** appears to be required by South Carolina statute or regulation (unlike many other states). Nothing in the Medical Practice Act Chapter 47, the Chapter 81 regulations, or the board website references a mandatory jurisprudence exam for initial licensure.
SPEX/COMVEX may be required (§40-47-32(D)): If your qualifying exam (USMLE/COMLEX) was passed more than 10 years ago** AND you do not hold current specialty board certification, you must also pass the Special Purpose Examination (SPEX) or Composite Osteopathic Variable-Purpose Examination (COMVEX). This is a significant gotcha for physicians who have been out of the exam cycle for a decade or more.
For IMGs (International Medical Graduates): a permanent Standard ECFMG Certificate is required, plus 3 years of postgraduate training (reduced to 1 year only if you’ve been licensed elsewhere for 5+ years with no discipline).

CME & Mandatory Training

Biennial renewal cycle (2 years). CME must be completed in the 24-month period preceding the renewal deadline**.
40 hours of Category I CME** per cycle is the standard requirement.
At least 30 of the 40 hours must be directly related to your practice area.
Up to 2 hours may address “approved procedures of prescribing and monitoring controlled substances.”
Alternative to CME:** Current specialty board certification or recertification by ABMS, AOA, or board-approved equivalents satisfies the entire CME requirement.
Opioid/controlled substance CME** is referenced on the board’s CE page as a separate statement document — the 2-hour controlled substance allowance in the statute may reflect this, but the board has a standalone opioid CME policy worth reviewing directly.
First renewal cycle exemption: Physicians in their first biennial renewal period are not required to complete CME at all** — a helpful break for newly licensed physicians.
Late renewers must submit CME proof.** On-time renewers do NOT have to submit certificates (board accepts attestation). If you miss the deadline, you lose that benefit.
Volunteer service credit:** Up to 10 CME hours (max 25% of the required total) can come from documented volunteer service.
Explicit statutory prohibition on MOC mandate: SC law states that no physician can be required to obtain Maintenance of Certification (MOC)** as a condition of licensure, reimbursement, employment, or hospital admitting privileges. This is a notable pro-physician provision.

Timeline

No statutory processing timeline** is specified in the law or on the website — the board does not publish a target turnaround.
Credential verification through a third-party organization (FCVS, etc.) typically adds 4–8 weeks independently of the board’s own review.
Board meetings are held on a regular calendar (posted at /med/cal.aspx) — full licensure may require board approval at a scheduled meeting, meaning applications submitted near a meeting date could wait 4–6 weeks for the next cycle.
Practical community expectation (based on board structure): 3–5 months total from complete application submission to license issuance is a reasonable estimate, though expedited review may be possible.

Other Gotchas

No license issued if any other state license is currently restricted or under investigation.** An active disciplinary matter anywhere — even a minor probationary condition — is a hard stop. You must resolve it first.
Telemedicine prescribing is restricted by statute: SC physicians cannot prescribe Schedule II-narcotic or Schedule III-narcotic controlled substances via telemedicine except in hospitals, MAT programs, or palliative care settings. Abortion-inducing drugs are explicitly prohibited** via telemedicine.
Office-Based Surgery Registration** is a separate, additional registration requirement if you perform certain surgical procedures outside a hospital — easy to overlook when setting up a practice.
NP/PA supervision:** If you supervise APRNs or PAs, you are required to have a written practice agreement on file covering the medical aspects of their care including prescribing. This is a Board-regulated obligation, not just an employment matter.
Special Volunteer License** (fee-waived) is available for physicians providing uncompensated care to the needy and indigent — useful for retirees or locum-adjacent arrangements.
Board contact:** Medboard@llr.sc.gov | (803) 896-4500. Given the new portal migration (April 2026), direct contact is especially advisable to confirm current supplemental form requirements before submitting.

Researched from state board websites and regulatory sources. Verify with the board directly before applying.

Resources

Sources

Data compiled from state medical board websites, FSMB, and regulatory filings. Last updated June 2026.

Have a correction or update? Let us know.