Teaching License from New York to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) — Office of Educator Services ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from New York to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) — Office of Educator Services, verify your New York license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. South Carolina accepts a valid, standard out-of-state credential that documents both completion of an approved educator preparation program recognized by the issuing state and that the issuing state's certification examination requirements were met; in that case SCDE does not require South Carolina's exams for the fields being transferred. If the applicant did not complete subject-area and pedagogy assessments as part of the licensing or certification process in another state, SCDE may require South Carolina testing and will notify the applicant. Separately, an educator issued an Initial certificate must document successful completion of a pedagogy assessment during that certificate's validity period..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of New York to South Carolina: your New York teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. South Carolina will review your credential, issue a provisional certificate so you can begin teaching, and then require its own tests and coursework within its completion window before the full license. Nothing about holding an New York license waives South Carolina's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, New York → South Carolina
| New York (current) | South Carolina (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $100 ($100 per certificate title or extension for an Initial/Professional classroom teaching certificate awarded on alternate requirements (transcript/individual evaluation) — the route interstate applicants use. The $50 rate applies only to certificates based on completion of a New York State-registered approved program requiring a college recommendation. Additional: $104.50 fingerprint fee as of 2026-02-02 (DCJS $75.00 + FBI $12.00 + IDEMIA $17.50). An application is valid for three years or two evaluations, whichever comes first, and the fee is non-refundable once evaluated.) | $105 ($105 non-refundable application processing fee paid online through My SC Educator Portal; the fingerprinting and criminal-records-review vendor fee is charged separately and is not published on the reciprocity pages) |
| Processing time | NYSED publishes no processing-time estimate for certification applications. The Office of Teaching Initiatives states only that it 'can not determine eligibility for certification until an application has been submitted, and a review of your credentials has been completed.' | SCDE publishes no processing timeframe on its out-of-state or reciprocity pages — the word 'weeks' does not appear on them; SCDE states only that submitting all documentation at one time expedites processing of the application |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives | South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) — Office of Educator Services |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Carolina's current requirements on the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) — Office of Educator Services website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) — Office of Educator Services (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, valid, standard credential from another US state, the District of Columbia, or DoDEA — temporary, emergency, provisional, and conditional out-of-state credentials are not accepted for reciprocity.
- Create a My SC Educator Portal account and complete the Standard Application for Out-of-State Educators before any other step.
- Complete the SCDE fingerprinting process and criminal records review — fingerprinting completed for another state, agency, or purpose cannot be used.
- Submit official transcripts from each regionally accredited college attended, a copy of all pages of the existing out-of-state credential, and score reports for any certification exams completed.
- Submit an Experience Verification Form from each employer; at least 27 months of qualifying experience earned in the last seven school years in the state of the transferred certificate is required for a Professional rather than an Initial certificate.
- Pay the fees ($105 ($105 non-refundable application processing fee paid online through My SC Educator Portal; the fingerprinting and criminal-records-review vendor fee is charged separately and is not published on the reciprocity pages)) and allow SCDE publishes no processing timeframe on its out-of-state or reciprocity pages — the word 'weeks' does not appear on them; SCDE states only that submitting all documentation at one time expedites processing of the application.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does South Carolina accept a New York teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from New York to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) — Office of Educator Services, verify your New York license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. South Carolina accepts a valid, standard out-of-state credential that documents both completion of an approved educator preparation program recognized by the issuing state and that the issuing state's certification examination requirements were met; in that case SCDE does not require South Carolina's exams for the fields being transferred. If the applicant did not complete subject-area and pedagogy assessments as part of the licensing or certification process in another state, SCDE may require South Carolina testing and will notify the applicant. Separately, an educator issued an Initial certificate must document successful completion of a pedagogy assessment during that certificate's validity period..
Will I have to retake tests moving from New York to South Carolina?
South Carolina accepts a valid, standard out-of-state credential that documents both completion of an approved educator preparation program recognized by the issuing state and that the issuing state's certification examination requirements were met; in that case SCDE does not require South Carolina's exams for the fields being transferred. If the applicant did not complete subject-area and pedagogy assessments as part of the licensing or certification process in another state, SCDE may require South Carolina testing and will notify the applicant. Separately, an educator issued an Initial certificate must document successful completion of a pedagogy assessment during that certificate's validity period.. Holding a New York license does not by itself waive South Carolina's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in South Carolina right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year South Carolina certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the New York-to-South Carolina transfer cost and how long does it take?
$105 ($105 non-refundable application processing fee paid online through My SC Educator Portal; the fingerprinting and criminal-records-review vendor fee is charged separately and is not published on the reciprocity pages); processing SCDE publishes no processing timeframe on its out-of-state or reciprocity pages — the word 'weeks' does not appear on them; SCDE states only that submitting all documentation at one time expedites processing of the application.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- SCDE — Out-of-State Educators / Reciprocity (NASDTEC Interstate Agreement; eligible credential requirements; $105 fee; application procedures; Initial vs Professional certificate and the 27-month experience threshold; pedagogy assessment during Initial validity) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SCDE — Application Checklist: Out-of-State Educators ($105 non-refundable processing fee; My SC Educator Portal steps; fingerprint card request for out-of-state applicants) [PDF served at this URL] ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SCDE — Questions Regarding the South Carolina Certificate Issued by Reciprocity (30-day window to dispute an issued certificate; 90-day window to submit additional experience for a Professional certificate) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NYSED OTI — Applicants from Other States (Interstate Reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NYSED OTI — Application Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NYSED OTI — Workshops Required for Educator Certification ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NYSED — Fingerprinting (fee effective 2026-02-02) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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