South Carolina LPN License: Lookup, Renewal, CE, and Fees

South Carolina participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an LPN who already holds a multistate license from another compact state can practice in South Carolina without applying for a new license. An LPN with a single-state license, or one from a state outside the compact, must instead apply for licensure by endorsement.

Endorsement requires the RN/LPN endorsement application, verification of the applicant's license history through Nursys or other state records, proof of identity and lawful presence, evidence of equivalent nursing education, and evidence of continued competency within the preceding two years. Applicants also undergo SLED and FBI fingerprint-based background checks. The endorsement fee is $100, or $110 if the applicant requests a 60-day temporary license while the application is processed. The board does not require a separate state law exam or English proficiency test for endorsement applicants.

South Carolina requires LPN applicants to graduate from a board-approved school of nursing or nursing education program; the board does not state a required program length. Applicants must then pass the NCLEX-PN, the exam prescribed by the board for licensure, with no separate state jurisprudence or law exam required for initial licensure. Retakes are allowed no more often than every 45 days.