South Carolina Teacher Certification Renewal
South Carolina teacher certification renewal happens every five years, when Professional Certificate holders complete 120 renewal credits through their district’s renewal coordinator or the My SC Educator Portal. Certificates expired less than five years can request a one-year extension through the portal, and those expired five to ten years need the district to request it instead.
Sponsored School(s)
This guide covers South Carolina teacher certification renewal for current Professional Certificate holders, as well as how to reinstate an expired certificate.
Teaching Certification Renewal
Your initial South Carolina teaching certificate is valid for three years. In order to move up to a Professional Certificate, you must meet the South Carolina Department of Education requirements for advancement, which vary based on how your Initial Certificate was issued. For many public-school teachers, this includes successfully completing the state’s required evaluation process. Once your district submits the required documentation to the Office of Educator Services, the office processes advancement to the Professional Certificate.
Your Professional Certificate is valid for five years and expires on June 30 of its expiration year. To renew, you must complete 120 renewal credits related to your professional growth plan, using the State Board of Education Renewal Credit Matrix to identify which activities qualify. If you do not hold a master’s degree, at least 60 of these credits must be graduate-level coursework, earned at a regionally accredited college or university. Educators may also need to satisfy Read to Succeed (R2S) endorsement and Jason Flatt Act requirements, depending on their individual circumstances.
How you submit renewal documentation depends on your employer. Teachers working in a South Carolina public school district submit their certificates of completion and transcripts to their district’s Human Resources office, where a designated renewal coordinator processes the certificate directly. Teachers working for a participating renewal entity submit the same documentation to that employer’s renewal coordinator. Everyone else, including private school teachers and out-of-state educators, requests renewal directly through the My SC Educator Portal and submits documentation to the Office of Educator Services. If you hold an out-of-state license and haven’t yet transferred it into a South Carolina certificate, see South Carolina Teacher Reciprocity Agreements before requesting a renewal.
Renewal Options for Expired Professional Certificates
If your South Carolina teaching certificate has expired for less than five years, you can request a one-year extension through the My SC Educator Portal. This year-long period gives you time to fulfill the remaining requirements for a Professional Certificate. Extension requests for the upcoming school year aren’t accepted before January 1.
If your certificate expired more than five years, but fewer than ten years ago, your employing South Carolina public school district must submit the extension request to the Office of Educator Services on your behalf. In either case, only one extension is granted per renewal cycle, and taking an extension reduces your next full renewal to four school years instead of five.
If your certificate has expired for more than 10 years, you can’t extend it. You’ll need to reapply for a new South Carolina Teaching Certification and meet all current requirements. For questions about any of these options, contact the South Carolina Department of Education Office of Educator Services at 803-896-0325.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a South Carolina Professional Certificate valid?
A Professional Certificate is valid for five school years and expires on June 30 of its final year. Renewing it requires 120 renewal credits earned during that five-year period.
Do I need a master’s degree to renew my certificate?
No, but if you don’t hold a master’s degree, at least 60 of your 120 renewal credits must be graduate-level coursework completed at a regionally accredited college or university.
Where do I submit my renewal paperwork?
It depends on your employer. Public school district employees submit documentation to their district’s HR office, renewal entity employees submit to their employer’s renewal coordinator, and everyone else submits through the My SC Educator Portal to the Office of Educator Services.
What happens if my certificate expires while I’m still teaching?
You can request a one-year extension. Certificates that have expired for less than five years can be extended through the My SC Educator Portal, while certificates that have expired for five to ten years need the employing district to submit the request instead.
Can I still renew a certificate that expired more than 10 years ago?
No. Once a Professional Certificate has expired for more than 10 years, you must reapply for a new Initial Certificate and meet all current certification requirements, rather than requesting an extension.
- Renewal runs on a five-year cycle — Professional Certificates require 120 renewal credits every five years, with at least 60 at the graduate level if you don’t hold a master’s degree.
- Submission depends on your employer — district HR handles it for public school teachers, your renewal coordinator handles it at a renewal entity, and everyone else uses the My SC Educator Portal.
- Expired certificates can often be extended — a one-year extension is available up to 10 years past expiration, but only one extension is allowed per cycle, and it shortens your next renewal to four years.
- Certificates expired more than 10 years require a fresh application — extensions aren’t available past that point, so you’d reapply for a new Initial Certificate.
Find accredited teacher certification programs in South Carolina, including renewal coursework options and licensing timelines for your certification path.
