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LicenseReciprocity

Transfer Your Nursing License to South Carolina: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: South Carolina Board of Nursing ↗

South Carolina is a Nurse Licensure Compact state: a multistate license from another compact state works in South Carolina immediately, with no new application. Nurses from non-compact states (California, New York, and the other non-members) apply to the South Carolina Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement — the NCLEX is not retaken.

Moving to South Carolina from a specific state?

Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

NLC member — multistate license honored

Whether you need to do anything at all depends on the license in your pocket. If you hold a multistate license and your primary residence stays in another compact state — a travel contract, a border commute, telehealth — South Carolina requires nothing from you. If you are actually moving to South Carolina, you are changing your primary state of residence, and that means an endorsement application to the South Carolina Board of Nursing to re-home your multistate license.

NLC member — a multistate license from another compact state is honored without an SC application unless South Carolina becomes the primary state of residence; optional 60-day single-state temporary license adds $10.

South Carolina requirements at a glance

Out-of-state nursing license transfer requirements for South Carolina, verified 2026-07-21
ExamNCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys
Additional requirements
  • Fingerprint-based criminal background check; fingerprint only after the board emails instructions
  • Request license verification through Nursys from your original state of licensure
  • Document continued competency within the past two years (30 contact hours, national certification, academic study, or employer certification of practice hours)
  • Hold an active RN license in another US state, jurisdiction, or territory
  • Submit proof of legal name and a 2x2 passport-type color photo taken within 6 months
Fees$100 (endorsement application; $110 if adding a 60-day temporary license; fingerprint background check fee paid separately)
Processing timeboard does not publish a timeframe; applications processed in order received and valid for one year; 60-day single-state temporary license available while pending

Step by step

  1. Confirm South Carolina's current requirements on the South Carolina Board of Nursing website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the South Carolina Board of Nursing (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Fingerprint-based criminal background check; fingerprint only after the board emails instructions.
  5. Request license verification through Nursys from your original state of licensure.
  6. Document continued competency within the past two years (30 contact hours, national certification, academic study, or employer certification of practice hours).
  7. Hold an active RN license in another US state, jurisdiction, or territory.
  8. Submit proof of legal name and a 2x2 passport-type color photo taken within 6 months.
  9. Pay the fees ($100 (endorsement application; $110 if adding a 60-day temporary license; fingerprint background check fee paid separately)) and allow board does not publish a timeframe; applications processed in order received and valid for one year; 60-day single-state temporary license available while pending.

Official links

South Carolina Board of Nursing ↗South Carolina application ↗License verification ↗Nurse Licensure Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into South Carolina:

Alabama → South CarolinaArizona → South CarolinaArkansas → South CarolinaCalifornia → South CarolinaColorado → South CarolinaConnecticut → South CarolinaDelaware → South CarolinaFlorida → South CarolinaGeorgia → South CarolinaIdaho → South CarolinaIllinois → South CarolinaIndiana → South CarolinaIowa → South CarolinaKansas → South CarolinaKentucky → South CarolinaLouisiana → South CarolinaMaine → South CarolinaMaryland → South CarolinaMichigan → South CarolinaMississippi → South Carolina
All 43 origin states
Missouri → South CarolinaMontana → South CarolinaNebraska → South CarolinaNew Hampshire → South CarolinaNew Jersey → South CarolinaNew Mexico → South CarolinaNew York → South CarolinaNorth Carolina → South CarolinaNorth Dakota → South CarolinaOhio → South CarolinaOklahoma → South CarolinaPennsylvania → South CarolinaRhode Island → South CarolinaSouth Dakota → South CarolinaTennessee → South CarolinaTexas → South CarolinaUtah → South CarolinaVermont → South CarolinaVirginia → South CarolinaWashington → South CarolinaWest Virginia → South CarolinaWisconsin → South CarolinaWyoming → South Carolina

Frequently asked questions

Does my nursing license transfer to South Carolina?

South Carolina is a Nurse Licensure Compact state: a multistate license from another compact state works in South Carolina immediately, with no new application. Nurses from non-compact states (California, New York, and the other non-members) apply to the South Carolina Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement — the NCLEX is not retaken.

Do I have to retake the NCLEX to get licensed in South Carolina?

No. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys. No state requires a second NCLEX.

How much does it cost to transfer an RN license to South Carolina?

$100 (endorsement application; $110 if adding a 60-day temporary license; fingerprint background check fee paid separately) (endorsement application; $110 if adding a 60-day temporary license; fingerprint background check fee paid separately).

How long does South Carolina take to process an endorsement application?

board does not publish a timeframe; applications processed in order received and valid for one year; 60-day single-state temporary license available while pending — board does not publish a timeframe; applications processed in order received and valid for one year; 60-day single-state temporary license available while pending.

Is South Carolina in the Nurse Licensure Compact?

Yes — South Carolina is an NLC member as of 2026-07-21. A multistate license from another member state is valid in South Carolina without any application, as long as your primary residence stays in a member state.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]