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South Carolina

These resources – like the public health crisis itself – are constantly evolving and are only current as to the date of publication. This page was last updated on August 4, 2020.

For more up-to-date information on the relief programs available in South Carolina, we recommend that you visit the Governor's Executive Orders, the Department of Commerce website or the Department of Health and Environment Control's COVID-19 resources.

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Description of Program and Relief

Expedited Licensing and Waiver of Certain Licensing Requirements by Certain Professional and Occupational Licensing Boards and Other COVID-19 Related Guidance

Pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order No. 2020-08, the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation is expediting or temporarily waiving certain licensing requirements (see below under eligibility requirements for a list). For example, several Professional and Occupational Licensing Boards, such as the Board of Medical Examiners, Board of Nursing, Board of Psychology, and Board of Social Work Examiners are waiving licensing requirements for practitioners licensed out-of-state in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, many of South Carolina’s Professional and Occupational Licensing Boards are providing guidance and additional information concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the South Carolina Board of Funeral Service has posted a FAQ and additional guidance for handling individuals who have died, or are suspected to have died, from COVID-19.

Government or Lead Agency

The Office of the Governor of South Carolina/The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation

Dates Available

The effective date of certain licensing waivers or orders to expedite vary. Check the sites of individual Professional and Occupational licensing boards, available here, for further information.

Eligibility Requirements/Restrictions

Affected licenses, registrations and permits involve the following boards:

  • SC Board of Accountancy

  • SC Board of Barber Examiners

  • SC Board of Chiropractic Examiners

  • SC Contractor's Licensing Board

  • SC Board of Cosmetology

  • SC Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists

  • SC Board of Dentistry

  • SC Board of Engineers and Surveyors

  • SC Environmental Certification Board

  • SC Board of Funeral Service

  • SC Board of Long Term Health Care Administrators

  • SC Manufactured Housing Board

  • SC Massage/Bodywork Panel

  • SC Board of Medical Examiners

  • SC Board of Nursing

  • SC Board of Occupational Therapy

  • SC Board of Optometry

  • SC Board of Pharmacy

  • SC Board of Physical Therapy

  • SC Board of Psychology

  • SC Board of Real Estate Appraisers Board

  • SC Real Estate Commission

  • SC Residential Builders Commission

  • SC Board of Social Work Examiners

  • SC Board of Examiners in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology

  • SC Board of Veterinary Medicine

Application Deadlines (If Applicable)

Various. Please refer to the sites of individual Professional and Occupational Licensing Boards, available here, as many temporary licensing requirement waivers for out-of-state practitioners are limited to a certain number of days or other restrictions.

Contact for More Information

For more information, contact the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation by phone at (803) 896-4300 or by email at ContactLLR@llr.sc.gov.

List of Additional Information

For the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation’s website collecting important Professional and Occupational Licensing Board information about COVID-19, including information on temporary licensing waivers, click here.

For the Governor’s Executive Order authorizing the waiver of certain licensing requirements, click here.


© 2021 Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. This does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. In some jurisdictions, this publication may be considered attorney advertising. Past representations are no guarantee of future outcomes.

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