South Carolina insurance license requirements

The state of South Carolina has no formal pre-licensing education requirement however it is recommended as the prelicensing course is designed to prepare candidates for the State Licensing Examination.

• Life Only  
• Accident & Health Only  
• Casualty Insurance  
• Property Insurance  
• Personal lines 

• This is a forced progression (locked) state that requires the student to review each lesson and pass each of the chapter quiz before moving onto the next section/chapter. 
• Assessments on key topics throughout the course must be successfully passed with a minimum score of 70% before moving onto the next chapter. 

• Registration must be completed online on Pearson VUE website: https://home.pearsonvue.com/sc/insurance
• Exam fee – $59

• You must check the compatibility of your computer before registering for the exam. https://syscheck.bridge.psiexams.com
• If your computer is not compatible with the online software, you will need to schedule your examination at PSI test center.

• Examinations may be taken only six (6) times in a one-year period. 

• Be sure to take advantage of XCEL’s 3-Part training program, including Part 2 (Prep Review Course) and Part 3 (Exam Simulator). These are the two sections we hear from students value the most during the exam waiting period. 
  
  • Prep Review Course: This part of the training scales down content to focus solely on the most important material with weighted sections identical to the state exam. Chapters have only a few pages of material, but the content must be mastered to pass. Instructionally designed to teach individuals how to pass, most study effort should be invested here. Chapter exams are substantially larger (50+ questions), providing exposure to the types of questions seen on the state exam. 
  • Exam Simulator: These special exams are designed to gauge content retention levels. Important: Only take the Exam Simulators after the Prep Review Course has been successfully completed. It ensures these questions will be “fresh in the mind." 
• On the day of testing, you must present a valid government issued photo id. The name on the ID must match the name on the exam registration (including designations such as “Jr.” and “III”).

• Submit license application online through NIPR www.nipr.com
  • License application can be made 48 hours (2 days) after successfully passing an exam to allow for the exam results to be uploaded to NIPR.
• Application fee $25
• If you answer “Yes” to a background question on the application, submit your written statement accompanied by corresponding court documents (printouts from a court’s web site are not acceptable) as part of your NIPR electronic license application using the Attachments Warehouse
• If you need to submit other additional documents as part of your NIPR electronic license application, use the Attachments Warehouse
• The department will send fingerprint information including the ORI number or service code after they receive the application

Name: South Carolina Department of Insurance
Phone: 803-737-6095
Website: https://www.doi.sc.gov/
Address: 120 Main Street, Suite 100 Columbia, SC 29201

XCEL Solutions provides this information as a courtesy to licensees subject to insurance continuing education requirements. Although every effort is made to maintain the accuracy of this course, recent changes in laws and procedures may not yet be reflected in the content. All information is subject to change without notice.

Agents holding a Major Lines license (Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, Accident & Health, Life or Variable Products) are required to renew their license by the last day of their birth month every two years. 

• On-going renewal periods are the last day of the agent’s birth month, and odd/even year of birth every two (2) years thereafter. 

Continuing education requirements must be met before submitting the license renewal application. 

Licensees renewing a Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, Accident & Health, Life or Variable Products license are required to complete 24 hours of approved continuing education, 3 of which must be approved as ethics, before submitting their renewal application. 

• At least 8 hours must be taken in each line for which license is held. 

The South Carolina Department of Insurance requires specific training requirements for individual agents selling, soliciting, or negotiating Long-Term Care products (LTC), Flood Insurance products (NFIP), and Annuity products (Annuity). Failing to complete the required training may jeopardize the agent’s authority to sell the related insurance products. 

• Life or Accident & Health licensees must complete an approved 8-hour Long-term Care course before selling, soliciting, or negotiating long-term care insurance. 
• Agents must also complete an approved 4-hour LTC refresher course every renewal period to continue selling, soliciting, or negotiating long-term care insurance. 
• The initial and refresher LTC course credits count towards the agent's 24-hour CE requirement. 
• Resident agents may complete these training requirements in any state provided the department has approved the course for long-term care credit prior to the agent taking the course. 
• Non-resident agents may complete these training requirements in any state. 

• Life or Variably Annuity licensees must complete an approved one-time 4-hour Annuity Best Interest Training course before selling, soliciting, or negotiating annuity products.  
• Annuity Training course credits count towards the agent's 24-hour CE requirement.  
• Resident and non-resident agents may complete these training requirements in any state with laws substantially similar to South Carolina. 

• Property and Casualty or Personal Lines licensees must complete an approved one-time 3-hour National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) course by the end of their first renewal period if they plan to sell, solicit, or negotiate Flood insurance. 
• The National Flood Insurance Program course credits count towards the agent's 24-hour CE requirement. 

• Licensees can use independent self-study courses to fill all requirements. 
• Licensees must take courses totaling at least 8 hours in which the licensed is held; remaining 5 hrs. may be in any line of authority. 
• Self-study exams are closed book and require a monitor/proctor. 
• Duplicate courses completed in the same renewal period are not allowed and cannot be carried over to future renewal cycles. 
• Excess credits of up to 18 hours earned in the previous biennial renewal period can be carried over to the next reporting period. 
• Licensees cannot repeat the same course within a 24-month period from course completion date. 

• Students must provide their National Producer Number (NPN) to report on course completion. 
• No Reporting Roster Fee is required to report course completions to your state. 
• Course completions are reported within one business day. 

Resident and nonresident license renewal applications are processed through NIPR. A $25 renewal fee is required. Agents with a continuing education requirement must obtain all required credits prior to their license expiration date. An agent will not be eligible to renew their insurance license(s) until they have satisfied their continuing education requirement.

Find your South Carolina insurance license number
View your CE transcript
Renew your license.

South Carolina Department of Insurance - Licensing Division
https://doi.sc.gov
803-737-6205
info@doi.sc.gov
PO Box 100105, Columbia, SC 29202-3105