Teaching License from North Carolina to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from North Carolina to South Carolina is an application, not a transfer: South Carolina reviews your North Carolina certificate and issues a South Carolina certificate of its own. The tests and requirements below are what South Carolina still asks — gather them before you apply, because gaps are what slow a review.
What changes, North Carolina → South Carolina
| North Carolina (current) | South Carolina (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $30–$100 (NCDPI publishes only a range: 'Non-refundable service fees range from $30 - $100' for professional educator's licenses, with the exact amount set by application type under the State Board's Licensure Fees policy. No single out-of-state application figure is published.) | $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 | 8–12 weeks (NCDPI's licensure page states 'Processing of licensure applications is currently averaging 8-12 weeks.' This is a current-conditions figure, not a statutory service standard.) | 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 | North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) — Educator Licensure | 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)). Processing time: 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 North Carolina teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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.
Can I teach in South Carolina right away?
Not until the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) — Office of Educator Services issues your South Carolina certificate, so build its processing time into your start date.
What does the North Carolina-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 time: 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)
- NCDPI — Educator's Licensure (processing time) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NCDPI — Further Educator License Information (out-of-state, CPL/IPL, exam comparability) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NCDPI — Forms and FAQs (fee range, out-of-state applicant definition) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NCDPI — Apply for a NC Educator License ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]